Loss and Damage Claims During Your PCS

If you have ever PCS'd, you unfortunately know how common it is for items to be lost or damaged (whether you move yourself or not). If your items are damaged or lost by the movers, you may be entitled to a full replacement/repair value of that item. Your claim should be submitted in the Defense Personal Property System, or DPS — this is the portal that your move was originally scheduled in. 

The first step in initiating a claim is filing the Loss/Damage Report. This report lets the moving company know that some of your household items and belongings were damaged or lost during the move, and you intend to file a claim. The information from the 'Notice of Loss or Damage AT Delivery' should be entered as soon as possible. This is for lost and damaged items discovered during unpacking. You must enter the information for any lost or damaged items after delivery into DPS within 180 days after delivery (applicable to household goods shipments picked up May 15, 2020 and after). 

If the items that were lost or damaged cannot be found OR fixed, you must file for a reimbursement. Remember, a Loss/Damage Report is not a claim. 

You may be wondering what a "full replacement value" means. When the military moves you, your items are insured at a "full replacement/repair value" or FRV for no additional cost. This basically means that if your items are lost or destroyed during your move, the TSP is required to pay the lesser of the repair or replacement cost. If a replacement cost is offered, it should replace that items with an equal or similar item. The replacement could be new or used. The TSP will require to show the item's value, quality, and proof of the cost to replace it. If the item(s) can be repaired by a qualified inspector and it costs less than the replacement, the TSP may pay for the repair.

Regardless if you submit a Loss/Damage Report or not, you should submit an itemized claim in DPS for every item that was lost or damaged during the move. Before you begin, try to gather as much information about each item as possible. The more details you have, the better. Photos and receipts of items will help tremendously during the process. 

When you sign into DPS, if you began with a Loss/Damage Report, you can easily export the data you entered directly into the Claims system. If you happen to find some items that you thought were lost, you can remove them before submitting the final claim. After the claim has been submitted to the moving company, they are responsible for obtaining repair estimate costs for the damaged or lost items. They are required to provide acknowledgment of your claim within 15 calendar days of the receipt of a completed claim. If your household goods were picked up May 15, 2020 and after, they must pay, deny or make offers on your claims valued at $1,000 or less within 30 days of the receipt of the completed claim submission, and within 60 days of other completed claim submissions. You have the opportunity to accept offers on each item. This is a negotiation, so you can counter offer any item that is not marked as "Final".

If there is no agreement between you and the moving company, your next step is to transfer your claim to your Military Claims Office. They will take over from there, but you should stay in close contact by following up with the moving company and/or the Military Claims Office to ensure you are taken care of. 

For more information on filing claims, DPS, or lost and damaged items, check out https://move.mil/moving-guide/claims.