Insurance and Liability
Despite a removal company’s best intentions things can easily be damaged when moving home. It is important therefore that you check that protection for goods is available as it is not always included in the price.
Industry Standard is to accept a limited liability of £40 per item so in the first place you should see if your goods are covered under your home or commercial policy.
Alternatively, it is better that the removal company agrees to provide protection for your goods up to their full value whilst in their control. Having this arrangement available is one of the biggest differences between a professional removals company and a man and van you may find on social media.
You need the experience and knowledge of a professional firm to ensure your move goes smoothly. However, you also need the peace of mind of knowing that your possessions are safe and protected in the unlikely event of damage.
Despite the importance of protection during house moves, a survey by Buzzmove in 2014 found that 33% of people don’t ask and if they do ask, they don’t tend to check what cover is in place.
More about removals insurance
There are a few different kinds of insurance that your removals company may have. There are also policies of your own that could cover your belongings. Here’s a quick look at each of them:
- Public liability insurance. Most businesses have this cover in place and you should ask for proof of this cover before engaging in the services of any company. Public Liability provides cover should a company be liable for any damage to your property or third party injury in the course of their business.
- Goods in Transit/Storage Insurance. A professional removal company will have an insurance policy that provides cover to them for any damages they cause to items being transported or stored. This is separate to Public Liability insurance.
Removals companies by law must also have Employers’ liability insurance if the employer is found liable for injury to their employees.
Lastly, they’ll have vehicle insurance for their removals vans and trucks which should include hire and reward cover.
The majority of people never need to claim, but it’s reassuring to know that insurance cover is in place. You never know what could happen, so it’s important to do things by the book.
Your household contents cover
It’s worth checking your home contents insurance policy ahead of the move. It could be the case that cover is provided for your items in transit.
You may have special arrangements in place for valuable or antique items, and this could extend to the removals process depending on the policy.
How much protection is provided by removals companies?
It’s important to remember that the protection provided by removals firms isn’t limitless. At Kiwi Movers, we agree to accept liability up to £40 per damaged or lost item, in the event of negligence, which is in line with standard removals contracts.
However, if you do have valuables to move, you can (subject to an additional service fee) arrange protection with MoveProtect up to £100,000 per truck.
The protection can be arranged by the Kiwi Movers team on your behalf, so you don’t have to worry about it.
Please give us a call on 020 8877 9682* to discuss your move. We’ll be happy to advise on what is provided under MoveProtect.
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[…] first and probably most important thing to check is if they have insurance for goods in transit, and at what level. It is crucial that you choose a removals company who has insurance, so you know you are covered if […]