Find answers to common questions about filing and managing moving claims.
While there are many nuances to the claims proces, this provides and overview from when the shipper starts the claim filing process to when you send the final settlement agreement. Below is the narration fo the process.
At the end of this is the video that takes you through from start to finish.
A brief Mover Claims Overview, covering:
What the shipper or customer will see when filing a claim
How the claim will appear in the Mover Claims Platform
The basic steps of managing a claim
To start, we’ll cover how the shippers can submit their claims.
Claim submissions can happen on your website using a code snippet or you can direct shippers to MoverClaims.com with a URL just for your company.
Both implementations share the same form code, so the user experience will be the same wherever they file the claim.
The claims forms are browser-based and mobile friendly, so your customers will not have to download an app.
One code snippet handles the forms type for Residential moving, Commercial moving, property damage, and delay claim types.
When a shipper starts the claim process, they select which type of claim they are filing. Each claim type has its own set of information & instructions. Mover Claims provides a default version of the instructions, but you can modify these to suit your needs.
Once the shipper selects the claim type, they move to Step 1, filling in the contact and move information.
Once they submit the move information it is saved and they will receive an email confirming that they have started the claim process, provide a link so they can continue to add items if they get interrupted (or need to look for information), and are informed that the claim is not filed until they complete the submission process.
After the shipper provides the move information, if it is not a delay claim, they come to a claim item detail page. Here, they provide the relevant information about the damaged items, the claim amount, and images.
The shipper can upload images from their computer, or take & upload photos of the damage on their phone while they are entering the claim.
After providing the list of damaged items, the shipper moves to step three, which is reviewing the claim (and editing if necessary), and then submitting the claim.
When the user submits their claim, they will receive a confirmation email. The email has standard confirmation content as well as an area for the agent to provide further information. At this time, the shipper can no longer make changes or edits directly to the claim.
In addition to the shipper getting an email, the agent will receive a notification email as well.
The agent can make edits or additions on the shipper's behalf. We’ll cover that in the managing claim section.
When you log into your Mover Claims Dashboard, you will see the list of current claims. The list shows the high-level information about the claims, including the status of each claim.
The list can be filtered on a number of criteria.
To start managing a claim, click on the claim line to open the details.
From the top down…
At the top of the screen you see buttons to Update Claim Status, View Activity, Email the claim, and Archive the claim. We’ll come back to this area in a bit.
The next section is the Claim Type, Bill of Lading, and the assignee. The claim type is selected by the shipper, but you can change it here if needed. The B.O.L is often unknown to the shipper, so you can enter that here.
Finally, the Assignee is the claim coordinator or adjustor who will work this claim. When a user is assigned a claim, they will receive an email and their name will appear on the claim list.
The next section is the Task management section. We won’t go into detail here, but this is handy for managing the activity necessary to process a claim. You can create and assign tasks to yourself or others in the organization.
We have an entire video covering the tasks management function.
“Claim Items” is the next section.
This is the information that was initially provided by the shipper. You will notice that there is also an Add Item button. If the shipper realizes they overlooked an item or two, you can add them to the claim. The shipper, however, cannot add items directly.
For the claim detail, you can edit each area for correction or clarity.
Each claim item has an “Allowable” amount. This is the dollar amount that you and the shipper have settled upon as part of the claim settlement process. You can see that the total amount is summed at the bottom of the list of items.
Below the items is the Notes section. Any important information that needs to be part of the claim can be added here.
Now, back up to the top and the buttons.
The Claim Status helps manage each claim through the process. Properly tracking the claim’s status also allows the reporting module to accurately reflect how well your company is managing claims.
Click on the Update Status to launch the modal window where you change the status of the claim. All claims start as new.
A claim is considered completed when any of the following Status are selected:
Settled
Settled-Signed
Assigned to Van Line
Assigned to Service Agent
Denied
The Archive status removes the claim from the claim counts. This is an alternative to “deleting” a claim, which is not possible in Mover Claims. All records are preserved. Effectively, this status is saying the claim will go straight to the archives.
The next button, View Activity is exactly that. It shows all the activity taken after the claims were submitted.
You can email the claim. This sends an email formatted the same way as the agent notification email to the recipient. Sending the email is recorded, but has no effect on the processing of the claim.
