Inconvenience claims solution for delayed HHG shipments Published July 22, 2013 By Jeffrey Brzezinski 28th Logistics Readiness Squadron ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- Airmen and their families are no strangers to moving day. You watched the movers pack and load all of your household goods on the moving van, and it looks like you and your family survived the many challenges of a permanent change of station. Or did you? The delivery date on all of your paperwork, including the government bill of lading, was three days ago - but you still haven't received your shipment. You and your family are trying to wait patiently for the mover to deliver your goods, but camping out in your living room is getting old. So what can you do? Make sure your contact information is updated in the Defense Personal Property System, as this is how the transportation service provider will use that information when attempting to contact you to establish a delivery. It's also not a bad idea to contact your TSP ahead of time, establish rapport and track your shipment. Make sure your TSP knows that you are willing to accept immediate delivery, known as delivery within two hours, once the shipment arrives at the destination. Taking these steps can help make PCSing easier, however, there are no guarantees. If your household goods still do not arrive on time, you do have the option to file an inconvenience claim. An inconvenience claim covers out-of-pocket expenses incurred by service members and their families as a result of not being able to use household goods due to a late shipment. Expenses can include - but are not limited to - lodging, meals, laundry service, furniture, appliance rental, towels, pots, pans, paper plates and plastic ware. Expenses claimed must be reasonable and related directly to relieving a hardship suffered by you and your family. Inconvenience claims must be filed directly with the claim department of your TSP. The parties involved should be you and the carrier, with possible assistance from the destination traffic management office and the carrier's delivery agent. Each TSP is different, so be sure to ask what their procedures are and confirm that you meet the criteria to file a claim. Two things that disqualify you from submitting a claim are failing to have a delivery address for your shipment, or refusing delivery of your shipment when you have a delivery address. If you do not accept your shipment and do not meet the grounds for an inconvenience claim, then your items will be placed into storage for up to 90 days. Once you are able to accept delivery, contact your TSP and/or the carrier's destination agent to establish a delivery date. Keep in mind that carriers are not required to settle or honor every inconvenience claim, but you are entitled to submit such a claim and to assistance in preparation of the claim from the destination transportation office. If the claim is denied, you can contact the origin and destination personal property shipping offices for additional assistance. They can appeal the denied inconvenience claim to the carrier's home office. If the appeal is unsuccessful, all hope is not lost. The file can be forwarded to the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command for review and final ruling. A PCS from your current assignment to the next seldom goes as planned. Remember to stay proactive in the process to make the experience as easy as possible for you and your family. For more information on household goods shipments, call the 28th Logistics Readiness Squadron Personal Property Section at (605) 385-6597 or 2169.