Shipping insurance
Sep 19th 2009, 2:01 pm
#1
Fighting my corner
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 11,948
Shipping insurance
We're in the process of getting a quote from Allied Pickfords for our shipping insurance, and it seems that the most convenient way is to go for the overall insurance rather than an itemised quote. The drawback is that they only pay out a certain number of £ per square foot. This means that if one of our bookshelves is damaged we'll make a profit on the insurance, but if something like our LCD TV is damaged, we'll be out of pocket even after reimbursement. What's the best way around this dilemma? Just bite the bullet and go for itemised insurance at a higher rate? 
I know that Letton Percival offer insurance as well; has anyone had experience with them? Need advice asap please!
I know that Letton Percival offer insurance as well; has anyone had experience with them? Need advice asap please!
Sep 19th 2009, 2:17 pm
#2
Trust me.... I'm a nurse.
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Brisvagas, Australia
Posts: 53
Re: Shipping insurance
Hiya,
Our furniture leaves for Brisbane on Monday care of Allied-pickfords. They have been excellent thus far and the care they took at the packing stage was inspiring! We plumbed for the all-risks insurance cover. We negotiated the % down from 3 to 2% of the overall shipment value. Letton Pervical offered us 1.6% but when we looked at the small print there was an excess to pay which would have made any claim with them up to the same quoted by Pickfords. We only had to itemise indiviudal goods with a value over £1K, and you pay a bit extra to insure these items. Everything else is insured for the value it would cost to replace it as new at your destination..... so don't undervalue your stuff . Ultimately, if our container went to the bottom of the sea and we had a full pay-out, I'd be left with plenty of £s after replacing it all. We opted for mold and mildew cover and pairs and sets. Having gone through everything to get this far I couldn't face the thought of having a problem with our shipment and trying to sort it out. Pickfords have their own insurance underwriters which makes any claim quicker and there is no excess to pay. They apply a minimum value per square foot, so even if you sent a 20ft contanier full of feathers (not to Oz though..... customs would shoot you....) you'd still pay £40p/ft2. If your shipment is worth more than that (our's was) then a new average is applied... make sense?
We had a pretty well stocked 3 bedroom town house, packing, moving and shipping charges came to £3900 + £1100 for insurance. The removal guys itemised everything as they packed and gave us a copy as they shut the door on the removal lorry.
I have a PDF copy of the terms and conditions if you'd like me to send it to you just PM me.
Our furniture leaves for Brisbane on Monday care of Allied-pickfords. They have been excellent thus far and the care they took at the packing stage was inspiring! We plumbed for the all-risks insurance cover. We negotiated the % down from 3 to 2% of the overall shipment value. Letton Pervical offered us 1.6% but when we looked at the small print there was an excess to pay which would have made any claim with them up to the same quoted by Pickfords. We only had to itemise indiviudal goods with a value over £1K, and you pay a bit extra to insure these items. Everything else is insured for the value it would cost to replace it as new at your destination..... so don't undervalue your stuff . Ultimately, if our container went to the bottom of the sea and we had a full pay-out, I'd be left with plenty of £s after replacing it all. We opted for mold and mildew cover and pairs and sets. Having gone through everything to get this far I couldn't face the thought of having a problem with our shipment and trying to sort it out. Pickfords have their own insurance underwriters which makes any claim quicker and there is no excess to pay. They apply a minimum value per square foot, so even if you sent a 20ft contanier full of feathers (not to Oz though..... customs would shoot you....) you'd still pay £40p/ft2. If your shipment is worth more than that (our's was) then a new average is applied... make sense?
We had a pretty well stocked 3 bedroom town house, packing, moving and shipping charges came to £3900 + £1100 for insurance. The removal guys itemised everything as they packed and gave us a copy as they shut the door on the removal lorry.
I have a PDF copy of the terms and conditions if you'd like me to send it to you just PM me.
Last edited by Nurse-Tom; Sep 19th 2009 at 2:32 pm. Reason: thought of something else!
Sep 19th 2009, 2:39 pm
#3
Fighting my corner
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 11,948
Re: Shipping insurance
Hiya,
Our furniture leaves for Brisbane on Monday care of Allied-pickfords. They have been excellent thus far and the care they took at the packing stage was inspiring! We plumbed for the all-risks insurance cover. We negotiated the % down from 3 to 2% of the overall shipment value. Letton Pervical offered us 1.6% but when we looked at the small print there was an excess to pay which would have made any claim with them up to the same quoted by Pickfords. We only had to itemise indiviudal goods with a value over £1K, and you pay a bit extra to insure these items. Everything else is insured for the value it would cost to replace it as new at your destination..... so don't undervalue your stuff . Ultimately, if our container went to the bottom of the sea and we had a full pay-out, I'd be left with plenty of £s after replacing it all. We opted for mold and mildew cover and pairs and sets. Having gone through everything to get this far I couldn't face the thought of having a problem with our shipment and trying to sort it out. Pickfords have their own insurance underwriters which makes any claim quicker and there is no excess to pay. They apply a minimum value per square foot, so even if you sent a 20ft contanier full of feathers (not to Oz though..... customs would shoot you....) you'd still pay £40p/ft2. If your shipment is worth more than that (our's was) then a new average is applied... make sense?