Archive, is archiving the claim, and preserves the current claim status. The claim is not shown in the claims list by default, but can be viewed using the lookup or filters.
The final step in managing the claim is processing the final Settlement.
Scroll to the bottom of the claim to the Settlement section.
Click the Create Settlement Agreement button.
The settlement agreements are generated from Templates. The default template lists all the items, their respective Allowable or settlement amounts, and the terms of the settlement. ‘
Your organization can use the default settlement agreement, or create your own.
To create the settlement agreement,
Select the Template
Enter the settlement date
Select the settlement type
Enter the settlement amount
The settlement amount will be the sum of the item allowable or settlement amounts. While you can change this, note if the template includes Claim_Items, the detail of the settlement will not match the settlement you enter.
Once you’ve selected the template, you can create a draft. You can view, Finalize and Send it or Void it.
Once you create a finalized settlement the shipper will receive an email to electronically sign the agreement.
You will also have the option to download a PDF version for off-line signing.
The status of the settlement will show as Pending Signature. If the shipper signs electronically, it will register. You also have the option to “Record Offline Signature.”
While there are a lot of nuances built into the platform, what we covered will let you get started managing your claims through MoverClaims.com.
Mover Claims - Getting Started
Once you’ve signed up, to start using the MoverClaims Platform we will walk you through three steps...
1) Fill out the company profile and use the claim link and or add the widget code to your site.
2) Complete the Claim Form configuration.
3) Add company users to manage the claims.
When you sign up for Mover Claims, you will receive your welcome email with your link to log in, or you can click on the Login button at the top of the page at MoverClaims.com.
When you log into Mover Claims, the first screen you see will be the claims dashboard. As a new agent, this will have no data.
To get started with Mover Claims, click the “Settings” option on the Nav menu.
This will bring you to the Company Profile.
The first section is the Company Information. Be sure this is complete and correct. The information will be used on the public facing parts of the claims process as well as on the Settlement documents.
Next is the Contact information. Initially, this will have your contact information used when creating the account. Two items of particular importance:
Notification Emails. The addresses here will receive an email when a new claim is submitted. While the new claims will be evident when you log in on the claims dashboard, setting the notification email is also required.
Widget Page. If you choose to place the widget on your website, this is the url where people can find it. We use this url in customer communication.
Next is the company logo. As it says, this is where you upload the logo that will appear on the claims form.
The Claim Submission url is your link on MoverClaims.com where you can send shippers to fill out a claim. You can use this by itself, or in conjunction with the Website widget code.
The Website Widget code is placed on your website where you want the claims forms to appear. Copy and paste this code to the page mentioned in #2 above... the Widget Page url.
At this point, you can start receiving and managing shipper claims.
There are two more areas that you may want to adjust. These are not necessary, but they do let you configure the shipper experience.
The first is the Claim Instructions section...
Each claim type has unique information and instructions. You can use the default instructions, which will likely be fine, or you can create your own custom set.
Click on the “Claims Instructions” option in Setting. You will see the list of claim types and if your company is using a custom set of instructions or the default set.
Click the claim type and then click the instructions to expand them. If you want to create custom instruction, check the box to “Use Custom Instructions for this claim type”, and enter the information and instructions for your company.
To make it faster, you may want to copy and paste the default instructions, then edit from there.
You can uncheck the box to return to using the default set. Then recheck to switch to the custom set. If you click “Reset to Default” the custom instructions will be removed entirely.
The next important section is the Field Configuration. Click this option in the Settings section.
By default, except for the Delay Claim, all fields are active for all claim types. You can set the fields to show by Clicking the “Add Configuration” button.
When you click the Add button, or click Edit for an existing configuration, a modal window appears. Here you select the fields that you want to appear on the item detail section of the claim form.
Once you saved the configuration, you will see a section that shows what will appear and what will be hidden for the claim type.
With these two areas set, you are ready to start collecting claim submissions.
To Manage Claims, there is one more step: Add New Users
While, as a single user, you can manage the entire claims process, if you have a team, you can add more users up to your subscription limit.
Click the Users option in the Navigation. Then click Add New User.
Fill in the Name and Email address. Position is optional and may be used in reporting. Your current company will show. If you have a Multi-Agent setup, you will be able to select the agents the user can access.
