FAQs
Do you provide insurance?
For domestic moves, we offer valuation coverage, which covers your belongings while they are in our care. The valuation coverage level for full value protection is determined by using $6 per pound of the estimated weight of your shipment with a $0 deductible. For example, if your estimated shipment weighs 4,000 lbs., your coverage is $24,000.
For international moving, we offer a Global Protection Plan. You can insure your shipment based on the final weight of your items (at $14/hundred weight) or you can insure it based on a valued inventory. Both options include a $0 deductible. If you select valued inventory, you will need to complete the valuation yourself. All forms for either option must be completed and submitted to us before our crew arrives to pack everything.
How and when do I pay?
Tariff provisions require that all charges be paid before your shipment is unloaded at your destination, unless prior arrangements have been made for later billing.
Payment for your shipment can be made by one of the following methods: cash, traveler’s check, money order or cashier’s check. Most van lines accept all major credit cards. However, if you are moving within the same state, please check with your Move Coordinator for acceptable forms of payment. Personal checks are not accepted, so please allow for enough time to get an acceptable form of payment if you’re arriving on a weekend or holiday.
All payment forms apply to both binding and non-binding estimates.
If you have received a non-binding estimate and your actual moving costs exceed the estimate, you will be required to pay no more than 110% of the estimated cost at delivery. Should your actual costs exceed the estimate, a bill will be sent after 30 days from the delivery for the amount due.
Payment of estimated charges plus 10% does not apply if goods are delivered into storage. If storage at destination (storage-in-transit) is necessary, all transportation charges must be paid at time of shipment’s delivery to the warehouse. You will then be assessed storage charges based on the applicable rates set forth in the tariff. Storage charges are due at the time the shipment is delivered.
Can I pack my clothes in a chest or dresser drawers?
If your shipment is going into storage, all items must be removed from the drawers.
Otherwise, lightweight clothing – sweaters, shirts, blouses, undergarments, etc. – may be left in drawers. However, please do not fill drawers with table linens, sheets, or heavy items such as books, which can damage the piece of furniture during transit. Also, be careful not to leave fragile items, money, jewelry, watches or other valuables in the drawers, as well as anything that might spill or leak.
What are the “non-allowable” items? Why can’t we ship certain things?
Simply put, not everything is safe to move. Some things might spoil, damage other items or pose a safety risk to those handling the shipment. Please ask your Move Coordinator for a full list of non-allowables or watch our video for more information.
What do I need to do to prepare for the crew?
If you have anything you would not like packed, please set this aside and inform the crew so they understand not to pack it.
You are responsible for removing anything hung on the wall and disconnecting and unplugging all electronic devices.
If you have certain boxes going to storage and others to your new home, it’s helpful to used colored sticky notes to distinguish between the two shipments.
What should I do if I have a damaged/missing item?
First, bring the damage to the packers’ or driver’s attention. Second, you should contact the Move Coordinator who is handling your move and make them aware of the issue. You can fill out a claim form on our website at this link.
The following information will be needed when filing your claim for damages:
- Inventory tag number
- Description/name of the item (including brand name)
- The nature and extent of damage, or if the item is missing
- The cost of thee item
- The year that item was purchased
- The value that you are placing on the item/the amount that you are claiming
Important: Do not discard any item – including any packaging – that is damaged until a representative has had the opportunity to inspect the items. Failure to have items available for inspection by a 3rd party contracted by the van line could result in the denial of the claim.
Can I pack and move plants?
Most moving companies will not transport plants. The stress and heat of being inside of the moving trailer usually causes them to die. Many states do not allow the entry of plants while other states will admit plants under certain conditions. There are some states that have no regulations at all. Be sure to understand your state’s regulations prior to moving the plants in your own vehicle.