Carriers' liability
- Limited under the AVVV or CMR
- Also during loading and carrying
- Loss above the limit remains uncovered
- Defence against unfounded claims
Liability · contents in transit · storage
Transport insurance for a removals company
A removals company carries someone else's entire household. The question is not whether something will ever be damaged, but which policy pays for it and up to what amount.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
Deze pagina in het Nederlands: Transportverzekering voor een verhuisbedrijf.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
As a remover you carry someone else's goods for payment. That makes you a carrier, and your position is determined by the conditions you work under. For domestic private removals those are often the AVVV, the general conditions for removals. For cross-border road carriage the CMR Conventionapplies. Both limit your liability to an amount per consignment or per kilogram.
That limitation means that with an expensive grand piano, a painting or a collection, the customer does not automatically get the full value back. Anyone who does want that insures the contents themselves with goods in transit insurance at the declared value. Many removals firms offer that cover as additional removals insurance, alongside their own liability policy.
In addition, there is storage. If the contents stand for a time in your warehouse or in a container between two addresses, that is no longer carriage. Without separate storage cover, fire or theft during that period falls outside the policy. See also the general transit cover for SMEs.
What does a removals company insure?
Three policies that each cover a different part of the removal process.
Goods insurance
The contents themselves at the declared value, regardless of who is liable.
- Additional cover for the client
- Declare valuable items separately
- From address to address
- Inherent defect remains excluded
Storage
Cover for the period during which the contents stand in your warehouse or container.
- Fire, storm and water damage
- Theft subject to security requirements
- A separate limit per storage location
- Not automatically covered
What is covered
| Situation | Liability | Goods insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture damaged by being dropped while being carried | Yes | Yes |
| Loss above the liability limit | No | Yes |
| Fire in the storage warehouse between two addresses | No | Provided that |
| Breakage of crockery packed by the customer | No | Provided that |
| Scratches that were already there before the removal | No | No |
| Delay and a missed completion date | No | No |
What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) that you receive before you take out cover.
Where removals go wrong
Four points that determine whether a customer's claim is paid.
The liability limit is not compensation
Under the AVVV and the CMR Convention your liability is limited. With a damaged cupboard that often falls within the limit. With a piano, a collection or designer furniture it does not. A customer who wants full compensation has to declare those items at their value in advance and take out additional goods cover. Set that out in writing in the quotation, because a customer who only hears afterwards that a limit applied experiences it as a surprise.
Packing it yourself changes the cover
Breakage of fragile items packed by the customer is generally excluded, or covered only where the box itself is visibly damaged. If you pack yourself, the packing forms part of your service and liability lies differently. Record for each removal who packed what and make an inventory list with photographs of existing damage. That prevents argument about scratches that were already there.
What is not included
Outside the cover are, among other things: damage caused by defective packaging or stowage, damage caused by a inherent defect or the nature of the goods such as a table top that was already warped or glued joints coming apart, normal wear and tear and existing damage, loss due to delay and missed completion dates, money, securities and jewellery unless separately declared, and damage caused by intent or recklessness under Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code. Damage to the property itself, a damaged banister or door frame, is also not transit damage but liability under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code and belongs on the AVB.
Storage and the duty to report
As soon as the contents stand still in your warehouse or in a removals container, there is no longer any carriage. Without separate storage cover, fire, storm or theft during that period falls outside the policy. Insurers set requirements for the location: fire compartmentation, an alarm and access control. Report a loss as soon as reasonably possible; Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code obliges you to do so. Have the consignee note damage immediately on the consignment note or handover form at the point of delivery.
What does your premium depend on?
- Annual turnover: the usual basis for calculation
- Type of removals: private, office or art
- Maximum value per removal: determines the limit required
- Area of cover: domestic or international
- Storage capacity and security: warehouse, alarm and fire prevention
- Excess and claims history: earlier claims count
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk and wishes.
- We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
- You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
- We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
Is my liability as a remover limited?
Yes. If you work under the AVVV or under the CMR Convention, a maximum amount per consignment or per kilogram applies. If the loss stays below it, it is paid within the policy conditions. If it exceeds it, the owner bears the difference unless he has goods insurance of his own. So state that limitation expressly in your quotation and order confirmation.
What if the customer packed things themselves?
Then breakage of the contents is generally excluded, unless the box itself has been visibly damaged. After all, you cannot judge how it was packed. Record for each removal who filled which boxes and have the customer sign for it. For valuable or fragile items, packing by your own staff is often the safer choice.
Is storage between two addresses included?
Not automatically. Transit cover runs until delivery. If the contents then stand in your warehouse or in a container, that is storage. Separate cover is needed for it, with its own limits and security requirements such as an alarm, access control and fire prevention. Without that cover, fire or theft during the storage period is not covered.
Who pays for damage to the stairwell or the door frame?
That is not transit damage but liability for property damage, generally assessed under Article 6:162 of the Dutch Civil Code. That claim belongs on your public and employers' liability insurance (AVB). Watch the care, custody and control exclusion there: damage to items in your care during the work often carries a limited sub-limit or an exclusion on the AVB.
Do I have to declare valuable items separately?
Yes. Works of art, antiques, musical instruments, jewellery and money usually fall outside the cover, or under a low sub-limit, unless separately declared. Ask the customer for a list with descriptions and values before the removal, with a valuation if appropriate. Without that declaration it cannot be established afterwards what went along and what it was worth.
Read more
Within Compare goods in transit insurance
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Is your removals company properly covered?
Request a quote without obligation. We set the liability limits, the goods cover and the storage conditions side by side.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
This page was written and checked by an adviser at Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.