Movers Didn't Show Up — or Took the Deposit and Vanished
A moving company that doesn’t show up comes in two flavors: the crew that’s just running late on move day, and the company that took a deposit and was never going to come. This page covers what each involves and the routes to a refund and a report. It is general information, not legal advice.
First, the simple explanation is common
Most missed arrivals trace to a mix-up — a wrong date, time, or address — or to an ordinary delay like traffic, a breakdown, or a prior job running long. The contract and a call to the company usually sort out which it is. A late crew that communicates is a different thing from a company that has stopped answering — and a crew that is merely late (not gone) runs on the delivery-window rules in movers are late.
When it looks like a vanishing act
The harder case is a company — often a broker advertising online — that collected a deposit and then went quiet or never existed as a real mover. FMCSA’s guidance treats a large up-front deposit, especially by cash, wire, or a payment app, as a recurring sign of moving fraud.[1] The deposit angle has its own page: moving deposit scams.
Getting a deposit back
How the deposit was paid largely decides the odds:
- By credit card: the federal Fair Credit Billing Act gives roughly 60 days from the statement date to dispute a charge in writing — including a charge for a service that was never provided.[2] The mechanics are in disputing a moving company charge.
- By cash, wire, or app: recovery is harder, because those methods carry far weaker reversal rights. That usually shifts to reporting and, where appropriate, the courts — see how to get your money back.
Reporting a no-show
Whether or not the deposit comes back, a no-show is worth putting on the record: the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov,[3] the FMCSA complaint database for an interstate mover or broker, and your state attorney general. The full directory is in how to report a moving company.
The ordered path, end to end:
Getting a deposit back, step by step
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Save the booking and the timeline
The contract or booking confirmation, every call and text, the amount you paid and how, and the date service was due. Every step below relies on this record.
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Stop sending money
Don’t pay a “rebooking,” “fuel,” or “release” fee. With nothing of yours in their possession, more money rarely produces the move.
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If you paid by card: a dispute may be available
The federal Fair Credit Billing Act lets a cardholder dispute a billing error in writing — including a charge for a service never provided — generally within 60 days of the statement date. The window is short, and whether a charge qualifies depends on the facts.
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Paid by cash, wire, or app? Shift to reporting and the courts
Those methods carry far weaker reversal rights, so recovery leans on your records, a report, and small claims.
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Report the company
The FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the FMCSA database for an interstate mover or broker, and your state attorney general. It builds the record even when it doesn’t refund you.
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Small claims court
For the deposit itself — especially when a card dispute isn’t available — small claims is the usual path.
Sources
Every legal claim above links to one of these official sources. Rules change — check the source if you're acting on this.