Can I get insurance if I'm moving with PODS or ABF?

July 12, 2013 2:09 PM

If I'm paying for movers/loaders that are recommended by a pod/cube/box-based moving company, can I get my things insured?

I'm moving cross-country, and I'm planning to move with ABF U-Pack/ReloCubes, PODS, or a similar company. I also need movers to load and unload on both ends of the move. (I have a relocation reimbursement from my new employer).

I thought I had read somewhere (here?) that if you used loaders recommended by ABF, you could get something more than basic catastrophe liability. But I'm looking on their website, and I can't seem to find that.

Did I confuse ABF with another company? Or did my brain make this up entirely?

posted by petery to Home & Garden (2 answers total)

I've used ABF-upack cubes, and Door-To-Door pods; they both let you insure your goods in transit, but you'll have to call them for a quote depending on the move and your stuff. It does cost more than the quotes on their respective websites. ABF's customer service is fantastic, so I'd just call them up and ask.

You can also get a temporary rider on your home/renters insurance for this, I would give your agent a call. This has been written into a couple renters policies i've had, but double check with your agent.
posted by furnace.heart at 2:23 PM on July 12, 2013 [1 favorite]

Take a look at their Item 780-1, especially Section 2 ("Optional Excess Liability Coverage"). It seems you can ask for more than their ridiculous 10 cents per pound, but the charge, IMO, is pretty stiff: 3%. So say you're having them move one ton of stuff, for which their maximum default liability (assuming none of your stuff is brand new) would be $220. If you decide you want to declare a value of $10,000, it will cost 3% of the difference between that and $220, which works out to a charge of $293.40.

This is just what I got from gleaning their web pages; I would certainly be prepared to be overruled by anyone who has actually used them.
posted by ubiquity at 2:27 PM on July 12, 2013 [1 favorite]