Feel A Bit "Depreciated" About Your Broken Stuff?

In the last couple of years, changes were made to the reimbursement process for damaged goods for PCS moves for active duty military to Full Replacement Value instead of Depreciated Value. Since then, I moved. And read the small print:

...full replacement value of destroyed* (the repair cost exceeds the replacement cost) or lost** items.

*a term that can be defined by someone other than you

**something you typically don't realize until you can't find your Christmas decorations 6 months later and don't feel like filing a claim because you are "so done with moving."

And now, instead of dealing with your friendly neighborhood Claims Office (the government), you are dealing directly with your carrier (a private company that wants to keep all of the money they made from your move and who may not have an incentive to give you money for the stuff they broke).

Have you given up on getting reimbursed for your damaged goods from your most recent move?

You're not alone. Many military families seem to throw up their hands when it comes to trying to resolve claims with their carriers. But there are several reasons as to why you should make sure to follow the reimbursement process and get money back for the damage of any of your household goods. Well, I guess there is one big reason: you want your money for the stuff that they broke so you can sit your entire family around the dining room table instead of using the piano stool (or, heck, at least part of the money for reimbursement to buy inflatable Barbie furniture or a promise of money or at least Monopoly money)

First, why people are giving up:

The PowerPoint document on the military's http://www.move.mil/ website is 29 screens long regarding the claims process. Seriously. Reading it can give a severe headache along with making you repeat, "why, why, why?" over and over again while pounding your head against a wall after the exhaustion of a move. I guess that's why we just went down to the Claims Office (ok, my husband went down to the Claims Office) and skipped all of this newfangled computer stuff. Innovation be damned.

 

So, you file your claim and you get the necessary amount of money to replace the broken stuff. The stuff that they broke. But wait, the TSP (Transportation Service Provider - a.k.a. "Moving Company") gets their chance to weigh in.... I'm not naive. I understand that there needs to be some "discussion" on what our dining room chair is worth. Try to read this without having to re-read it:

 When a TSP submits an offer for your damaged goods, the item will say "Offer Pending." You can either "Accept Offer" or submit a "Counter Offer" by clicking on the appropriate box. If you choose to counter the TSP’s offer, the status changes to "Demand Pending." After selecting "Counter Offer", enter your counter offer amount in the box for "DOD Customer Offer" then Save. Offer and counter offer can continue until the carrier makes a "Final Offer." If this occurs, or the carrier denies, you can accept of transfer the claim to the MCO.

While you haggle what your stuff is worth and question what all of the hype was about this awesome Full Replacement Value, your kid's bedroom dresser is in a million pieces in the garage.

Oh, (information courtesy of military.com):

If the TSP does not respond to the claim within 30 days, or makes an offer that you do not accept, you may transfer the claim to the MCO within nine months of delivery. If the Customer transfers the claim, the MCO will only be responsible for depreciated replacement cost on the claims. The MCO will then attempt to recover FRV from the TSP. If the MCO recovers FRV, the MCO will then pay the member the difference between the depreciated cost already paid and the FRV cost.

Did you catch that part? The MCO KOs the FRV. And please don't ask what a MCO is...okay, it's Military Claims Office. Remember that place? My claims guy, Fred, he's a nice fellow. Said I could get my washer fixed right away since it was a necessary item. However, I'm still waiting on my reimbursement for fixing it.

It seems some officials are taking notice:

Officials from the Marine Corps and other services have told Transportation Command about their dissatisfaction with several elements of the new moving system — including the claims system, described as cumbersome. TRANSCOM officials have said short-term fixes will be made in time for late-summer claims filing, and they are working on long-term solutions to address all the system’s weaknesses. - Army Times

In the mean time, people are left in a state of confusion, dealing directly with carriers that are already hundreds of moves past your shipment. And also feel they are not being paid enough (at least according to the 3 drivers, 5 packers and 6 unpackers that I came in contact with this summer. Nice fellows but apparently severely underpaid.) However, I have faith that we will be compensated. At some point. It will happen, right? Or am I OFL for FRV for this PCS... (BTW, I made OFL up myself :-)