Then click Create User. They will be given access to the platform.
To wrap it up, the steps to getting started are:
1) Fill out the company profile and use the claim link and or add the widget code to your site.
2) Complete the Claim Form configuration.
3) Add company users to manage the claims.
You can visit our FAQs on the site to learn about the management process, Task Management and advanced features or email us at help at moverclaims.com.
With Mover Claims, you are able to add our claims widget to your website, or simply send your customers to fill out the claim at MoverClaims.com. When you create an account for your company, you are provided with both the custom Moverclaims.com URL and the widget code you can place on your site.
Take a look at our get started video to see where you get your claim url and widget.
Yes, your SARs can be signed electronically.
You can also download a pdf of the settle to for an off-line signature. When the customer/shipper signs the SAR, you mark it in the claim as an offline signature.
You have the options of sending an email from the platform, or copying the e-seignature URL and sending via email or text from outside the platform.
With Mover Claims, we provide you with templates for the settlement agreement. You can also create a custom settlement agreement. The SARS are sent to your customers as a pdf within the e-signature process.
Mover Claims provides claim forms that are ready to go. But, we know that each mover may have their preferences or special processes, and want to make some changes.
Here, we will cover how to change the instructions and information shippers see when they start the process and we will look at your options to show or hide fields on the forms.
As mentioned, each form comes with default instructions and information. These appear when the shipper selects a claim type.
When you log into the Mover Claims portal, click on the Settings options on the top navigation.
Then, click on the “Claim Instructions”.
Now you will see the different claim types, and to the right, you see if your company is using the default instructions for the claim type or a custom set you created.
Click the claim type you want to change to view it. Then click the arrow to expand the text of the information. You can see the default instructions, and if you have custom instructions, you can expand those as well.
If you do not have custom instructions and want to add them, simply click the check box to expand the editor and enter your instructions. Once you save the instructions, you can choose to use them right away, or uncheck the box and return later to complete the edits.
If you click “Restore Default" your custom instructions will be deleted and you will need to start from the beginning to add them back.
These claim instructions will appear when the shipper selects the claim type at the start of the claims process.
From the Settings section, click the “Field Configuration” option.
Mover Claims starts with a range of fields that the user enters for the claim. But, you may not want all the fields to appear on the claim types. This is the area where you choose which fields to show.
To customize the fields for a claim type, click the “+ Add Configuration for Claim Type.”
The modal window will appear. Select the claim type, check the boxes for the field you want to appear, and then click save configuration.
You can edit the field configuration as needed after it has been created.
If you do not configure a claim type, all available fields will appear on the form. This is generally good for Residential Items claims. For other claim types, you may want to limit the fields that appear.
We’ve covered the basics of Claim Form setup. As I mentioned, the forms will work without any changes using the default configuration. But, to improve shipper experience, you may want to make adjustments to better suit your company.
If you have any questions, email us at help at moverclaims.com.
Yes.
Since moves often involve multiple companies, each with responsibility for the items while in their care, a claim may involve anyone of these parties. While you will ultimately be the one working with the shipper, you will have to manage subrogation behind the scenes.
In Mover Claims, we have an Allocation To Responsible Parties section where you can record and manage the third parties involved.
Click the Add Item.
The only Required fields are the Item, Party Type, and the amount.
Select the Item from the drop-down list. The dollar amount is the Allowable or item-level settlement amount. This will be updated as you change the allowable amount in the item detail section above. If the Allowable amount is entered, it will also be used as the Subrogated amount.
The Third Party Category or type of company and is part of the Mover Claims system.
For the actual company or party name, you can use a free form entry, or select from a dropdown list that your company manages.
We’ll show you where to manage the list in a moment. Understanding that this list can become very long, we’ve made it optional to the subrogation system.
You can add the Subrogated amount. This will default to the Allowable Amount if that field is filled out. The Subrogated amount can also be edited after the item is added to the list.
The system allows for the allowable amount, what the shipper will receive, to be different from the subrogated amount.
The system also allows for tracking number and notes if you choose to use them.
The only Required fields are the Item, Party Type, and the amount.
When you click on the Download PDF button, the Allocation Items will be part of the document.
If you choose to create and manage a Third Party list, you can do that in the Settings Area.
