Valuation is not insurance in the usual sense. It is the level of responsibility a mover accepts for your goods while they are in its care, and it is chosen on paper before the move begins. Many customers sign the line without reading it, which is the one choice worth slowing down for.
Two levels of liability
Federal rules for interstate household goods moves offer two options. Full Value Protection is the starting point: the mover is liable for the replacement value of goods that are lost or damaged, up to the declared value of the shipment, and it settles a claim by repairing or replacing the item to its original kind and quality. Released value, also called the waiver of Full Value Protection, applies only if you waive full value in writing and limits the mover to 60 cents per pound per article.
The difference shows up with heavy, low-weight or valuable items. A television, a laptop or a glass tabletop is worth far more than 60 cents per pound, so a claim under released value would pay a small fraction of the real loss.
What to declare in writing
Articles worth more than 100 dollars per pound, such as jewelry, fine art, collectibles and some electronics, are high-value items. If you fail to tell the mover about them in writing, liability for those articles can be limited to 100 dollars per pound. If you do notify the mover in writing, you are entitled to recovery up to the declared value of the articles, not to exceed the declared value of the whole shipment. See high-value inventory.
Things that reduce a claim under either level
- Packing a box yourself with too little protection, or with perishable or hazardous items the mover did not know about.
- Choosing released value but shipping goods worth more than 60 cents per pound per article.
- Declaring a value for the shipment that is lower than the real value of what you ship.
- Failing to tell the mover in writing about articles worth more than 100 dollars per pound.
How to choose
Think through what it would cost to replace your belongings, not what they weigh. Most households own enough electronics, furniture and glassware that released value would not come close to covering a serious loss. Ask your estimator what Full Value Protection includes, whether a deductible applies (see valuation deductible), and how the cost is shown on the estimate. O'Brien's explains its options on the valuation coverage page.
Your homeowner's or renter's policy may also cover goods in transit. Ask your insurer before the move, and keep the inventory and photos of valuable items together.
Where valuation fits in a claim
If something is lost or damaged, the valuation level you chose sets how much the mover owes. The steps to claim are in how to file a moving claim, and the inventory you sign at pickup and delivery is the record that decides most claims.