BASIC DAMAGE PROTECTION

A moving company that does not provide transportation is not required to provide any type of insurance or valuation coverage. However, we believe that a professional moving service should have some level of liability for the services provided. Therefore, we provide basic coverage and voluntarily abide by federal tariff laws to provide basic Released Valuation coverage on all moves, the same coverage that a full service moving company must provide. This is a default coverage of up to $0.60 per pound for damage to household goods while being handled by the movers. This coverage is not insurance and is not value based.  Additionally, Gaffhand, LLC DOES carry General Liability insurance to protect a customers residence from unforeseen damages, caused in direct action by the movers on-site.

There are at least five segments to every move: Packing, Loading, Transport, Unloading and Unpacking. Full service moving companies can provide a wide range of additional insurance options because they generally handle all five segments, ensuring that each item is inventoried and handled directly by their movers. Moving labor is different because we generally only provide services for one or two of the segments, most commonly loading and unloading. Because we do not transport your items we are unable to remain in possession of your household goods for the entire move. As a result of this, your movers liability for basic damage protection ends once they are no longer in possession of your items, which is typically when they depart your location. To have a valid claim you must notify your movers of any damage you wish to report before they depart your location.

All claims must be submitted via email or our contact us page WITHIN 30 DAYS OF YOUR MOVE CONCLUSION to be considered valid.  If your claim is not filed within 30 days it will be immediately void and we will be unable to guarantee any damage reimbursement.

ADDITIONAL INSURANCE OPTIONS

Full service movers (moving companies that also transport) are required by the Department of Transportation to provide customers with the ability to purchase additional insurance coverage’s. Because moving labor companies do not provide transportation we cannot provide additional coverage options. However, there are several types of insurance that may be available to you for your DIY move:

 

Homeowners and Renters Insurance: These coverage’s (notably homeowners) typically will cover damage that occurs during transit. It is recommended that you speak with your insurer to confirm the details of coverage

Third Party Insurers:There are insurance companies that will sell a policy specifically to cover household goods during a move. It is important to note that these policies tend to have a lot of exclusions and should be thoroughly reviewed before purchasing

Insurance from Truck Rental / Portable Storage Companies: Most truck rental, storage container and transportation companies will provide insurance options for your items. These insurance coverages typically insure your household goods against loss due to fire and other natural events. Review the details of each insurance option directly with your transportation company before purchasing

WHAT IS NOT COVERED: EXCLUSIONS

Understanding the exclusions list will help you better prepare for your move. In addition to the list, we have also provided additional information for each item to help you understand why the items are excluded.

ANY ITEM NOT RECORDED ON OUR WORK ORDER BEFORE WE DEPART YOUR LOCATION

Because we do not transport any items, once the shipment leaves our possession we cannot be liable for any damages. This includes, while not limited to, damage in transit during your move.  You have the right to inspect all items prior to the departure of our moving labor crews. Any damaged items that are not excluded from coverage must be noted on the work order to be considered claimable.

 

ANY ITEMS TRANSPORTED BY A THIRD-PARTY

Items that are transported by a third-party, POD, or U-Pack agency are not covered.  We can guarantee that your belongings will leave packed nice and snug, but we are unable to ensure they are transported to our customers quality standard.  Due to the nature of third-party transport, it is best to provide as many blankets and tie-downs for your movers to decrease any potential for damage during transport.  While we do not see damages happen often, we are unable to sign-off on how another company handles your items and recommend taking the time to verify all of your items are secured and padded to your liking before our movers depart.

ANY ITEMS PACKED BY THE CUSTOMER

Items packed by owner “(PBO)” are not covered because we cannot be sure how the box, crate or bin was packed, or if it was packed correctly. Further, many boxes are used several times and their structure may not be adequate to prevent damage.

PARTICLE BOARD FURNITURE

Generally cheaper items, particle board is prone to damage when moved. Think “Ikea” style furniture. These items are not covered because of the poor quality of the material and the likelihood that damage will occur even when properly handled (damage rarely happens).

ANY DAMAGE TO FURNITURE WHEN PROPER PADDING/BLANKETS WERE NOT PROVIDED

As explained above, hiring professional movers is only half the battle. Furniture pads are extremely important in ensuring that your items are packed safely for transport. If you fail to provide furniture pads it is very likely that some of your items will be damaged during the move. If an adequate amount of pads are not provided by the customer during the load we will not be responsible for any damage, even while on site.

SPECIAL CARE ITEMS OR HIGH VALUE ITEMS WITHOUT PROPER PACKAGING AND PREPARATION

The best example of these items are flat screen TVs. Traditional moving companies will require you to crate these items before shipment to remove their liability. We will move these items without packaging or crating at the customer’s request, however we will not insure any of these items unless they are packed and/or crated appropriately.

POOL TABLES, PIANOS, TANNING BEDS AND HIGH VALUE ITEMS

While we do move many different types of heavy items, that does not mean we specialize in them. For these items you should hire a company that specializes in the item, such as piano movers, pool table movers, gun safe movers, etc. A specialty company will have the appropriate equipment for these items in circumstances that are beyond Student Movers Service’s scope of work .

VEHICLES, MOTORCYCLES, RIDING LAWN MOWERS AND SIMILAR

These are not standard household items. It is the customer’s responsibility to load and secure small motorized vehicles.

ITEMS THE CUSTOMER HELPS WITH

Our movers will provide as much or as little help as you need. If the customer wishes to assist in the movement of any item they may, however, if that item is damaged while being moved it would be exempt from coverage.

