Reconsideration of Excess Costs Incurred in Shipping Household Goods

A civilian employee of the Air Force requested reconsideration of his claim for excess costs incurred in the shipment of his household goods which had previously been denied by the GAO Claims Group. The claimant alleged that his shipment was incorrectly weighed and that the goods were not reweighed as he requested. The employee claimed that there were indications that a wrong shipment was weighed, and he requested that the excess costs be waived. GAO reviewed the evidence and concluded that an error was made in the weighing of part of the claimant's goods and that the claimant had met his burden of proof and established that an error was committed. Most of the shipment of household goods was correctly weighed, but the excess costs should have been computed on a reduced net weight. Federal regulations prohibit GAO from waiving claims for travel and relocation expenses; however, the Claims Group settlement was overturned in part and returned for action in accordance with the decision.