£250 excess for home moving?

jake_jones99

I am moving home soon. I just realised checking a few removal companies that their insurance tends to have a £250 excess for transit and loading/unloading. Does that mean they could for example just break my computer screen and get away with it given it was less than the excess? (Or any other item cheaper than 250)

DullGreyGuy

The excess is only one of the issues, typically the insurance is on an indemnity basis not new for old unlike home insurance so if they break the monitor and a host of other things their insurance will payout what a secondhand monitor is worth not a brand new one. 

Some Home insurance will cover your removal, bad as it means a claim against your Home but at least its on the higher "new for old" basis in most cases. Still an excess to consider. 

jake_jones99

Thanks. As long as it's standard practice i think it makes sense to take it on the chin keep my eyes open and hope for the best. 

user1977

I presume that's only in relation to other insured risks, not their own negligence? I don't think they can legitimately apply an "excess" to that.

DullGreyGuy

user1977 said:

I presume that's only in relation to other insured risks, not their own negligence? I don't think they can legitimately apply an "excess" to that.

They certainly can, other than for bodily injury, death etc, however if it would standup to legal challenge as an unfair contract term is another matter. 

user1977

DullGreyGuy said:

user1977 said:

I presume that's only in relation to other insured risks, not their own negligence? I don't think they can legitimately apply an "excess" to that.

They certainly can, other than for bodily injury, death etc, however if it would standup to legal challenge as an unfair contract term is another matter. 

Yes, I would assume it's inherently unfair and so not enforceable.

BobT36

Last couple of times I moved, I took my computer equipment and valuables in my own car, just incase. 

Grumpy_chap

I think the reality is, in the process of moving home, some things are going to get damaged. 
No matter how careful everybody is.
The excess at £250 is probably pragmatic to deter nonsensical claims.

NameUnavailable

I do sympathise - when I moved I had to put lots of stuff in storage. I had a lovely pine bedframe which I wanted to keep. Until I came to move to the new place and when I looked at it 'afresh' I realised how grubby it looked - lots of marks/chips I'd never noticed before, I thought it was like new!

I can imagine a removal company delivering that to me and I'd be absolutely complaining that they'd damaged it!!

Veteransaver

As long as things are packed right there no real reason to expect any breakages. I suppose it depends also whether the removal co has done the packing themselves. It's a good idea though to pack things like TVs and monitors in original boxes, I keep those boxes for that reason 

jake_jones99

Grumpy_chap said:

I think the reality is, in the process of moving home, some things are going to get damaged. 
No matter how careful everybody is.
The excess at £250 is probably pragmatic to deter nonsensical claims.

Not true. I moved 3 times between cities hundreds of miles apart, and nothing was damaged, including this time. I don't think 250 is a nonsensical claim. I used anyvan, and they don't charge customers any excess. Indeed, the movers were good. I couldn't trust my items in the hands of a mover who thinks they are entitled to cause up to £250 worth of damages with 0 responsibility.