Blackhawk Moving & Storage

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:1) I was led to believe "Full Value Protection" was insuranceIf I had not been led to believe it was, I would not have bothered buying itI specifically bought in case of damage by movers during shipmentIf that's not what the product was, the sales associate did not make that clear.2) Pointing out "Full Value Protection" wasn't insurance wasn't even brought up before, during, and after I made my initial claimIf it wasn't insurance all along, why did United/Blackhawk even bother having me make a claim?3) Neither paperwork nor the mover indicated a claim had to be made immediatelyThe mover said I have days, while the claim form itself say I have months.4) There was no time to go through each box and item while the mover was dropping off the shipmentAll we had time to do was confirm items arrivedNote, some tags were missing on itemsDamage can be contained within boxes and not apparentAdditionally, the shipment was equivalent to two households worth of items.5) Move coordinator verbally said to inspect and document items before moving to second unitThat was done, and reported after we had gone through all itemsLogistically we could not leave broken items where we discovered them, as we had to vacate one unit to move to another, and wait for an estimate.6) I'm not looking for replacement, and not being greedy - I'm simply looking to repairSince United doesn't want to be cooperative about honoring agreement, signed under pretenses, I'd like the full refund for what I paid for Full Value Insurance and leave it at thatIt was well more than $300.7) On an additional note, only one mover was with United at drop off, the additional two were hired handsVery disappointed, local movers in the past have used actual company employeesPerhaps if United used their own employees there might be more care taken with customers items?
Sincerely,
Adam ***

1) Full Value Protection provides coverage for items damaged by movers during the shipmentHad the items not been moved again, or the damage been reported prior to the second move, the claimed items could have been inspected, and the claim would have been processed in a different mannerValuation extends through your delivery to destination; however, it ends after your delivery 2) The claim process was initiated because damage was reportedIf the damage had been claimed prior to the second relocation a service firm would have been assigned to inspect and evaluate the claimed damage to determine cause of damage and make recommendations for resolutionValuation provides for a) the repair of or b) reimbursement for damaged items which can be proven to have occurred due to mishandling while the items were in the custody and control of the carrierThe post-claim explanations regarding the nature of valuation, and that it is not insurance, were provided because it was referred to as insurance during correspondence 3/5) According to the coordinator’s documentation of the post-delivery call she explained that because a second relocation was planned, any issues needed to be reported immediatelyWe apologize that the information was not documented via e-mail or other written communication to confirm your understanding of the need to report damage immediatelyHad the items been documented or photos been provided prior to the second move, the claim could have been processed in a different manner 4) We understand that when you will be moving again it is not possible to open every cartonHowever, based on your photos the damage to the furniture items was visible and noticeable, yet no damage was reported to the driver or documented on the paperwork 7) Crewmembers are employed by United agents, including the local crewmembers who worked with the driverUnited Van Lines has more than agents across the country so that when a driver reaches a customer’s destination city crewmembers who have been through United’s qualification process are available to be employed for the moveThe driver’s local crewmen were from the local United agency 6) We apologize, but we are unable to refund any portion of the relocation, including the valuationAs you have stated that you are rejecting the goodwill offer of $300.00, we must again refer you to the availability of the independent arbitration program sponsored by the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) and administered by the National Arbitration Forum, an independent third-party not affiliated with AMSA or UnitedThe contact information and instructions for requesting arbitration were included in your settlement letter, and can also be found at http://www.moving.org/content.asp?contentid=If you would rather reconsider our offer for $it still stands, and you can let us know by reply if you would like us to send you the goodwill gesture

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/10/26) */
In reponse to this filing, company ownership contacted the consumer. We discussed the service provided and the failure to meet our delivery commitment. We have offered a sincere apology, and we feel the issue has been resolved.

We have reviewed the events on service date, and now understand that we did not meet our Standard of Performance.   While we do not feel responsible for turning of the lights in the customer's residence, we did not complete a final walk through with the customer present as is...

expected. A final walk through would have likely headed off the issues presented.  
The total charges for the move were less than estimated $2018.75 estimated, $1983.50 collected, but we did not properly communicate the change to manpower and the hourly rates.     
We are prepared to refund the customer the disputed amount of $145

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

We apologize for the confusion regarding the coverage purchased. While the coverage is “Full Value Protection” level coverage, it is not insurance. Interstate carriers provide coverage called “valuation.” Valuation is coverage that protects a customer in the event of cargo loss or damage caused by...

carrier mishandling and is further explained in the booklet provided to consumers, “Your Rights and Responsibilities When you Move” and on the Bill of Lading, the contract for the move.   As per the booklet valuation is “the degree of worth of the shipment.” The booklet further explains that “These two levels of liability are not insurance agreements governed by State insurance laws but instead are contractual tariff levels of liability authorized under Released Rates Orders of the Surface Transportation Board of the U.S. Department of Transportation.”   The tariff also restricts the carrier’s liability to damages caused by mishandling which occurred while goods were in the carrier’s custody and control. When damage is not reported until after a second relocation the carrier is unable to confirm whether the damage was caused by carrier mishandling or occurred subsequent to delivery, and it is for this reason the tariff provisions include the right to inspect the items prior to another move.   Because of this, the coordinator advised that any issues should be reported immediately. However, no damage was reported to the driver or documented on the paperwork on delivery day, or reported to the coordinator during the post-delivery call the day after delivery. If damage had been reported at that time the claim packet, which includes the warning against relocating items prior to the claim process, would have been sent right away.   Regarding the request for a refund of $600.00 for the purchase of valuation, we are not able to adjust contracts after the fact for any one customer; it would be a discriminatory practice and thus illegal. However, as a gesture of goodwill we are offering $300 in an effort to satisfactorily resolve your claim. Alternatively, as per the settlement letter of March 24, 2017, and as confirmed in the claims manager’s e-mail of April 3, 2017, settlement disputes can be submitted to the National Arbitration Forum, an independent arbitration program available through the American Moving and Storage Association.   Please let us know if you would like us to send you the goodwill payment of $300.00.