Coverage Guide
Note: Failure to follow any listed conditions below may result in a claim being denied.
Limit of Liability
- $50,000 per shipment
- All shipments valued at $10,000 or higher must be pre-approved by the Marsh program administrator, prior to shipment.
Any shipment valued at $1,000 or greater MUST be sent with Adult Signature Required for delivery in order for insurance coverage to be valid. This includes claims for loss and damage--no exceptions. Statistics show that shipments requiring a signature are handled better by delivery drivers and therefore are less likely to incur damage.
NOTE: Carriers may provide “free” signature service on certain items that have a Declared Value of $500 or higher. This “free” service cannot be used with RS Package Insurance because no declared value is submitted to the carrier when third-party insurance is utilized.
Example 1: When using third-party insurance, FedEx does NOT provide a free signature service for packages valued at $500 or greater.
You MUST pay for Adult Signature Required service on all shipments covered for $1000 or more.
Example 2: DHL does not provide an Adult Signature Required Service from the US to other countries. Therefore, you would be required to ship via a different carrier or use the carrier's shipment value protection.
Example 3: USPS does not provide an Adult Signature Required Service on International Products. Therefore, you would be required to ship via a different carrier or use the carrier's shipment value protection.
Excluded Commodities
These commodities will not be insured UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
- Live Plants or Animals (including reptiles, snakes, birds, insects, etc.)
- Bullion, Currency, Money, Securities, Accounts, Bills, Deeds, Evidence of Debt, Notes, Stamps, Gift/Phone cards/Tickets (such as Movie, Concert, Athletic event, etc.), Documents
- Precious Metals (gold, silver, etc. in forms of ingots, bullion, coins, etc.)
- Human remains (including ashes)
- Medical Samples and/or biological products/diagnostic specimens, blood, blood products, plasma, embryos, human or animal specimens or tissues, urine, bodily fluids.
- Ammunition and/or Explosives of any type
- Counterfeit, Illegal or Pirated goods or material
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Dangerous Goods / Firearms
- Industrial diamonds/carbons/ Gems, Gemstones
- Tobacco products; and
- Any item(s) the carriage of which is Excluded by any law, regulation or statute of any federal, state or local government to or through which the shipment may be carried.
Special Care Commodities
The Special Care commodities require extra precautions and conditions that must be fulfilled:
* Failure to use generally accepted standards and best practices for packaging including; shipping containers, cushioning materials and packaging techniques may result in claims denial for inadequate packaging.
JEWELRY / ARTWORK, ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES
- A commercial sale receipt/invoice or Independent proof of value (replacement) must be available upon request
- Shipments must be professionally packaged *
- Shipments valued at or over $1,000; Various photographs of the goods during the packing process and from various
angles
FURS, STATUARY AND TAXIDERMY
- A commercial sale receipt/invoice or Independent proof of value (replacement) must be available upon request
- Shipments must be professionally packaged *
- No coverage for infestation or degradation of goods due to inherent vice
- Shipments valued at or over $1,000; Various photographs of the goods during the packing process and from various
angles
PERISHABLE ITEMS
(e.g. foods, foodstuffs, items requiring temperature control, etc.)
- Items must be packaged appropriately for transit *
- Shipments must be sent through Express Air Service
- No coverage for spoilage or degradation of goods due to delays
- Shipments valued at or over $1,000; Various photographs of the goods during the packing process and from various
angles
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
- Items must be packaged appropriately for transit *
- Shipments valued at or over $1,000; Various photographs of the goods during the packing process and from various
angles
PERSONAL EFFECTS (AND HOUSEHOLD GOODS)
- A commercial sale receipt/invoice or Independent proof of value (replacement) must be available upon request
- Packing must be reviewed and approved by the RS store or packed by the RS store *
- Shipments valued at or over $1,000; Various photographs of the goods during the packing process and from various
angles
ELECTRONICS
(such as TVs, Stereos, Home Theaters/Surround sound systems, Laptops, Computers, Tablets, Video Game consoles)
- A commercial sale receipt/invoice or Independent proof of value (replacement) must be available upon request
- Packing must be reviewed and approved by the RS store or packed by the RS store *
- Items packed in unmarked / no advertising boxes
- Shipments valued at or over $1,000; Various photographs of the goods during the packing process and from various
angles
Coverage Restrictions
Coverage terms are based on all risks of physical loss or damage to the goods, and specifically exclude loss or damage due to:
- Loss or damage due to delay (lost earnings, loss of potential income, etc.)
- Inherent vice (item that due to its construction or nature can’t be readily shipped without damage no matter how well it is packed.) )
- Insufficiency or unsuitability of packing or preparation
- Radioactive contamination
- Gradual deterioration (e.g. gradual wear and tear or a machine over time, rust, oxidation, discoloration, etc.)
- Pre-existing damage
- Interruption of business or consequential loss of any kind, such as loss of use or market for the good(s).
See the policy wording for a full list of restrictions and exclusions.
Valuating Your Goods
Valuing your goods for insurance purposes is extremely important. It identifies the full potential risk to the insurance company and allows them to forecast and analyze the risk and losses.
Insurance against damage or loss is rated based on the FULL VALUE of the shipment, not the POTENTIAL damage.
If the goods are NOT insured for the full value, they may be subject to a co-insurance penalty. Co-Insurance applies if a shipment is not insured for full value then the insured may be considered a co-insurer and could assume a proportionate part of the risk and claim.
Used goods should be insured at Actual Cash Value (ACV). ACV means current depreciated value for the goods (not new replacement cost).
Delivery
We strongly recommend that all goods valued in excess of $500 be signed for by the receiver. In the event of loss receiver will be required to attest in writing to non-delivery of the goods. Goods signed for by receiver will be considered delivered.
Any shipment valued at $1,000 or greater MUST be sent with Adult Signature Required for delivery in order for insurance coverage to be valid. This includes claims for loss and damage--no exceptions. Statistics show that shipments requiring a signature are handled better by delivery drivers and therefore are less likely to incur damage.
NOTE: Carriers may provide “free” signature service on certain items that have a Declared Value of $500 or higher. This “free” service cannot be used with RS Package Insurance because no declared value is submitted to the carrier when third-party insurance is utilized.
Example: When using third-party insurance, FedEx does NOT provide free signature service for packages valued at $500 or greater.
You MUST pay for the Adult Signature Required service on all shipments covered for $1000 or more.
Receiving
It is highly recommended that, when possible, the receiver should review the goods for external damage prior to signing a clean delivery receipt/waybill. They should inspect the condition of the package(s), and note if there is any damage or shortage/items missing at time of delivery. In the event of loss or damage, an inspection of the shipment including the packaging may be required.
If a shipment is damaged, the receiver must retain all packaging until the damage claim is resolved.