Would you claim on removals insurance for this?

[FrustratinglyIrrational]

We moved house this week, and I have discovered a fair bit of new cosmetic damage to our furniture. It is bothering me a lot, but I don't know if I'm too perfectionist about it. I always keep things in perfect condition, so I really notice new marks and scratches. I've attached photos of some examples. Would you do/say anything about these? Would removals insurance cover things like this, or is that only for structural damage? I don't know if I just need some perspective, but I can't help feeling very upset.

To clarify the photos above, there is a chair with a big score line across the surface that was not there before, several rips to the back rest of an office swivel chair, and multiple scratches to a bookcase.

Yes I would definitely claim for those. You are going to have to replace them.

Some more photos attached - this time, more damage to the bookcase and another shelving unit, and the state they returned one of our white chairs (which I saw them using as a step ladder, and dragging around the van. It is cleanable, but I don't think that was an appropriate way to treat our belongings, and there is some minor cosmetic damage from being dragged).

I can’t see any rips on the photo of the chair, or any damage on the bottom of the bookcase in photo 1 of your second post. Not saying they’re not there but I don’t think those photos are proof. The white plastic chair - just clean it. Things get dirty during moving. You didn’t correct them at the time from using it as a step stool when you witnessed it.

Personally I wouldn’t claim, because I wouldn’t replace them, I’d just go over the scratches with a black sharpie or something and you wouldn’t notice them. But if you would actually replace furniture for such a minor thing, I guess it is fair enough to claim, that is what insurance is for. Please don’t just throw it away though, offer it on freecycle or something as it will all still be perfectly usable.

Did you take any reasonable steps to protect your furniture in transit?

Were your goods packed in a van with blankets around then to stop surfaces rubbing ( As a good removal firm would?)

Did you move a couple of miles, or was everything giggled about for hundreds of miles?

For the most part, those seem far too trivial to justify replacing the items. No wonder we have a landfill problem. I agree about trying to cover the scratches.

Is it flatpack?
Pretty sure flatpack is excluded from insurance

Have you tried wiping them? They look very very surface only and like they could be cleaned and be gone.

I think you would absolutely make the insurance guy’s day by trying to claim for a wipe clean chair needing to be wiped.

If those scratches really bother you, get one of those wax pens for a fiver. There’s only pne bit of damage that’s actually clearly visible and it appears to be flaking off a black flat back to show the surface underneath? That can happen just from touching it, would just disguise. You’re being ridiculous

And there are no visible rips to the leather chair, it looks like you need to wipe it

@TalesOfDrunkennessAndCruelty

For the most part, those seem far too trivial to justify replacing the items. No wonder we have a landfill problem. I agree about trying to cover the scratches.

This.

That is all completely repairable for pennies.

Insurance job 🤣🤣🤣

I don't understand the first photo. There is no harm in putting a claim in but you will have to read the policy quite carefully. Is there an excess? A Billy bookcase doesn't cost much new,

Those are most definitely rips on the chair - I have actually checked! Maybe it's hard to see from the photo, but that surface looks quite tatty now, whereas it used to be perfect (and I have photo proof). And the scratches to the hard furniture are not "wipe-off" marks - they are very clear scratches, from something sharp having dragged along them. Believe me, I was hoping I could just wipe them off. They have damaged the appearance of a lot of our previously-perfect-condition furniture.

The move was about 5 miles, and they used blankets but nothing else, and I don't believe they used the blankets effectively. They also didn't seem to have had enough, as some of our items were completely uncovered at the end.

Unless you have photo time stamped evidence it's going to be very hard to prove that the removal people did this.
Those items can be patched up by a professional. They don't need replacement.

Are you trying to get new furniture out of their insurance?

And those talking about landfill - of course I'm not going to throw useable things in the bin. There's Freecycle, and charity shops. However I want some of my items replacing, given how much cosmetic damage they are showing. I make a point of keeping things in excellent condition, and so to have the surfaces ripped and scratched up due to careless removals makes me very upset.

Well, fine. Do whatever you think appropriate, but (in my eyes) your attitude is contradictory. As you say, those items are still good enough to use, so why not cover up the scratches on the furniture and continue to use them? Nobody else is going to peer so closely at the furniture that they detect a covered-up scratch.

I’d be amazed if the removal company or insurers agreed to pay to replace the hard furniture over such superficial damage.

@FrustratinglyIrrational You're going to need to look at the terms of the insurance... It may well be that it advises you to cover delicate surfaces with bubblewrap yourself prior to moving, rather than relying on just the blankets.

You'd also need to see if it covers cosmetic damage, and to what extent.

You might be better to get quotes for having them fixed - given the damage is small, albeit upsetting for you, you might struggle to find people willing to do the repairs as it'd be a low-value job, so some of it might be down to you - and then approaching the firm about that amount.

But it'll all depend on the cover you had. If you paid for premium service, you'll likely be able to claim. If you didn't, it's less likely to be covered.

I learned the hard way to wrap everything that could be damaged!

I genuinely think I could make all of those invisible in less than 5 minutes, you’ll struggle to find anyone willing to restore things when you literally can do it yourself in under 15 minutes. Also most are in places where they wouldn’t be visible during day to day use. Getting rid of that furniture for those tiny mainly non-visible marks is just ridiculous. Not wanting to be rude, but if you can afford to replace furniture for such a tiny side why are you buying IKEA flat packs and not more solid, quality furniture that lasts longer anyway? Rather than having a museum-grade IKEA sitting room? Or is this a case of you wanted to chuck it out every few years?

I really can’t understand the attitude, sorry. If you’re that precious about furniture that breaks easily, I think you need to have bubble wrapped the whole thing in advance.