All Risk Insurance

The Platinum Plus Program is comprehensive insurance on a door-to-door basis subject to the Terms and Conditions contained herein. 

As with any coverage, this insurance incorporates a number of exclusions, which are explained in the Terms and Conditions.  Please ensure that you have read and understand the Terms and Conditions prior to agreeing to take coverage under this program; this will help avoid any unnecessary surprises should you need to make a claim.

Additionally, if you are self-packing, it is important that you are aware of the Packed By Owner (PBO) conditions of coverage.  Payment for damage to or loss of packed by owner contents is limited to damage or loss that is a direct result of fire, sinking, overturn, collision or theft of the transporting conveyance.  Insurers will assume no responsibility for breakage or loss of packed by owner contents that occurs during normal routine shipping conditions.  

Protecting your personal belongings against the possibility of loss or damage is a prudent decision whether you are at home or preparing for relocation.  Your personal insurance policies (homeowners, renters or automobile) likely provide very limited, if any, coverage for your personal belongings while they are in transit.  Even though your mover will take every precaution to eliminate risk, you will appreciate that the distance involved, coupled with the rigors of transit, means that loss and/or damage to your personal belongings may occur.  Therefore, we strongly recommend transit insurance to ensure that you are adequately compensated for loss or damage that may occur. 

These items must be very specifically declared and valued on the Valued Inventory form.  You should declare the actual cash value of the vehicle at destination, taking into consideration the age and condition of your automobile, motorcycle or boat (max 17’ in length).  Please note that the value of the imported automobiles, motorcycles or boats may be considerably greater than the value at origin. 

The value of non-factory installed accessories must also be listed separately as they can affect the true value.  Examples of such items include: sound systems, security systems, special tires/wheels and motors (for boats). When you release your vehicle to the moving company, make sure an “auto condition report” is completed and agreed to.  This will be the proof of the condition of your vehicle at the time you surrender it for shipment. When your vehicle is received at destination, you should compare this original form to the condition of the vehicle and note any differences in writing.  Documented damage at delivery will be your only proof of transit damage in the event of a claim.

Note also that your vehicle should not be used as a packing container. Executive Insurance Services and/or insurers and/or the moving company will not accept responsibility for loss or damage to items packed in a vehicle.   

You have the option to cover your Shipping charges under this insurance program.  If your shipment were completely destroyed, you would not normally be able to recover the costs expended for shipping. Declaring and insuring these charges would permit you to recover them.  In addition, covering your shipping charges will allow for consideration of the shipping charges of a replacement item if a covered item is damaged beyond repair and can’t be replaced at destination.

Your move coordinator will help you decide which option is the best choice for you: The “Lump Sum Valuation” or the “Itemized Valued Inventory”. 

A. Lump Sum Valuation

     You may indicate a replacement value on a lump sum basis. This must adhere to and not be 

      less than the guidelines specified below:

     Basis: The value must not be less than US $8 multiplied by the weight of your

      shipment.  For example, your shipment weighs 6,000 pounds multiplied by $8 = $48,000. 

      Your shipment must be valued for a minimum of $48,000 PLUS any individual item, 

      pair or set valued at more than 4% of the lump sum value must be itemized separately on the Valued

      Inventory form and added to arrive at the total Lump Sum Valuation. 

B. Itemized Valued Inventory

     In addition to completing the Application Form, you will be required to completed the Valued

     Inventory Form, listing every item for coverage under the Platinum Plus Program.

NOTE: If you do not complete the necessary paperwork and provide to your move coordinator prior to your pack date, insurance for your personal belongings cannot be obtained.

The basis of the insurance is replacement cost at destination, which means that you may need to make some enquiries to establish the comparable cost of living between your present location and the country you will be moving to.  Insuring terms require you to insure 100% of the entire shipment.  Do not under-value your personal belonging as this may affect your settlement in the event a claim is filed. If need be, you can add pages to the valued inventory.  If you feel the valued inventory form is restrictive, or if you prefer to compile your own spreadsheet or value list, please feel free to do so.  Note however, that your valued inventory should be signed and dated and returned with the application to Southern Winds International.

