Is your Moving Company confusing you on how they handle
damages to your move? Today, we would like to talk about how important that it
is to understand your valuation coverage options and what they really mean to you,
the consumer.
None of us like to talk about damage, but let’s get real. It
happens. Not every move is perfect and there are some things that can possibly
get broken in ANY move and with ANY Moving Company.
Although every consumer wants perfection (of course) -
understanding your options up front will actually help you to make the right
decision on damages before your move even begins.
What is valuation anyway?
Good question. Let’s think about how you pay for car
insurance. You choose a plan, it may or may not have a deductible and you pay
monthly for that plan in case of an accident. If there is an accident, you pay
your deductible, file a claim, get a repair person to look at your vehicle (or
your insurance company assigns one), submit the estimate to the insurance
company and they send you a check or have your car repaired, etc…
Well, valuation is similar to car insurance, only its called
valuation.
The reason Moving Companies use this term is simply because
we are not providing you with insurance. We are not charging you monthly to
insure your items.
Valuation is the process of estimating what something is
worth in value. Because the Moving Companies did not purchase your items and do
not know the value of your items, we have to allow the consumer (you) to tell
us how much that you think that your items are worth. This is what we call “Declared
Value”
Now that we
understand what valuation means, what is your Moving Company legally entitled
to offer you?
Well, legally Moving Companies are required to offer you a
minimum of $.60 cents per pound per article or the actual value of the article
(whichever is less) at no cost to you. This is the basic coverage (Legal
Liability) and it’s not much.
Basically, if you have a desk that weighs 200
pounds that gets damaged in the move, then your Moving Company will issue you a
check for $120.00 or have the item repaired (whichever is less)
They have too. It's the law.
However, your Moving Company also (LEGALLY) has to offer you
another option. If your moving company is not talking to you about your
valuation options, then they may not be a legitimate company to be working
with.
What are your other options?
Your Moving Company should also offer you full valuation.
This option allows you to declare the total value of all your items prior to
your move. Full value means the total replacement value of your goods. You
cannot elect this option after your move is completed (Only before) and there
is a cost associated with this option (just like paying for insurance)
Full valuation means that the Moving Company will have the
option of repairing any damaged items or replacing the items at an equal value to the actual
retail value of the item (whichever is less) and they have the option to salvage
the broken or damaged item in replacement of the new item.
The cost for full valuation depends on the amount that you
declare on the total value of your goods. Always check with your Moving Company
for pricing on full valuation before your move. Don’t forget to ask about the
deductible options!
Protect yourself and your belongings before you choose your
moving company. We hope this helps to clarify what your moving company is
legally responsible to offer you before you move.
If you have further questions, contact us and we will be
glad to answer them!
Have a protected move!
Buehler Companies (Denver Office)
(Google Plus Page)
3899 Jackson Street
Denver, CO 80205
303-388-4000
Denver Office Moving Website
(Google Plus Page)
3899 Jackson Street
Denver, CO 80205
303-388-4000
Denver Office Moving Website
Buehler Transfer and Storage (Fort Worth Office)
(Google Plus Page)
Manitou Express – Mountain View Moving (Colorado Springs Office)
(Google Plus Page)
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