Basic Damage Protection

A moving company that does not provide transportation is not required to provide any type of insurance or valuation coverage. However, we believe that a professional moving service should have some level of liability for the services provided. Therefore, we voluntarily abide by federal tariff laws to provide basic Released Valuation coverage on all moves. This is a default coverage of up to $0.60 per pound per article for damage to household goods while being handled by the movers. This coverage is not insurance and is not value based.

To have a valid claim you must notify your movers of any damage you wish to report before they depart your location.

On the Move Moving Company will not be held responsible for any damaged items packed by the client or third-party service during the load or unload of storage buildings, rental trucks, POD’s, etc.

ADDITIONAL INSURANCE OPTIONS

Because OTM Moving and Storage, LLC does not provide transportation of your household goods we cannot provide additional coverage options. However, there are several types of insurance that may be available to you for your DIY move:

1. Homeowners and Renters Insurance: These coverage’s (notably homeowners) typically will cover damage that occurs during transit. It is recommended that you speak with your insurer to confirm the details of coverage.
2. Third Party Insurers: There are insurance companies that sell policies specifically to cover household goods during a move. It is important to note that these policies tend to have a lot of exclusions and should be thoroughly reviewed before purchasing.
3. Insurance from Truck Rental/Portable Storage Companies: Most truck rentals, storage containers and transportation companies will provide insurance options for your items. These insurance coverages typically insure your household goods against loss due to fire and other natural events. Review the details of each insurance option directly with your transportation company before purchasing.

WHAT IS NOT COVERED: EXCLUSIONS

Understanding the exclusions list will help you better prepare for your move. In addition to the list, we have also provided additional information for each item to help you understand why the items are excluded.

ANY ITEM NOT RECORDED ON OUR WORK ORDER BEFORE WE DEPART YOUR LOCATION

Because we are not transporting any of your items, once the shipment leaves our possession, we cannot be liable for any damages. You have the right to inspect all items prior to the departure of our moving labor crew. Any damaged items that are not excluded from coverage must be noted on the work order to be considered claimable.

ANY ITEMS PACKED BY THE CUSTOMER

Items packed by owner “(PBO)” are not covered because we cannot be sure how the box, crate or bin was packed, or if it was packed correctly. Further, many boxes are used several times and their structure may not be adequate to prevent damage.

HOUSEHOLD PROPERTY SUCH AS WOOD FLOORS, CARPET, WALLS, DOORS AND SIMILAR

The customer is required to prepare and prep these items against damage. Or you can make arrangements with OTM to provide this service for you, then any damage to household property that was prepared by OTM’s movers will typically be covered. Otherwise, OTM Moving and Storage, LLC is not liable for any damages if the items are not prepared.

PARTICLE BOARD FURNITURE

Generally cheaper items, particle board is prone to damage when moved. Think “Ikea” style furniture. These items are not covered because of the poor quality of the material and the likelihood that damage will occur even when properly handled.

ANY DAMAGE TO FURNITURE WHEN PROPER PADDING/BLANKETS WERE NOT PROVIDED

As explained above, hiring professional movers is only half the battle. Furniture pads are extremely important in ensuring that your items are packed safely for transport. If you fail to provide furniture pads it is very likely that some of your items will be damaged during the move. If an adequate amount of pads is not provided by the customer during the load, we will not be responsible for any damage, even while on site.

ITEMS THAT WE ASSEMBLE OR DISASSEMBLE

Movers that provide assembly or disassembly services do so for items that are considered common and necessary throughout a normal move and do not require advanced knowledge or special tools. While most items will be taken apart or put back together without issues, we cannot assume responsibility for a service that we provide as a courtesy.

ELECTRONICS SUCH AS GAMING CONSOLES, COMPUTERS, STEREOS, TABLETS, ETC

Most of these items will typically be packed by the customer which is excluded from coverage. Further, we do not assess the working condition of electronics before moving them. Therefore, we cannot know for certain whether the item was in working condition prior to the move.

WHAT IS COVERED

Despite the long list of exclusions and limitations, we do provide coverage for items that we knowingly, and without dispute, damage. Any item(s) damaged during the move must be listed on the work order prior to the completion of your move. Any item(s) not listed on the work order are not eligible for coverage. Released Valuation coverage will be provided to all items dropped or damaged on site while in the possession of our movers, assuming they do not meet any of the exclusions above.

Remember, Released Valuation covers up to $0.60 per pound per item. Factors such as condition of the item and depreciation may reduce the amount of compensation ultimately paid.

HOW TO MAKE A CLAIM

Any covered damage that occurs, while the movers are on site, must be submitted to OTM Moving and Storage, LLC.

1. Make sure that the broken or damaged item(s) are listed on your work order before the movers depart the site.
2. Contact OTM Moving and Storage, LLC directly and inform them of the damage. We will advise you of our claims process and, if necessary, provide you with paperwork to be completed.

SPECIAL CARE OR HIGH-VALUE ITEMS WITHOUT PROPER PACKAGING AND PREPARATION

The best example of these items are flat screen TVs. Traditional moving companies will require you to crate these items before shipment to remove their liability. We will move these items without packaging or crating at the customer’s request, however we will not insure any of these items unless they are packed and or crated appropriately.

POOL TABLES, ANIMAL MOUNTS, TANNING BEDS AND HIGH VALUE ITEMS

While we do move many different types of heavy items (when our heavy item policies are met), but we do not specialize in crating these items. OTM has a third-party service company that specializes in crating the items for safe transport as an option (for an extra fee).

VEHICLES, MOTORCYCLES, RIDING LAWN MOWERS AND SIMILAR

These are not standard household items. It is the customer’s responsibility to load and secure motorized vehicles.

ITEMS THE CUSTOMER HELPS WITH

Our slogan is “Moving you from here to there with care”. Simply put, our movers will provide as much or as little help as you need. If the customer wishes to assist in the movement of any item they may, however, if that item is damaged while being moved it would be exempt from coverage.

FURNITURE WHICH CANNOT BE MOVED SAFELY OR WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE HOME

From time to time, we will be asked to move furniture in/out of a home that cannot be moved without damage to the item or the property. This may because the item is too large to fit through the doorway, hallway or stairwell but may also be a result of other situations. For example, washer or dryer in a home with vinyl flooring it is nearly impossible to avoid ripping the vinyl floor. As you might imagine there are hundreds of potential scenarios that may fall into this exemption category. In a situation where we are certain damage will occur, we would need you to approve the movement of the item with a signed liability waiver. In a situation where the item may cause injury in addition to property damage it is ultimately up to the supervisor to determine how to proceed.

CLAIM REMEDIES

Assuming the steps above were followed correctly and the damaged item(s) are not excluded, OTM Moving and Storage, LLC will have the option to repair the damaged item or compensate you in accordance with Released Valuation. The option of repair versus compensation is at the sole discretion of OTM Moving and Storage.

REPAIR

OTM Moving and Storage, LLC works with specialty repair companies and will have sole authority to choose the company of OTM Moving and Storage, LLC choice. Although you may request your own repair estimates be aware that costs associated with estimates or repairs will not be covered unless pre-approved by our company. Requests for reimbursement for unauthorized estimates or repairs will be denied.

COMPENSATION

If OTM Moving and Storage, LLC opts for compensation instead of repair, a payment will be made to you based on the weight of the item, its condition and depreciation, up to $0.60 per pound per article. It is important to remember that Released Valuation is a basic coverage and will not cover the full replacement value of your damaged item(s).