Hi Deb,
Yes, it is difficult. We had an antique table which had a leg broken - we got a quote and had it repaired and they accepted that. Other lesser value items were damaged, but I just shrugged them off.
In your case, I would have thought that you could claim for the whole sofa unless it is one which is easily re-covered. If your hood-drier is useless, then you must claim for the whole item not just the base. You pay insurance for a reason and if the items are damaged or lost during shipping then you are entitled to a payout.
Good luck!
