Shipment Protection Cover: Should You Insure Your Goods When Relocating

What is shipment protection cover? Shipment Protection Cover is a type of insurance that will protect your goods against the unexpected; such as loss and/or damage

Posted on

26 August 2019

| Last updated on 19 January 2020

Shipment Protection Cover: Should You Insure Your Goods When Relocating

You may ask yourself, why is this your responsibility to insure your goods?

Shouldn’t this be the responsibility of my moving company? While some responsibility lies with your moving company, there are many variables and uncontrollable risks that take place when shipping household goods.

Some of these risks could include:

Accidental damages
Loss of container due to inclement weather at sea
Fires on the vessel
Mould and mildew (especially in hot & humid countries)
Physical customs inspections
Improper port handling

So, as you can see there are many advantages of taking shipment protection, but what do you need to look out for when selecting a moving company and their protection coverage policies?

Electrical and mechanical derangement

Protects any electrical item that is being moved. This cover protects your item if it arrives at destination and doesn’t work but has no physical damage. Be aware there will be limits on this coverage such as the age of the item, so make sure you check this with the moving company.

Pairs and sets

If part of a matching set is lost or damaged, resulting in an incomplete set, then consideration will be given for the fair reduction in value of the pair or set.

Mould and mildew

Mould and mildew can take place in any shipment with the slightest exposure to damp or humidity. Mould and mildew cover is especially needed if you are going to store your items or you are in a hot climate. Most companies will have a limit for the amount of coverage against this however, should have an option to extend the coverage, so make sure you check this.

Deductibles

Many moving companies will have a set deductible, make sure to check the amount to ensure that you will be able to make a claim as easy without paying more than the item is worth.

Fine Arts

Similar to the Mould and Mildew cover companies will have a limit on the coverage up to a set amount for fine arts. However, for all of you art collectors they should have an option to have a separate specialized coverage for fine arts valued over this amount.

Optional Coverage

Do you want to further protect your shipment? What other coverage options should you be looking out for?

Storage Protection

There are increased risks involved in storing your items; such as fires at the warehouse, increased risk of loss/damage due to increased handling and an increased risk of mould and mildew.

Depending on the moving company your protection coverage will stop as soon as your items go into storage or will only be valid for 1 month in storage. If you are looking to store your items, make sure you check if there is a way to extend your coverage throughout the storing period.

Shipping/moving cost

Imagine paying the cost of shipping your items and then the shipment is lost at sea. Many moving companies can offer a further protection cover so if your entire shipment does not arrive at the final destination you can claim back the cost of your move.

This type of coverage will typically cover the cost of shipping the replacement items, so if you have a beautiful dining table which cannot be purchased in the destination country then this would cover the shipping costs to replace it.

As a leading global moving company, we offer services of unrivaled quality, providing our customers with extensive protection plans to cover their move. For us, ensuring your items are protected is as important as the move itself, which is why we recommend our shipment protection plans.

Our shipment protection plans are tailored to your specific needs, as well as the value of what you’re shipping. Contact us today 04 332 1595: our experts can advise you which of our policies best suit your needs.