Every year people discover, at the worst possible moment, that "your move is fully insured" meant their $1,400 television was covered for $24.
That is not usually a lie. It is a vocabulary problem, and it is worth twenty minutes of your attention before you book anyone.
Movers do not sell insurance
Interstate movers are not insurance companies. What they provide is valuation — a contractual limit on the carrier's liability for loss or damage. It is regulated by federal law, and there are exactly two standard levels.
Some movers also arrange genuine third-party insurance through a licensed provider. That is a different product with a different regulator. If someone tells you the move is "insured", ask which of the three things they mean.
Released value protection
- Free. It applies automatically if you do not choose otherwise.
- Covers 60 cents per pound, per article.
- The weight that matters is the weight of the item, not its value.
Worked examples:
| Item | Weight | Covered for |
|---|---|---|
| 55" television | 40 lbs | $24.00 |
| Laptop | 4 lbs | $2.40 |
| Sofa | 150 lbs | $90.00 |
| Antique mirror | 25 lbs | $15.00 |
For most households this is not meaningful coverage. It exists because federal law requires a free baseline, not because anyone thinks it is adequate.
Full-value protection
- Costs extra, quoted as a rate against the declared value of the shipment.
- If an item is lost or damaged, the carrier must do one of three things: repair it, replace it with a like item, or pay you its current market replacement value.
- You declare a total value for the shipment. Federal rules set a minimum declared value per pound, so you cannot under-declare your way to a cheap premium.
- Usually carries a deductible option — a higher deductible lowers the cost.
This is what most people assume they are getting by default. They are not.
Items of extraordinary value
Both options treat high-value items specially. Anything worth more than $100 per pound — jewellery, furs, art, silverware, rare collectibles — must be specifically listed in writing on a high-value inventory form before the move.
If it is not listed, the carrier's liability for it is sharply limited even under full-value protection. This is the most common way a claim on a valuable item fails.
What neither option covers
Boxes you packed yourself. This surprises everyone. If you packed a carton, the carrier is generally not liable for breakage inside it, because no one can verify how it was packed. Cartons packed by the mover are covered.
Mechanical or electrical failure with no external damage. If the television has no crack, no dent, and no scuff but will not turn on, that claim is difficult. Photograph and, where practical, film your electronics working before the move.
Items you were told not to ship. Cash, medication, passports, and important documents. Carry them yourself.
Damage from your own instructions. If you insist a piece goes through a doorway the crew told you it would not fit through, that is on you.
Ordinary wear, and inherent vice — items that were already failing, like a veneer that was lifting before it was touched.
Third-party moving insurance
Separate from valuation, you can buy actual insurance from a licensed provider. It is worth a look if:
- You are shipping something genuinely valuable, or
- Your homeowner's or renter's policy has an off-premises clause worth checking, or
- You want a lower deductible than the mover offers.
Call your existing insurer first. Some policies already cover household goods in transit, and you may be about to buy something you have.
How to protect a claim before you need it
The claim you can win is the one you documented.
- Photograph everything valuable before the move, including serial numbers and any existing damage.
- Let the mover pack fragile items, or accept that self-packed breakage is on you.
- Declare high-value items in writing on the high-value inventory form.
- Check items off against the inventory at delivery, while the crew is still there.
- Note damage on the delivery receipt before you sign it. This is the single most important step. A signed clean receipt makes everything afterwards harder.
- Do not throw away the packing materials on a damaged item until the claim is resolved. The carrier may want to inspect them.
Filing
On an interstate move you have nine months from the delivery date to file a written claim. The carrier then has 30 days to acknowledge it and 120 days to resolve it or explain the delay.
Do not wait eight months. File in the first week while the crew's own notes, the inventory sheet, and your photographs all still line up.
If the carrier will not resolve it, you can file a complaint with the FMCSA at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov. For moves inside Florida, complaints go to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The short version
Released value is free and covers almost nothing. Full-value protection costs money and is what most people actually want. High-value items must be listed in writing either way. Self-packed boxes are not covered. And whatever you do, read the delivery receipt before you sign it.