Free Standard Insurance

Free Standard Insurance is an alternative to paying for extra insurance. This option is free of charge but entitles you to very little coverage. The legal wording has not changed for over 60 years: the client’s shipment is covered for only 30 cents per pound per article. This coverage amounts to almost nothing; e.g. a typical couch is covered for about $30. 

If you choose this option, you are in effect agreeing that, in the event of any more considerable damage, you will have recourse only to your own personal household insurance. If you have no personal household insurance, or if you do not wish to make a claim on your homeowner’s insurance policy, the only way to ensure your items are fully covered is by purchasing additional Replacement Value Insurance through Brownstone Brothers. (More info below.)

Replacement Value

Replacement Value coverage may be purchased at the time of your move. It covers goods for the value of replacing them with an identical or similar item. In the rare event of damage, the moving company would, first of all, see if a satisfactory repair can be made. If not, our insurance company, Travelers, would process a claim for the cost of replacing the item. This insurance can be purchased for $10 per $1000 value of the shipment, with a $1,000 deductible.  The value stated should reflect the plausible total worth of your shipment. (For example, if your furniture is worth $100,000, you could not take a policy for $15,000, as the insurance company will say you are “underinsured.”) The minimum declared value of a shipment is $12,000.

The following items are not covered by Replacement Value Insurance:

• Items not packed by our crew

• Items made of particle board, pressboard, or engineered wood (e.g. Ikea furniture)

• Laminated wood and wood veneer

• Electronic and mechanical items with no visible damage on the exterior

• Cash and items of extraordinary value (e.g. jewelry)

• Plants