Insurance

In practice, most carriers will only take goods at the owner's risk, so it's important that you make arrangements for insurance, either through the carrier, or directly with an insurer.

Standard contents policies don't cover your goods during removals by a third party, so you'll need extra cover when you're moving house. Shop around - for moves within New Zealand you can expect to pay between one and two percent of the value of the insured goods.

Regardless of how you buy the insurance, make sure you check the policy carefully in advance.

• Find out whether you're getting "replacement" or "indemnity" cover.
• Check for exclusions - for example, some policies limit or exclude cover if you pack your own goods rather than using the professionals. You may be able to pay top-up insurance to cover exclusions.
• Check the excess. A higher excess could result in a lower premium.

Make a list of all the goods to be moved and their value. The value you use will depend on whether you have replacement or indemnity cover.

Be wary of underinsuring, or you might get caught out by "averaging": if you insure your goods for only part of what they're worth, the insurer may only pay out a part of any claim you make.

Remember, most policies don't cover cash and valuable documents. See our report on House and contents insurance for more advice on how to keep your possessions covered in transit.

Our advice

• If you receive a courier package, you may want to insist on inspecting the goods before signing for it. But this can be problematic: the courier may not want to wait, and any damage may not be apparent on first inspection.
• Another option is to sign for the goods, but write on the form that you are acknowledging receipt only. If there's a statement on the form that you have received the goods "in good condition" or similar, cross it out.
• If you receive something in damaged condition, complain to the company that sent it to you. Insist that they sort it out.

And remember ...

While the Carriage of Goods Act covers loss or damage to goods while in a carrier's care, the Consumer Guarantees Act will still provide protection against other types of loss if a carrier fails to carry out their service with reasonable care and skill. For example, if movers back their truck into your car while collecting your goods, they will be liable under the Consumer Guarantees Act for the cost of repairs.