Movers Damaged My Property

1. What Happens When My Belongings Are Damaged?
2. How Do I Get My Damaged Goods Replaced?
3. What If You Don't See the Damage for a While?
4. What If I Don't Purchase Moving Insurance?
5. Filling Out a Claim Form

1. What Happens When My Belongings Are Damaged?

Moving is a very chaos-filled time in a person's life. During the weeks before and after a move, people tend to be very on edge and stress ridden. You may be so overworked that you forget to make sure the movers are performing up to par. When you finally start to get settled into your new home, you realize that your favorite vase has been cracked and your dresser has a broken drawer. You know you didn't do that, so it must have been the movers. As if you needed any more stress!

Most people do not know where to go after angrily murmuring curse words and leaving a terrible review for the company online. However, we are here to tell you that there is a way to get justice for your damaged goods. It is important that you try not to lose your temper when you speak to the company. This way, you can figure things out rationally.

2. How Do I Get My Damaged Goods Replaced?

You should begin by filing a claim with the company. First, you need to create photographic proof of the damaged articles. If you decided to get insurance for your move through either the company itself or a third party, look at your insurance documentation or make a few calls to figure out how to file a damage claim. If you purchased insurance through the company, you should let them know who was responsible for the move when you call, as well as request the appropriate paperwork for filing the claim. If you find that the damaged item is essential for the functioning of your household, then the movers should have it temporarily replaced until the process for the claim has ended.

3. What If You Don't See the Damage for a While?

Well, the time you have to file a claim is a bit different depending on the type of move you performed. For a long distance or state to state move, you have 9 months from the date of delivery to file the claim form with the movers or their claims company. Any time after this, the moving company has the right to deny the claim as the time limit to file has been exceeded. Once the claim has been received on time, you should be sent an acknowledgment that it was received within 30 days and a response to your claim within 120 days from the date that the claim was received in their office. If you have moved locally within the same state, the claims filing time limits vary from 48 hours to 9 months. There are many states that require that movers respond to the claim within 30 days from the date that it was filed. To verify your state’s claims regulations, you will need to contact the state agency governing the household goods moving industry.

4. What If I Don't Purchase Moving Insurance?

Sometimes, customers do not purchase moving insurance and instead just place their trust on the movers. This is not the best idea, because if something does get damaged during the move- which happens fairly often- then you will be subject to the minimum insurance that comes will all moves. This rate is 60 cents per pound per article. This is not very much coverage and is only intended to be there just in case anything small should be lost or damaged. This means that if you have a large $1,000.00 flat screen TV that weighs approximately 30 pounds, you will receive an offer of $18.00, even if this item is completely destroyed. If you are moving items this large, it is smart to invest in moving insurance. 

Understanding the coverage selected for your move will help you calculate the possible settlement for your claim so there are no surprises in the end.

5. Filling Out A Claim Form

If you need a claim form, you can always fill out a generic claim form in our system and we will email you a copy of this form that you will be able to forward that to the moving company. However, the moving company may require you to fill out one of their specific claim forms. Once you have forwarded our claim be sure to communicate with the movers to find out their claims procedures. Good moving companies follow the procedures and requirements to be a licensed mover which includes being in line with mandated claims regulations.