Moving day is slowly approaching. There are hundreds of things that demand your attention. Finding a good moving company, gathering all the documents and lastly packing everything can cause a headache. During this period, something can go wrong. For this reason, you should acquire moving insurance. If you are not sure how the moving insurance works or if you should get it, then here is your chance to remove all your doubts.
Why should you acquire moving insurance?
When you are moving your belonging across the country or even locally, something unexpected might happen. Your items might get damaged or lost during the relocation. If you did not acquire moving insurance, you will not get the money back. However, if you decide that you need insurance after all, then you will be safer. Without insurance, it is harder to make a claim.
Making a claim
If your items get damaged or lost during the move, you have the right to make a claim. How you should do it? When you are unpacking your items, you should carefully examine them. This way, you can notice if there is something amiss. If some of your belongings are damaged, you have nine months to file a complaint. The moving company has 30 days to acknowledge your claim or 120 to refuse or make an offer.
How to be safe when it comes to your items
If you need to make a claim, you need good evidence. Before you start to pack, take pictures of everything, especially of the items that have a high value. Art collection or expensive jewelry should receive special treatment. In addition to this, try to write everything down on a piece of paper. It is easier to find what you need if you have it in writing. Also, it would be wise to estimate the value of your things before the movers come to do the same.
Valuation
Before you even sign the contract with the moving company, the movers will come to assess the value of your items. In most cases, this first valuation does not show the true value of your items and you do not have to pay for it. It is important to note that valuation is not insurance, but the predetermined limit of liability. The declared value or assessed value tells the exact liability, and this must be given to you as a part of the bill of lading. For this reason, check everything twice before you sign the moving contract.
Types of moving insurance
Now that you know how to make a claim and why it is wise to acquire moving insurance, here are some types that you can get.
- Trip transit insurance – covers your personal items in case of theft, disappearance or fire during the relocation or storage. However, breakage or flooding is not included.
- Special perils contents coverage – offers protection for breakage except for fragile things.
- Floater coverage – for valuable items such as jewelry or art collection.
- Car insurance verification – if you are shipping your car, get the certificate from the shipping company.
- Storage insurance – when you need to store your items in one of the storage units, make sure to get one.
The moving company’s insurance
Not all moving companies offer moving insurance. The state regulates the type of insurance moving companies can offer, and not the federal government. For this reason, it would be wise to check with the moving company. For example, contact the Chinatown moving company to ask about their services. In addition to this, some moving company does offer protection for your items in the case of damage or disappearance. You can also acquire moving insurance through one of the affiliates of your moving company.
The protection offered by the moving company
According to federal law, all moving companies must have two liability options. For this reason, you can look for affordable movers NYC to find the one with the best offer.
- Full value protection – the moving company is liable for the replacement value of your items in the case if they lose or damage it. However, you have to pay additional fees for this type of protection.
- Released value protection – for this protection you do not have to pay anything. However, you will not receive the full value of your destroyed item. This is unfavorable to you if you have the items of the high value.
The cost of acquiring moving insurance
The price depends on several factors. As previously mentioned, you need to make your own assessment in order to know what to expect. The cost varies according to the value. In addition to this, it also depends on the state where you live currently and where you wish to live. It is not the same for every state in the country. For example, if your belongings are worth around 30,000 dollars, the insurance will cost you around 1000 dollars. This includes full insurance during the loading, moving and uploading.
Moving your items by yourself
When you want to do most of the work by yourself, you are responsible for the safety of your items. Even if you acquire moving insurance, many moving companies will refuse to pay for the damage. However, some truck rentals companies do offer insurance where you are protected as a driver, the truck and your items. Still, you should be careful if you want to help movers on a moving day. If you do not have relevant previous experience, it would be wise to leave the packing and transport to the professionals.
Should you acquire moving insurance
The answer to this question depends entirely up to you. If you wish to be safe, then you should acquire moving insurance. No one can control weather conditions or human actions. For this reason, better to be safe than sorry, especially if your items are very expensive.