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5 min readHiring a professional moving company can be a huge financial investment—and if you’ve shelled out thousands of dollars for one but didn’t get what you paid for, you may feel like you’ve been scammed.
If you are worried your moving company is holding your belongings hostage, keep reading to learn more about what to do.
If you are experiencing a moving delay and feel like you’ve been waiting too long for delivery, don’t panic! Take a deep breath, and then call (or email) your move coordinator. Document all attempts to contact them if you can't reach them—this will help in case you need to escalate the issue to management.
As long as your moving company isn’t asking you for more money, you shouldn’t have any reason to believe it is holding your things hostage. If your moving company requests more money to release your shipment to you, go to the next step.
Don't pay more than you have to! Your mover is bound to the terms of your signed contract. This includes pickup and delivery dates. Should your delivery be delayed, most reputable moving companies will offer a “moving day claim” or “delivery day claim” for reimbursement for out-of-pocket daily life expenses while you wait for delivery.
Your moving company generally provides an estimate at the beginning of your move, which you and your original salesperson should sign. This estimate should either be nonbinding, binding, or binding-not-to-exceed.
Nonbinding estimates: If your estimate is nonbinding, you may be required to pay additional fees if your final weight or services needed are different from the ones on your original estimate. However, per federal law, you should not have to pay more than 110% of your originally estimated price.
Binding or binding-not-to-exceed: If your estimate was binding (or binding-not-to-exceed) and you paid 100% of the estimated costs, your moving company should not ask you for more money at delivery.
Be wary: moving scams are more common with moving brokers, especially if they’re not registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This is because moving brokers are technically the middle person—they do not own any trucks or employ moving professionals.
Instead, they are sales teams that book your move and then sell it to an actual moving company. They do not have the same responsibilities as moving companies do.
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), you should call the cops if you feel a moving company stole your stuff, failed to live up to its promises, or is holding your things hostage.
The police may only be able to step in if a moving company has broken a local or state law, but it’s a good idea to have a record of the filing if you have to take further action.
Again, you can contact the Better Business Bureau to file a formal complaint against your moving company if it has failed to address them with you directly. This may encourage the company to respond more quickly to your concerns.
You can also contact the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) if you’ve hired a moving company for a state-to-state move and feel like you’ve been scammed. Your filing could trigger a federal enforcement investigation against the mover. If it rules in your favor, the FMCSA can fine a mover up to $10,000 a day for holding your things hostage. +
Here’s what you’ll need to file a complaint with the FMCSA:
If you’ve hired a moving company or broker for an in-state move, contact the state agency (or consumer protection department) that regulates moving companies in your area. For example, if you live in California, you can contact the Bureau of Household Goods and Services to file a complaint against a mover.
Next, you need to get the word out. You can always leave reviews on public-facing websites like Yelp or Google. Sometimes, you can even leave a review on the company website. These are great options for sharing your experience with other potential customers, but don’t be surprised if your moving company doesn’t respond.
You can also share your ordeal with MoveRescue, (an organization sponsored by United Van Lines and Mayflower) that can provide legal advice and tips to customers facing hostage scams or other moving fraud situations. Share your experience online or reach them at 800-832-1773.
Don’t let a bad experience scare you into believing all moving companies are out to get you. There are plenty of reputable moving companies out there to choose from.
We’ve got some steps you can take to avoid moving company scams the next time you need to move:
Remember, it’s also always a good idea to get multiple quotes from moving companies to find the best price for your move. And remember that things that sound too good to be true usually are.
Yes and no. Movers aren’t allowed to hold your things hostage if you’ve paid 100% of the estimated costs outlined on your binding estimate or 110% of the estimated costs on your non-binding estimate. If you haven’t fully paid for your moving services, though, your company may be entitled to hold onto your belongings until you pay the balance.
Legally, a moving company can hold your things for up to 21 days without owing you anything. However, reputable movers often offer compensation if they deliver outside your estimate's promised time frame.
Yes, a moving company can keep your personal belongings if you have not paid in full for the services on your contract. This is especially true if you store your belongings in your moving company’s warehouse for any length of time without paying the storage fees. However, if you have paid completely for all the moving services you requested, the moving company is not allowed to hold your things hostage.
If you’re concerned movers stole your stuff, you can contact your moving company and file a complaint about the missing item to open an investigation. You can also call the police to file an official report.
If you’re concerned your moving company is holding your entire shipment (all of your belongings), you’ll want to follow the steps below:
Did we answer all your questions about moving scams? Let us know in the comments below!
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