Insurance claim from a removers insurance company

[madcatladyforever]

I moved three hundred miles last year.
The removal company did £2000 worth of damage and a claim was subsequently sent to their insurance company who paid out £600 as a "goodwill payment" as putting items in a storage facility for 6 months is not covered by their policy. Damage is only covered if I discover it 7 days after the items have been brought to my new home.
I had to rent for 6 months while I was buying a house in my new county so the 7 day rule did not apply.
Anyway I had planned to take the removal company to the small claims court to recover the damages that have not been paid by the insurance company and the insurance company tell me I can't do this as I have signed a full and final acceptance of the claim which means I am not allow to take the removal company to court.
Surely this is rubbish, what I signed was a full and final acceptance of the "goodwill" payout from the insurance company and I am fully aware I cannot claim any more from them. There was nothing I had signed that said I can't claim any more money privately from the removal company through the small claims court.
I think this is bullshit. The insurance company also told me that if I put a complaint in to checktrade or any other online complaint then the removal company would take me to court and sue me as the damages haven't been proven. So why did the insurance company pay out then if nothing has been proven, they could have just declined the claim.
Well actually I have photos of all the damages and the insurance company has paid my claim despite it being "not eligible" so I don't think they have any right to send bullying emails like that to me or relay any other threats from the owner of the removal company.
What do you think?

I work in the removals industry; F&F settlement is just that, you can't then decide you want more afterwards. If you weren't happy with this you should've declined it and then commended legal action.
It's standard practice across the removals industry for any claims to be reported within 7 days of delivery, regardless of whether its to your house or a storage facility that you have arranged. FYI if you'd asked the removal company to arrange the storage it would've been covered whilst it's in store.

I'm afraid the insurance company is right. They were acting on behalf of the removals company. When you accepted the goodwill payment in full and final settlement of your claim you gave up the right to take action against the removers. If you now attempt to take them to court you will fail.

Ok I accept that but I have proof the damage was done by then as the manager of the storage unit saw it happen when they were putting the stuff in. It was then locked for a whole 6 months with nobody having access at all until it was collected by removal people to bring it to my new house and they photographed everything coming out of that unit. I would have gone down the small claims route but I've been busy having bits chopped off me in hospital and haven't had the energy or physical capacity to do it.
I do however think it's rough that they have threatened to sue me if I put a bad review on checkatrade. That might explain why they have no bad reviews anywhere.

With respect to a claim, any proof you have is no longer relevant.

They could sue you for a negative review but, as you have proof, they will not succeed.

My eye caught this:

as putting items in a storage facility for 6 months is not covered by their policy.

So why were the items in storage for 6 months uninsured ? Was that part of your original directions to the company ? In which case it's arguable that they were negligible in not arranging appropriate cover.

Or was it unforeseen and a result of your actions ? In which case the movers liability becomes much less clear cut.

Personally I find it odd that a company of professional removers wasn't covered for extended storage and didn't think to point it out to a customer in advance.

@ProfessorSlocombe if she has arranged her own storage it wouldn't be up to the removal company to arrange insurance. In fact they most likely couldn't anyway.

[quote mummyh2016]@ProfessorSlocombe if she has arranged her own storage it wouldn't be up to the removal company to arrange insurance. In fact they most likely couldn't anyway.[/quote]
Hence more data required ....