Message from the Claims Desk 10.4.16

stewartms • October 4, 2016
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Good Morning Stewart Family,

I hope everyone is having a good start to their October. You got it; the month of ghouls, goblins, and hurricanes is here. This week, a state of emergency has been declared for the state of Florida as hurricane Matthew is set to make landfall onto the sunshine state by 8pm this Thursday. Currently, this storm is a category 4 hurricane, but it is predicted to lose strength by the time it begins its trek up the East Coast. So as we all watch closely on this storm’s category, think about how we are categorizing our customer’s electronics.

This week, I would like to talk about the MCU notation and its proper use. I often see claims where the customer has a statement saying “it worked prior to loading and now it doesn’t.” Now, the biggest mistake I see on the inventory is when our guys write down that the items was working or don’t write MCU. I want everyone to keep in mind that even if you see a TV on the whole day, or witness the customer using their vacuum, that it is likely that you are not a TV repairman nor a vacuum mechanic. So even if you see the item functioning there is no way to be 100% certain that all aspects or components are working.

Writing an item up as mechanical condition unknown “MCU”, is not a catch all that will protect us from every scenario. What it does is it shifts the burden of proof where the claimant must show that the item was working before transit, is no longer working, and the non-working status is a result of transit.

Also, always ensure that we are notating the make and MODEL number of the item. I can google a model number, but I am unable to do so with a serial number.

So mark those electronic with MCU and ensure that we are listing the make and model number of the item.

Cheers,

Robert Wright – Claims Manager

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