At Relocation Insurance Group, insuring household goods is an everyday occurrence. Sometimes, however, we have the opportunity to insure uncommon cargo. These moving insurance tales from the trenches show how we secured coverage for unique and difficult cases. Ready to build your moving insurance moxie? Be sure to tune into the key takeaways for moving companies and their customers.
How RIG Insured $670,000 of Art Going to London
We received a last-minute request for an overseas shipment of fine art. The owner of a fine art collection was having the collection transported from New York to London, and they didn’t have insurance coverage in place.
Normally, fine art collectors are aware of the need for insurance coverage, but this collector had never transported their pieces before, and they didn’t realize that third-party insurance coverage was needed.
This could have been a big oversight. A lot can go wrong between New York and London, and the paintings were worth $670,000! The collector also owned high-value statues. Luckily, the movers reached out to us, albeit at the last minute.
Even though it was short notice, we were able to secure an all-risk fine art policy that covered the 16 pieces of art, crated and shipped via ocean freight. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do about the statues. Securing coverage for them simply wasn’t possible in the timeframe allotted.
Key Takeaways:
- Contact us immediately when you receive an unusual request. In this case, we were able to secure coverage for the paintings, but if we’d had more time, we could have secured coverage for both the paintings and the statues. With unique or unusual requests, it’s a good idea to allow at least a week for the insurance process. Although coverage can be obtained quickly in many cases, some moves require more time. For high-value items, we may need to get specific approval from the carrier.
- Expect specific instructions. Insurance carriers may also have questions about the pieces, and they may have specific crating and shipping requirements depending on the pieces and the destination. Insurance carriers typically prefer art to go by air instead of ocean, so if you transport the art by air, better coverage may be available.
The Bottom Line
You can be a complete resource for your customers with RIG by your side. If you have an unusual moving insurance request, contact us as soon as possible. Unique and large limit coverage requires custom handling, so give us at least a week to collaborate with our carriers so we can find the best insurance options for your customers.
Do your customers need coverage? Contact us.