Moving and Storage Insurance

Before booking, confirm how your belongings will be protected during collection, transport, storage and delivery. A removalist's business insurance, a policy covering your goods and a promise to repair damage answer different questions. Ask for the documents that apply to your booking rather than relying on a general statement that a mover is insured.

Fragile Removals discusses moving and storage insurance for customers in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Contact the team to request the current arrangements, who provides any insurance advice and the documents for any cover offered.

Check who is authorised to advise or arrange cover

ASIC explains that financial product advice requires authorisation under an Australian financial services licence. Arranging an insurance product can also raise licensing obligations. Ask for the relevant licensee or authorised representative details and check the authority for the service being offered. Read ASIC's financial product advice guidance.

AFRA membership and financial services authorisation should be checked separately. An association logo is not the policy document for your belongings and does not establish the precise authority of the person giving advice. Ask the team to explain the arrangement that applies to your proposed policy.

Separate business cover from cover for your belongings

The business insurance types discussed for removal operations include carriers legal liability, public liability, third-party property and motor vehicle insurance. Those descriptions do not by themselves establish that every loss or damage to your goods is covered.

Before accepting cover, identify the insured items and values, the journey or storage period, the events covered and the exclusions. Ask about any excess, limits and conditions affecting packing, fragile items or a claim. Obtain the relevant policy wording and disclosure documents and clarify any point you do not understand before committing.

Check inclusion and optional cover in writing

Service descriptions refer both to insurance among moving inclusions and to optional transit cover. Do not assume these descriptions mean the same cover applies to every booking. Ask the team to identify any included cover and any additional policy separately, including the cost and the insurer or provider.

For an interstate move, explain any storage period or transfer between services. For goods you pack yourself, ask how the policy treats that packing. For unusual or high-value items, disclose them when requesting the quote and ask for the applicable conditions.

Understand the damage and claims process

A statement such as “we break it, we fix it” is not itself an insurance policy. Read the removal terms and any policy wording to understand who to contact, what information is required, how an excess applies and how a concern is escalated.

Keep the booking terms, inventory and relevant communications together. If there is a problem, report it through the contact and claims process provided for the booking and ask for the next step in writing. A general moving article cannot determine liability or the outcome of a particular claim.

Before confirming your move

Use How to Choose a Good Removalist to compare the rest of the booking. Review interstate removals or storage when those stages form part of your move.

For questions about the proposed moving and cover arrangements, contact the team on 1300 857 696 and request the relevant current documents.

Does a removalist being insured mean all my belongings are covered?

No. Insurance held by the removal business and cover for your belongings are different questions. Business descriptions may refer to public liability, motor cover or carriers' liability without establishing that every item and event in your move is covered. Identify the goods, their values, the journey and any storage period, then ask which policy or arrangement applies. Obtain the relevant documents and check exclusions, limits, excess and packing conditions. Do not rely on the phrase insured as a substitute for understanding the protection actually offered for your booking.

Is insurance automatically included in every Fragile Removals booking?

The service descriptions use both included-insurance and optional-transit-cover wording, so a universal inclusion cannot be inferred. Ask the team to identify any included arrangement and any optional policy separately, including the provider and cost. Explain unusual or high-value items, self-packed goods, storage and transfers between services so the applicable conditions can be checked. Keep the written answer and policy documents with the removal quote. If a point is unclear, have it explained before accepting cover rather than assuming two different insurance descriptions mean the same thing.

Is a promise to repair damage the same as insurance?

No. A promise such as repairing damage is a service or contractual statement; an insurance policy has its own insured events, limits, exclusions and claims conditions. Read the removal terms and any offered policy separately to understand who handles each type of concern. Ask what information is required, how an excess may apply and how the matter is escalated. Keep the inventory and booking communications available. Neither a general promise nor this guide can determine liability, a replacement entitlement or the outcome of a particular claim.

How do I check who can provide insurance advice?

Ask for the relevant financial services licensee or authorised representative details and clarify what service the person is authorised to provide. Check the arrangement through the appropriate official information rather than relying only on a company description or association logo. AFRA membership is a separate matter from authority to advise on or arrange an insurance product. Request the policy and disclosure information for any cover offered, and have unclear terms explained through the authorised provider before making a decision. The insurance page links to ASIC's guidance for this distinction.

What should I check when a move includes storage or more than one carrier?

Describe the whole journey: collection, transport, any transfer or storage period and final delivery. Ask who is responsible at each stage and whether the proposed protection covers those stages and goods under the relevant conditions. Obtain the applicable policy information rather than assuming an optional transit policy or a storage facility's business cover addresses every part of the move. If the route, term or provider changes, ask whether the arrangement needs updating. Keep the contact and reporting procedure available throughout the transition.

What should I do if goods are missing or damaged after delivery?

Use the reporting and claims process supplied with the booking and any applicable policy. Identify the affected item against the inventory, retain the relevant booking and communication records, and ask what further information the responsible party requires. Clarify who is handling the matter and the next step in writing. Follow the actual terms for timing and evidence; this page does not set a universal claim deadline or promise a particular outcome. If the response is unclear, use the escalation process identified in those documents.

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