VINYL FLOORING

Generally cheaper flooring such as vinyl will scuff, scratch, and tear much easier under normal operations.  This type of flooring is not covered because of the poor quality of the material and the likelihood that damage will occur even when properly handled.  While damage rarely happens, it is best practice to provide the movers with the proper coverings to vinyl when dealing with tables, appliances, or safes.

FURNITURE WHICH CANNOT BE MOVED SAFELY OR WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE HOME

From time to time we will be asked to move furniture in/out of a home that cannot be moved without damage to the item or the property. This may be because the item is too large to fit through the doorway, hallway or stairwell but may also be a result of other situations. For example, washers and dryers typically have “feet” the jut out from the bottom. When moving a washer or dryer in a home with vinyl flooring it’s nearly impossible to avoid ripping the vinyl floor. As you might imagine there are hundreds of potential scenarios that may fall into this exemption category. In a situation where we are absolutely certain damage will occur, we allow you approve the movement with a signed liability waiver. In a situation where the item may cause injury in addition to property damage it is ultimately up to the supervisor to determine how to proceed.

ITEMS THAT WE ASSEMBLE OR DISASSEMBLE

Movers that provide assembly services do so for items that are considered common and necessary throughout a normal move and do not require advanced knowledge or special tools. While most items will be taken apart or put back together without issues, we cannot assume responsibility for a service that we provide as a courtesy.

ELECTRONICS SUCH AS GAMING CONSOLES, COMPUTERS, STEREOS, TABLETS, ETC

Most of these items will typically be packed by the customer which is excluded from coverage. Further, we do not assess the working condition of electronics before moving them. Therefore, we cannot know for certain whether or not the item was in working condition prior to the move.

WHAT IS COVERED

HOUSEHOLD PROPERTY SUCH AS WOOD FLOORS, CARPET, WALLS, DOORS AND SIMILAR

As discussed in “Your Responsibilities” above, the customer is required to prepare and prep these items against damage.  We know that not every circumstance is possible to prepare for though and that’s why YOU’RE COVERED!

Despite the long list of exclusions and limitations, we do provide coverage for items that we knowingly, and without dispute, damage. Any item(s) damaged during the move must be listed on the work order prior to the completion of your move. Any item(s) not listed on the work order are not eligible for coverage. If there is an issue, please contact us and we will do our best to resolve it as your satisfaction is our number one priority!  Released Valuation coverage will be provided to all items dropped or damaged on site while in the possession of our movers, assuming they do not meet any of the exclusions above.

Remember, Released Valuation covers up to $0.60 per pound per item. Factors such as condition of the item and depreciation may reduce the amount of compensation ultimately paid.

HOW TO MAKE A CLAIM

Any covered damage that occurs, while the movers are on site, must be submitted to the company that provided moving services.

1.  Make sure that the broken or damaged item(s) are listed on your work order before the movers depart the site.

2.  Contact Gaffhand LLC directly and inform them of the damage. They will advise you of their claims process and, if necessary, provide you with paperwork to be completed.

3.  Please contact Gaffhand, LLC Customer Support on the contact page to notify of a claim.

CLAIM REMEDIES

Assuming the steps above were followed correctly and the damaged item(s) are not excluded, Gaffhand, LLC will have the option to repair the damaged item or compensate you in accordance with Released Valuation. The option of repair versus compensation is at the sole discretion of Gaffhand, LLC.

REPAIR

The company may have relationships with repair companies and will have sole authority to choose the company of their choice. Although you may request your own repair estimates be aware that costs associated with estimates or repairs will not be covered unless pre-approved by the company. Requests for reimbursement for unauthorized estimates or repairs will be denied.

COMPENSATION

If the company opts for compensation instead of repair, a payment will be made to you based on the weight of the item, its condition and depreciation, up to $0.60 per pound. It is important to remember that Released Valuation is a basic coverage and will not cover the full replacement value of your damaged item(s).

VALUATION COVERAGE

Damage to household goods as a direct result of Services performed are covered by basic valuation coverage.

PLEASE NOTE: This coverage is applicable to items dropped or otherwise damaged while being handled by the movers in the performance of Services scheduled by Gaffhand, LLC. Any damage must be reported on the work order prior to the movers departing the service location. **Damage incurred while in transit, or after the movers have departed the service location, WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

This basic coverage is not insurance, it is valuation, and is based solely on weight, i.e. up to $0.60 USD per pound. This valuation coverage only applies to household goods that are damaged whilst in the possession of the Supplier.  Gaffhand, LLC carries General Liability insurance to protect customers residence from unforeseen damages, caused in direct action by the movers on-site.

This basic coverage is not available for any items reported as damaged after the Supplier has departed your service location. This includes any damage incurred while in transit. editable *

CANCELLATION POLICY

Please note that once you have booked an appointment with us, it means that we have reserved time in our schedule exclusively for you. 

• We charge half of the estimated jobs total to confirm your move and validate your card information.

• If you cancel more than 48 hours in advance, you can cancel FREE OF CHARGE.

• If you cancel your appointment within 48 hours of your scheduled move date/ time, you will be subject to a cancellation charge equal to 1 hour of moving labor based on the number of movers assigned to your job. (Number of movers assigned * 1 hour * Hourly rate)

• If you cancel your  appointment within 24 hours of your scheduled move date/ time, you will be subject to a cancellation charge equal to 2 hours of moving labor based on the number of movers assigned to your job. (Number of movers assigned * 1 hour * Hourly rate)

**If you have booked with us less than 48 hours prior to your move date, our standard cancellation policy applies at a 50% reduced rate.

To avoid a cancellation fee, please provide cancellation notice at least 48 hours prior to your appointment.
You can cancel or reschedule an appointment by emailing us at robert@robertfuentes.com, texting 7202545256, or calling our office at 7202545256.