Highlights
- While most moves go smoothly, there are instances where movers may cause damage to one’s property, be it furniture, electronics, floors, or walls.
- Damages might arise from negligence, incompetence, or even simple carelessness on the part of the moving labor.
- It’s crucial to document any damage, including descriptions of missing items, and photos or videos if possible, to expedite the claims process.
- Damaged items must be available for inspection by the moving company, and it’s advisable to settle claims directly with the moving company for a resolution.
As much as everyone may wish that their move goes well, sometimes things just go wrong. And as much as moving companies wish to be true professionals, trained movers could make mistakes and cause damage to your property as a result.
Whenever there are damages caused by movers to your property – furniture, floors, walls, electronics, etc., you need to act in a timely manner: you should file a claim.
A reputable mover will do its best to reimburse you for the damages caused. Either way, you should be informed of the claims process.
Find out more about the damage claim forms and what you should do in case of damage to your property caused by movers.
Take preventative measures
If you haven’t moved yet, here are a few tips that will help you avoid the need to file claims against your movers.
- Use our Moving Cost Calculator to get in touch with top-rated moving companies near you. All professional moving companies in our database are properly licensed and registered by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
- Check the USDOT number of the cross-country moving companies you’re considering as a potential relocation partner. All interstate movers must have a valid USDOT number, issued by the U.S. Government, that proves their legal status.
- Check the online reputation of the short-listed moving companies at MyMovingReviews. The 5-star rating system will give you a quick glimpse into just how reputable a certain mover is. All moving reviews on the website are written by former customers of the movers.
- Check the customer reviews about the movers at the Better Business Bureau. The BBB is a professional organization that’s dedicated to helping people find trustworthy businesses – and in your case, those reputable businesses are moving companies you can trust with your cherished possessions.
- Take records – photos, videos, descriptions, etc. – of your personal household belongings before you give them to a moving company. You need proof of what you gave to the moving company and in what condition you gave it away. This is important for evidence – in the case of damage, you can show the condition of the damaged item(s) before the relocation begins.
Movers damaged my brass bedroom set. One tall cabinet shattered. Owner said his secretary will get in touch with me. Brass light bridge also had dents and scraps. House was freshly painted and gouges in wall. Was a total nightmare. Why is he taking so long to send adjuster out to my home. Am sick at what they did. He’s not answering calls.
Hello Sherry,
I own a Claims inspection and repair business in Western NY. Many of my accounts are nationally recognized names. They depend on companies like mine, which are located all over the United States, to contact their customer (within 3 days) after recieving the claim to schedule an inspection and submit a complete report with photos, etc. The report is used by Adjusters to determine the best coarse of action i.e. repair, replace, or cash out for claimed amounts. The fact that it has been 30 days since submitting your claim with no contact can occur depending on time of year and the number of “channels” your claim travels through. What concerns me more is the lack of a reply to your phone calls. If your move was with a nationally known carrier they tend to be very responsive (MOST of the time, in my experience). They may be independently owned and operated, but they do represent a very large “brand” that oversees their conduct, etc. Smaller independent movers work on their own agendas, granted they are still bound by laws that govern the industry, but can, and sometimes do, work with a little more liberal interpretation of those laws. Please do not take this as a slight to smaller movers, the vast majority are very reputable. I have personally encountered those who are not. So, if you used a “big” carrier, find out where their corporate headquarters are located and contact them with your concerns. If the latter is the case, hunker down, this could be a rough ride. I found the advise concerning the process for the filling of your claim on this site to be spot on. Record and save all evidence for the inspector. Best of luck to you.
A. Wain
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My moving company damaged the content of my condo, which was “totaled” by hot water heater leaking upstairs. Moving company has apprised me of damage and I have filed claim with my insurance company, but content of condo is now in hands of mover, which says it will assess damage and get back to me. Should I do anything else?
We moved 12 miles and l bought the minimum insurance . The movers got tired and careless and dropped my freezer and damaged my washer , did not put moving hardware on my washer. They apologized for the damage to the freezer but the claim only covered by weight . Is there any recourse if the damage was because of carelessness and not the usual wear and tear of a move ?