Released value: included, and nearly worthless
Every licensed mover includes released-value protection at no charge: 60 cents per pound per article. A 40-pound flat screen worth $1,200 pays out $24. It's a legal minimum, not insurance.
Full value protection
For roughly 1 to 2 percent of your declared shipment value, the mover becomes liable to repair, replace, or pay the current market value of a damaged item. You declare a total value, choose a deductible, and list high-value articles individually.
What's never covered
Even full coverage has exclusions worth knowing before you pack:
- Boxes you packed yourself, unless the carton itself is visibly damaged
- Cash, jewelry and documents not declared in advance
- Pressboard furniture that fails at the joints
- Loss from a delay, unless the contract says otherwise
- Mechanical failure of an appliance with no external damage
Check your homeowners policy
Some homeowners and renters policies extend limited coverage to goods in transit. Call your agent and ask specifically about property in a mover's custody — then buy full-value protection to cover the gap.