You’ve just moved into the house or apartment of your dreams. You unpack boxes, place items on shelves and tables, and realize you can’t find some of your belongings.
This scenario is a common one that happens to people when moving.
Items go missing for many reasons. Perhaps a mover still has it. Or lost it. Or stole it. All you know is that you want that thing now, and you can’t find it anywhere.
If you have moving insurance, you could file a claim for missing valuables with your provider. However, this process could take weeks or months, and you might need an item’s original receipt to get compensation.
Then there are issues after items get damaged during the moving process. An expensive vase, for example, or piece of art might lose its value after being broken in transit.
GPS could provide a solution to these problems.
Learn more about mover’s insurance and GPS below and the benefits of making an insurance claim with GPS trackers.
MISSING ITEMS AFTER MOVING
Not being able to find items after moving into your home doesn’t always mean someone from your moving company stole those items. There could be an innocent explanation for missing valuables. However, moving scams—which might involve movers stealing one or some of your belongings—are on the rise, with 7,000 complaints about potentially nefarious moving companies made to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2021.
Items most likely to go missing? Valuables like stashed cash and keys are often misplaced or stolen, while more mundane things like plant pots and step ladders can disappear after moving home.
Talking to your moving company can often resolve any issues relating to lost belongings. Perhaps that step ladder or potted plant is still at the back of a moving van. But if your company can’t find an item—or isn’t forthcoming with help—you might need to file a claim on your moving insurance policy.
When that happens, the compensation process can be long and laborious. Some insurance providers might make you feel like a criminal simply for reporting missing items that belong to you. Your provider might ask you to prove you purchased an item. In the case of family heirlooms like jewelry, this will be almost impossible. If an item costs thousands—or tens of thousands—of dollars, you might need to wait months before your insurer will pay out. Plus, even if the insurer honors your claim, you can never replace your grandmother’s necklace or an engagement ring.
This is when making an insurance claim with GPS can help.
DAMAGED ITEMS AFTER MOVING INTO A NEW HOME
There is always hope when an item goes missing. Perhaps it will show up in another box. Or your moving company will eventually find it. Uncovering a damaged item when unpacking a box, however, can be an upsetting experience, especially if that item has sentimental value.
The most commonly damaged items during a home move? Glassware, pottery, furniture, and art.
If you have moving insurance, you could file a claim for damaged valuables with your insurance company. Again, this process could take weeks or months, and you might need an item’s original receipt to make a claim.
This is also where making an insurance claim with GPS can help.
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MOVER’S INSURANCE AND GPS
Depending on the specific policy, moving insurance will usually cover missing and damaged items during the transportation process. Your insurer might:
- Compensate you for the value of a lost or damaged item.
- Replace a lost or damaged item with a comparable one.
- Pay for repairs for a damaged item.
- It is essential to check your insurance policy to see if the company provides full protection for a home move.
GPS can add weight to any moving insurance claim and could increase the speed at which you receive compensation. GPS stands for Global Positioning System—a U.S. government navigational system that comprises 24 operational satellites circling the Earth. When a GPS tracker receives a signal from one or more satellites, it can locate an item with incredible accuracy.
You can place a GPS tracker on a moving box or storage container, on a high-value item like furniture or artwork, or inside a vehicle used by your moving company. These trackers provide real-time location insights as valuables move from your old home to your new home and any destinations in between. That enables you to find missing items or discover who was responsible for damaged valuables.
MAKING AN INSURANCE CLAIM WITH GPS
You can claim on your moving insurance policy with GPS in two ways:
MISSING ITEMS
GPS trackers provide the last location of a missing item. You can, therefore, use GPS technology to locate a valuable or discover the route it took before going missing. If it’s impossible to relocate an item—for example, because someone took it from a moving vehicle to a new location miles away—you can provide this information to your insurance company. It proves the item disappeared during the moving process, and your insurer will have to honor your claim.
MOVER’S INSURANCE AND GPS: DAMAGED ITEMS
GPS trackers also provide the last location of a damaged item. You can find where that item traveled before it became damaged and learn who was responsible for it—the specific team member at your moving company, for example. Provide this information to your insurance company, proving you didn’t damage the item. Your provider might then immediately honor your claim.
GPS trackers can speed up the time it takes for your insurer to handle your moving insurance claim and provide compensation, money for repairs, or a comparable item to a missing or damaged one. While these trackers might require an initial outlay, you could generate a return on your investment in the event your belongings go missing or get damaged.
HOW LAS HELPS WITH MOVER’S INSURANCE AND GPS
LandAirSea (LAS) has pioneered GPS tracking technology since 1994. Its range of rigorously-tested GPS-related products helps you locate missing items and find who is responsible for damaged ones when moving home.
Here are some benefits of LAS products that relate to mover’s insurance and GPS:
- Receive location updates about items when moving home by text or email.
- Access web-based maps and geofencing data for items on your desktop, smartphone, or tablet.
- Share location data with your insurer with a few clicks of a mouse or swipes of a finger.
- Simple activation and installation. There’s no complicated setup for a LAS GPS tracker.
Some of the best LAS products for making an insurance claim with GPS include the LandAirSea 54 with ShareSpot Location Sharing and Tracking System, which tracks valuable items and moving vehicles/boxes and sends critical location insights to your device. The LandAirSea SYNC is just as effective when moving home. You can plug this tracker into a moving vehicle’s OBD II port (with your moving company’s permission) or hide it discreetly inside a vehicle. Alternatively, attach it to a high-value item, moving box, or container.
FINAL WORD
Missing or damaged belongings can taint the move into your dream home. Investing in the latest GPS technology, however, will help you locate lost items, discover who is responsible for damaged valuables, and support you when making an insurance claim with GPS.