In the main navigation, click settings. Then select the Responsible Parties tab.
Click the “Add Responsible Party” and enter the information.
Mover Claims is a monthly, teired pricing based on the features your companie requires. For companies that only need a convenient place to track claims, rate are as low as $30/month.
For more seats and feature, the monthly rate goes up to $100/month.
A full breakdown can be found on our pricing page: https://moverclaims.com/public/pricing/
Yes! Mover Claims was created with features that make it ideal for teams.
From claims visibility across the company, to collaboration on and assignment of claims, up to powerful task/project management features, Mover Claims is well suited for teams.
The claims' status setting lets managers keep an eye on the progress of claims. Our reporting shows the average time claims were held at each stage of the process. And the Split claims capabilies provides teams with flexibility to work through a claim and share it with third parties.
Settlements can be lump sum for the entire claim, or set by claim item. Our template-drive SARs allow you to list the individial claim items, or just provide a lump sum for the entire claim
Item Level Settlement
Claims can be settled as a lump sum or an allowable amount for each claimed item can be entered.
To enter allowable settlement amounts at the item level, open the claim from the claims list.
Once in the claim, scroll down to the item detail.
You will see the information the shipper entered, including their claim amount.
Here you can see the Allowed Amount, which is the settlement amount for the individual item.
So, if you have resources to replace the items cheaper or be able to fix the items, you can enter the allowable amounts.
A caution when using item-level adjustments. For a given claim, you should either enter allowable amounts for all the items, or just use a lump sum amount for the entire claim.
The reason for doing this is that the system will add up all the items’ allowable amounts to calculate the total Settlement. If you only enter some of the items, but then also use a lump sum in the final settlement, the numbers will not match.
You can see that the system adds the totals form the claim and the allowable amount. Since the Purchase price is an optional field, it is possible that some items will not have a purchase price, so the sum will be less than the claim amount or settlement amount.
Once you are set with the item-level allowable amounts, you can scroll down and click on the Settlement Agreements section and click Create Settlement Agreement.
In the settlement area, you have templates that you can select for the settlement. The system default provides item level detail.
You will see the total settlement amount - the sum of the item-level allowable amounts, which can be edited.
Then, moving to the settlement template, you can see the variables. In the body of the template is the list of claim items.
To see the settlement, go up and click create a draft.
The amount in the Settlement Payment is the Total calculated or entered. Then the list of items show the individual time allowable amounts. If you change the Total Settlement amount in the settlement screen, it will not match the calculated amount for the item sum.
That is how to set the item-level settlement/allowable amounts for a claim. If you have questions, you can send an email to help at moverclaims.com.
Yes, to a point...
When a shipper begins the claims process and provides their contact and move information, they recieve an email confirming that they have started the process, along with a link to allow them to return to the claim later so they can continue adding items if needed. The email also notifies them that the claim is not submitted until they review and submit the claim.
The mover enters the claim/damage item detail. This may happen all on the first visit, or through multiple visits to the claim. After all items are entered, they review the claim detail and then submit it.
Once they submit the claim, they receive a confirmation email letting them know that the mover has the claim.
After the claim is submitted, the mover then takes over all communication with the shipper. Mover Claims will not send further communication until the mover requests that the SAR communication be sent for electronic signature.
Yes! There are National Account Features that allow you to manage claims and provide your national or coporate accounts with performance metrics.
You set up National Accounts in Mover Claims with the lead contact. When a claim comes in, your claims manager can attach to the National Account. You can keep sales teams updated easily, as well has quickly provide reporting to your customers.
Sometimes the items on a claim need to be broken out, either to a different type of claim (for instance the shipper combined item damage and property damage on a single claim form), or to be sent to another company. Our “Split” function makes it easy for movers to split claims with minimal efforts.
If an item was split by mistake, it can easily be returned to the original claim.
The Split claim process is pretty straightforward:
Select the item(s) to be split
Select new split claim, or add item(s) to existing split claim
Assign claim to your own agency (different claim types), an existing mover claim agent, or a guest agent.
Enter the type of claim.
Submit
With the split claim process, you can invite other companies as a Guest to manage the split claim. The items you split off will be moved to a new claim. You will still be able to see the claim even if you assign it to another company.
If it is determined that the item should be part of the original claim, it can easily be moved back.