My Moving Company Overcharged Me — Now What?
The short answer: on an interstate move, a mover may require at delivery only 100% of a binding estimate or 110% of a non-binding one for the items and services on your estimate. A demand above that before unloading is the “hostage load” situation — though services you genuinely added after signing are billed separately.
“My moving company overcharged me” can mean two very different things: a delivery demand that exceeds what federal rules let a mover require before releasing your goods, or a final bill that is higher than you expected but within the rules. This page explains the difference and what to do about each. It is general information, not legal advice, and it does not decide your specific bill.
What the federal rule actually caps
On an interstate move, the amount a mover can require at delivery, before releasing your household goods is capped: 100% of the charges on a binding estimate, or no more than 110% of the charges on a non-binding estimate.[1] A demand above that threshold for the items and services on your estimate is the situation the federal “hostage load” rules are written around.[2] The full explainer is in the 110% rule.
When a higher bill can be legitimate
Not every increase is a scam. Two things can lawfully raise what you owe:
- Services you added after signing — extra packing, stairs, a long carry, a shuttle truck — are billed outside the 110% cap. This is also the most common way an overcharge gets disguised, so it is worth understanding the line: the “additional services” loophole.
- A legitimate remaining balance on a non-binding move can be more than 110% — but it is generally billed later (roughly 30 days after delivery), not demanded at the door as a condition of release.[2]
Comparing the number to the rule
The Overcharge Checker takes an estimate and the amount demanded and shows the 100% / 110% threshold for that estimate type and how far the demand sits above or below it — the rule and the math, not a verdict.
When it is over the line
When the demand exceeds the threshold and is not explained by documented additional services, two tracks open up: reporting (see how to report a moving company) and money recovery (see how to get your money back). The documents that support both are the estimate, the bill of lading, and a written record of the demand. The ordered path:
What you can do, step by step
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Get all your paperwork in hand
The written estimate(s), the bill of lading, your contract, and any texts or emails. Every step below needs these. Photograph everything.
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Calmly point to the contract and the rule
Show the mover the estimate and the 100% / 110% release figure, and ask for an itemized bill in writing. Many disputes end here. It won’t force release if the mover refuses.
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File an FMCSA hostage complaint — interstate moves only
File with the National Consumer Complaint Database and upload your estimate and bill of lading. It puts the mover on the federal enforcement radar. It cannot recover your money or act instantly.
NCCDB: nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov · 1-888-368-7238 (1-888-DOT-SAFT).
How to file, step by step → -
File with your state attorney general’s consumer-protection division
This is the office that can actually investigate — and the only real path for an intrastate (in-state) move.
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File a BBB complaint
Public pressure and mediation. No legal force, but it creates a record and sometimes moves a mover to settle.
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If you paid by credit card: a dispute may be available
The Fair Credit Billing Act lets a cardholder dispute a billing error in writing — including a charge for services not delivered as agreed — generally within 60 days of the statement. Whether a charge qualifies depends on the facts.
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Local law enforcement or a civil attorney
For a true refusal to deliver, a police report and a consultation with a civil attorney are the paths to getting goods back or recovering money.
Sources
Every legal claim above links to one of these official sources. Rules change — check the source if you're acting on this.