Should you get Moving Insurance or Mover’s Valuation for your Columbia move?
When planning your move within or out of Columbia, apart from choosing the right Columbia moving company; it is of vital importance that you choose the right type of insurance protection for your move. The best protection for your move depends on the importance and value of your shipment, and the cost of the protection you will get. There are two basic types of protection available: mover’s valuation and moving insurance.
Before launching into a breakdown of the pros and cons of each type and its possible variants, it is important to define the two terms: mover’s valuation is provided by the moving company, and your Columbia mover is required to provide it in its most basic form, at no extra charge. Moving insurance is provided by an insurance company, and in fact, Columbia moving companies are disallowed by law to sell you this type of protection. Some form of moving insurance us available with a lot of real estate, and before you consider buying extra protection, you should see if the house you are leaving did in fact come with a moving insurance policy.
In any case, here are the basic types of protection, along with the type of moves they are suited for, and why each type of protection is best for each type of move:
- Released Valuation – Best for small, short residential moves, involving no items of substantial value. Released valuation is the mandatory mover’s valuation protection provided by movers at no extra cost. Compensation is computed by multiplying the weight of an item by a factor of thirty to sixty cents. While the compensation isn’t much, this is extremely hassle free and comes at no extra cost. If you are moving nothing of real worth this be sufficient.
- Full value protection- Best for medium to large residential moves, or any move which involves a mix of mostly items with no value, and a few items of significant value. This is a form of mover’s valuation, it offers far greater protection than released valuation. A shipment’s weight is multiplied by a factor not less than $4, the result is then the ceiling value of the coverage. Compensation is based on how much it will cost to replace a given missing or damaged item; provided the total value of the broken or missing items does not exceed the ceiling. Should the value be higher than that ceiling amount or should your Columbia mover lose your full shipment, you will get the full ceiling amount, and nothing more.
- Replacement value coverage - This is ideal for office moves involving expensive mission critical equipment or moves involving valuable works of art or antiques. As stakes go up, so too does the cost protection. Replacement value coverage is provided by insurance companies and must be purchased separately. Under this type of insurance coverage, all items of value are covered fully with no ceiling. This insurance can be pricey, but then again, it is best for cargo which is pricey as well.
As with most things in life, your move may not fit neatly into the general moves we just described; however, we hope you’ve now been given a good idea of the factors you have to consider. It goes without saying that choosing a Columbia moving company with a good track record and a lot of experience is of the utmost importance, and can reduce your risk greatly; however, choosing the right for of protection will go a long way towards giving you the peace of mind you deserve.
