Moving Insurance

You will have to get insurance for your move whether you want it or not.  It is part of the moving contract and I don't know of any moving company who will ship your belongings overseas without the proper insurance. The insurance is ridiculously expensive, but trust me, you want it because you will need it.


You will probably be offered a basic insurance, that will cover damages and then you will be offered 3 different upgrades:


1) Insurance for your sets;
2) Insurance for mold;
3) Insurance for electronics malfunctioning;


I did not get the third upgrade. I figured I am moving back to the US and I can take a chance on my tv's and computers. And luckily everything is still working fine.


Insurance for mold damage is an absolute must. You don't know how long your container will be at sea and even if you use a dehumidifier, if your things stay in the container long enough they will smell. All of my clothes, pillows, cushions and mattresses smelled like mold. Some were ok after being washed and in the sun for a while but the pillows and cushions are a lost cause. And if you or someone on your family have asthma, this can be dangerous. 


The set insurance, as I am learning, is a complete rip off. The moving company told me that if a piece of the insured set was damaged the insurance company would pay for the whole set to be replaced. This is not true, as I am finding out. The insurance company will pay the value of the pieces to replace the set. Well, isn't it the same as just the regular insurance? So why do we have to pay extra for this? 


I had lots of damages during this trip. And this time I decided, for the first time to file a claim. And it hasn't been easy. It seems like the insurance company wants you to just give up. But I am committed this time. I won't give up! The crystal glasses that belong to my Great Grandmother were broken. Some gifts from my grandfather and from my mother-in-law were broken too. The movers took my refrigerator apart in 10 pieces and, of course, it is broken now. Just to name a few...


So to make things easier you will need to do this:


1) Make a list of ALL your belongings. Go room by room and list every item. Ask the moving company for the appropriate sheet in advance so you can have enough time to get this done;


2) List all those items in the insurance list and make sure the values you put in are accurate;


3) Take pictures of the family heirlooms and other expensive or irreplaceable items;


4) Tell the moving company to pack and unpack every single box. Watch closely when the movers are unpacking crystals, china and other valuables. Make sure to put on the delivery report all the damages you find;


5) Have someone from the relocation company help you on the day of the move to make sure everything goes smooth and that you can communicate with the movers;


6) Submit the claim as quickly as you can providing all the documentation along with it to expedite the process.


After submitting the claim, you will have to go on-line and find similar items to the ones that got damaged or broken and send a link to the insurance company. If any of the items is valued over 200 dollars the underwriters are going to make your life tough and ask for other documents. Then, you will be contacted by an adjuster who will set up an appointment for a person to come access the damge. He will see what can be fixed and what can't. After all this, they will start taking their time. They have 90 days per contract to act on your claim, but they will try to let you forget about it. Don't.  Keep sending them e-mails to make sure your claim is being processed. After all this they will try to settle the claim and submit you an offer. I haven't gotten there yet. But good luck with your claim.

And I would avoid using Willis as your insurer if I were you. Other companies will process your claim faster, approve the repairs immediately and  will not nickel and dime you.