Your satisfaction and safety is our highest priority, and we’ve set strict standards to deliver on this commitment. We do understand that accidents can happen, and in the rare and unlikely event of an incident, our Trust & Safety Team is here to support you. We have a damage claim policy is designed to help you feel confident in booking with TIDY, but please note that claims will only be paid following our claims process. If you require additional coverage, coverage can be acquired typically via renters or homeowners insurance through a third party insurance coverage (we do not provide any referrals at this time).
For ultimate protection and peace of mind, we recommend securing or removing any valuable or personal items prior to your appointment. Please be advised that our policy does not cover theft or missing items.
We offer protection against damage in the home in the event a Homekeeper causes damage during your appointment. We are not an employer, rather a platform like Uber, Amazon, and Ebay. The protection offered is similar to that offered by AirBnB, Amazon, and Ebay.
On the rare and unlikely event a Homekeeper causes damage during your appointment, you may file a damage claim form against the Homekeeper who caused the damage. Complete this form to be reimbursed with TIDY Credit. Credit can be used for any future appointment. You may also contact the TIDY Concierge at concierge@tidy.com and a member of the TIDY Concierge to discuss resolution. In order for claims to be considered, damage must be reported within 72 hours of the appointment start time, a claim must be filed within 14 days of the appointment, and you must be up to date with any payments at the time the claim is processed. Any damage claim must not be in relation to an injury to the homekeeper in the home. Any claims that do not meet these criteria will not be considered.
You can review the claim form, view the terms of completing any claims, and understand the process by clicking here.
Follow on questions:
Why can't you cover theft?
There are several reasons we cannot cover theft. First, it is effectively impossible to get insurance to cover this, so we are not the only ones. It is basically uninsurable industry, as almost all claims are ultimately "he said - she said" events. If ultimately we were insuring your valuables, we would need to understand the valuable items beforehand and ensure that those are covered under a policy. We don't think it is practical at this time to get a full inventory of valuable goods prior to entering the home. Next, it is industry standard, very few people offer theft coverage. Finally, the police do a fantastic job of finding stolen items, particularly if you have strong evidence, and they are really the best equipped to handle these kinds of claims.
Why do you not cover pre-existing damage or issues?
Homekeepers are going to work in your home, and they will be dealing with appliances, surfaces, and furniture in a variety of conditions. Some appliances, materials, and furniture may be faulty or just in need of a little maintenance. Because of this, things will happen! TIDY covers damage caused by gross mistakes or negligence, not damage as a result of "normal wear and tear".
Example of what would be covered:
The Homekeeper brings a solution into your home and uses it improperly, causing damage to the home. This would be covered. As TIDY does not underwrite the home, the reimbursement would be in credit for the cost to repair an average version of the object.
Example of what would not be covered:
A Homekeeper washes your dishes for a year. The dishwasher is old and breaks about once a year anyway. We do not expect Homekeepers to pay for dish washer repair once a year as a cost of doing business.
What if you want appliance breakage due to normal use covered?
There are Home Warranty policies available if you are looking for insurance against appliance failure, which might better fit your needs.
How do I know if something is "Normal Wear & Tear" vs "gross mistakes or negligence"?
A good rule of thumb is that if you might have reasonably caused the damage cleaning your home, or the Homekeeper followed your instructions and damage still occurred, it is probably not covered. If you left detailed instructions, and they didn't follow them, which caused the damage, it probably would be covered.
What do you mean by "Any damage claim must not be in relation to an injury to the homekeeper in the home."?
If a homekeeper is injured in your home, for example being bit by a dog or a glass vase shatters and injuries the homekeeper, we do not process damage claims against the homekeeper. This is effectively because in the rare cases where this occurs, Homekeepers have typically incurred enough physical and/or monetary damages from the home that additional damages are not considered.
What is explicitly not covered?
We do not cover the full value of premium items or surfaces. For example, if you have priceless artwork or expensive hardwood floors. We would reimburse the minimum necessary to repair or replace a functional replacement. We recommend adding specific instructions to your To Dos protect expensive or premium items, as well as purchasing specific insurance to cover these items as appropriate.
What are example coverage amounts? How much is covered?
As we don't cover premium items or surfaces, coverage will be for standard equivalents. We use several third party estimates for averages. , including http://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/cleaning-services/clean-carpeting/#
For example, if you need to get your carpet cleaned due to damage, the national average is $174 for a whole home carpet cleaning. (Data as of Q1 2017 from http://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/cleaning-services/clean-carpeting/#)
For example, if you needed a counter repaired, the national average is $346 (Data as of Q1 2017 from http://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/cabinets-and-countertops/repair-countertops/)