·         If you choose the “Itemized Valued Inventory” option, and utilize either the pre-printed form or compile your own listing, it is important to note that any item that is not declared and valued is NOT COVERED. If you choose the “Lump Sum Valuation” option, you will still be required to list any items that are valued at more than 4% of the total shipment value on the Valued Inventory Form.  In the event of a claim, any item valued at more than 4% of the shipment value that is not specifically declared will be limited to a maximum settlement of US $150.

·         There is a common misconception that you may select any amount of coverage you desire and your personal belongings will be insured up to the selected level.  This is true if you sustain a total loss but not if you sustain a partial loss.  If the replacement cost of your personal belongings equals US $100,000 and you only insured for US $50,000, the shipment is 50% insured and insurers will accept responsibility as defined below:

1.       In the event of total loss, insurer’s will be responsible for no more than US $50,000

2.       In the event of a partial loss, insurers will be responsible for 50% of the loss/damage

Example: IF your shipment suffers $10,000 in loss or damage, insurers are responsible for 50% or $5,000 only.

Provided you have already requested the insurance in writing, the coverage begins at the time of pack/load.  

Coverage under the Platinum Plus Program cannot be attached to any shipment coming out of long-term storage unless the shipment was insured with Executive Insurance Services during storage.  If not insured with EIS during storage, the shipment must be repacked and re-inventoried by the mover, documenting the present count and condition of the goods to be insured.

If you have requested transportation insurance on a door-to-door basis, coverage continues through the ordinary course of transit until your shipment is delivered and unloaded at your new residence.  If your shipment is placed in a moving company’s warehouse for more than the storage period provided in your plan, you should request to extend the coverage and remit the appropriate charge to keep the insurance in effect. If your shipment is delivered to a “self-storage” facility, coverage ceases upon delivery of your personal belongs at the self-storage facility. In the event of a claim, insurers will consider only those items noted as missing or damaged at the time of delivery. 

If you have contracted with the moving company to provide services on a door-to-port basis, the insurance ceases when your shipment arrives at the port you have contracted with the moving company to deliver to.  In the event of loss/damage, you will have the burden to prove damage existed prior to coverage ceasing AT the port.   Due to inability to meet the required burden of proof, we strongly recommend  “to port only shipments” be insured under the Named Perils Program. 

The insurance program provides 60 days of storage-in-transit at origin, destination or a combination of both, provided the shipment is stored in a commercial mover’s warehouse.  Insurance can be extended for an additional period of time upon request and payment of additional premium. Please contact HW Shipping or Executive Insurance Services to arrange for an extension of coverage if the shipment is stored longer than 60 days. Note that insurance ceases at the time your shipment is placed in a self-storage facility and coverage cannot be extended under those circumstances.

While the vast majority of shipments arrive without loss or damage, sometimes loss or damage will occur. 

Make written notations of damage on the mover’s documents at the time of delivery

“Check off” the inventory as items are brought into the new residence – any/all missing inventoried items must be noted on the mover’s documents at the time of delivery.  Payment will not be made for undocumented claimed missing items. 

Once missing or damaged items are noted, contact Executive Insurance Services, advising what has been noted, and claim instructions will be sent to you. 

In the event you need to make a claim, please ensure that notice of your Intent to file is given in writing to  Executive Insurance Services within 45 days from the date of delivery or 45 days after the scheduled delivery date (in the event of non-delivery). You will then have 90 days from the date of the Intent to submit your completed claim form. The claim should be mailed, faxed or emailed directly to Executive Insurance Services, or filed online at www.execinsurance.net.  Failure to meet the time limits specified will prejudice your claim.  Please also note that should it be necessary to make any monetary conversions to your claim, if the currency of the amounts claimed differ from the currency in which you insured your goods, the exchange rate utilized will be that which was prevalent at the time the insurance certificate was issued.

Do not discard or repair damaged items without written authorization to proceed 

When insured household goods or personal belongings are damaged, insurance pays for repair; if lost or damaged beyond repair, then the replacement value of like kind and quality, not exceeding the insured value declared on the valued inventory in any event.

 If vehicles are damaged or lost, insurance pays for repairs and/or the actual cash value, taking into consideration age, mileage, and overall condition; not exceeding insured value in any event. 

Insurers reserve the right to salvage any item(s) where the insured and/or replacement value is paid.