We had a pretty well stocked 3 bedroom town house, packing, moving and shipping charges came to £3900 + £1100 for insurance. They removal guys itemised everything as they packed and gave us a copy as they shut the door on the removal lorry.
I have a PDF copy of the terms and conditions if you'd like me to send it to you just PM me.
Our furniture leaves for Brisbane on Monday care of Allied-pickfords. They have been excellent thus far and the care they took at the packing stage was inspiring! We plumbed for the all-risks insurance cover. We negotiated the % down from 3 to 2% of the overall shipment value. Letton Pervical offered us 1.6% but when we looked at the small print there was an excess to pay which would have made any claim with them up to the same quoted by Pickfords. We only had to itemise indiviudal goods with a value over £1K, and you pay a bit extra to insure these items. Everything else is insured for the value it would cost to replace it as new at your destination..... so don't undervalue your stuff . Ultimately, if our container went to the bottom of the sea and we had a full pay-out, I'd be left with plenty of £s after replacing it all. We opted for mold and mildew cover and pairs and sets. Having gone through everything to get this far I couldn't face the thought of having a problem with our shipment and trying to sort it out. Pickfords have their own insurance underwriters which makes any claim quicker and there is no excess to pay. They apply a minimum value per square foot, so even if you sent a 20ft contanier full of feathers (not to Oz though..... customs would shoot you....) you'd still pay £40p/ft2. If your shipment is worth more than that (our's was) then a new average is applied... make sense?
We had a pretty well stocked 3 bedroom town house, packing, moving and shipping charges came to £3900 + £1100 for insurance. They removal guys itemised everything as they packed and gave us a copy as they shut the door on the removal lorry.
I have a PDF copy of the terms and conditions if you'd like me to send it to you just PM me.
We're sharing a container and none of our stuff is worth £1,000 or above. What I can't understand is how you reconcile this...
Everything else is insured for the value it would cost to replace it as new at your destination..... so don't undervalue your stuff .
Sep 20th 2009, 4:22 pm
#4
Trust me.... I'm a nurse.
Joined: Aug 2009
Location: Brisvagas, Australia
Posts: 53
Re: Shipping insurance
The reconcilliation is, that the price they quote per square foot is the value they attach to the entire consignment... so if it all goes in the sea and you have a consignment worth £50k that's what you get paid. The policy also covers you for loss and/or damage caused during transit to individual items which you can then replace for new at your destination, as long as you didn't pack it yourself and as long as... for example.... it's not caused by mould and mildew when you didn't take out the extra cover..... any help?
Last edited by Nurse-Tom; Sep 20th 2009 at 4:25 pm.
Sep 20th 2009, 8:22 pm
#5
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2009
Location: Perth NOR
Posts: 147
Re: Shipping insurance
Just a thought. Are you guys working out the cost to replace in Oz or the UK replacement cost? Obviously you would have to replace in Oz so would the insurance company just pay you in Aussie dollars at the current exchange rate and you hope that will be enough to cover replacing it?
I have been looking on the net and there are some things that seem a bit more in Australia so if you only valued at replacement UK rate and then with the poor exchange rate you would probably still have to fork out some of your own money to replace it.
I have been looking on the net and there are some things that seem a bit more in Australia so if you only valued at replacement UK rate and then with the poor exchange rate you would probably still have to fork out some of your own money to replace it.
Sep 20th 2009, 9:55 pm
#6
Fighting my corner
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 11,948
Re: Shipping insurance
The reconcilliation is, that the price they quote per square foot is the value they attach to the entire consignment... so if it all goes in the sea and you have a consignment worth £50k that's what you get paid. The policy also covers you for loss and/or damage caused during transit to individual items which you can then replace for new at your destination, as long as you didn't pack it yourself and as long as... for example.... it's not caused by mould and mildew when you didn't take out the extra cover..... any help?
Sep 21st 2009, 7:36 am
#7
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Tropical North QLD
Posts: 21,434
Re: Shipping insurance
We used Letton Percival for insurance & we did have to make a claim. It all went through without too much hassle & they were certainly much cheaper than any of the removal firms.
Sep 21st 2009, 8:37 am
#8
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,289
Re: Shipping insurance
Another vote for Letton Percival.
Sep 21st 2009, 11:01 am
#9
Crazy Cat Lady
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 65,493
Re: Shipping insurance
Letton Percival are likely the company your shippers use. The only difference being that they charge you about 1.5% and the shippers charge about 3% (%s as when we moved over in 2005). Didn't need to claim so can't help there. We itemised everything though, wasn't too hard and they were really helpful when I got stuck on a couple of valuations.
