Everything is going along smoothly on moving day until it’s not, and one of the mover’s trips and drops something — like your TV. Your movers, of course, have the same intentions you do: get everything transported safely and securely into your house, making you a happy customer. If you stay cool and follow the appropriate procedure, you and the moving company should be able to get everything settled to make everyone happy. Here is what you need to do:
-
Document the damage
Before your move, your moving company will do an inventory of all of your belongings and detail everything that was damaged prior to the move and have you, the customer, sign off. Take photos of the new damage and have your movers document it on the Bill of Lading as soon as it is discovered, before signing off that you received your goods undamaged.
-
Review the terms of your contract
Nobody likes to think about the potential for damaged items when preparing for a move, so you may not have read the contract in detail. Go back and review the terms of dealing with damaged items to see if the company has laid out a claims procedure, as well as determining what sort of coverage you have and who you should be dealing with.
-
File a claim
Whether you need to file a claim with the movers or the insurance company depends on whether you got moving insurance. First and foremost, contact the moving company to inform them that you will be making a claim, and document all contact you have with the company for your own records including dates and who you spoke with. Inquire about their arbitration process, as well as whether they have a claims process or paperwork that needs to be filled out. Then gather all of your documents, including the Bill of Lading, Order of Service, and Inventory to build the foundation for your claim. Document the damage in as much detail as possible, including the photos you took on moving day. This paperwork must be filed within 9 months of moving day if you hired an interstate moving company, but the sooner you complete your paperwork, the better.
Reputable furniture movers will do their best to get your claim handled quickly and smoothly, but if for some reason your claim is not handled to your satisfaction, your next course of action is to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, Department of Transportation (which handles their permits), and leave reviews online to inform other potential customers that you are not satisfied. In some cases, a poor Yelp review will be enough to get the company to pay attention!
Here’s a how-to guide on how to pack your electronics and have a look at our tips for moving your valuables to make sure you cover your bases before there is any chance for damage, or if you are moving a number of high-value items!
