ScammedByMovers

Is your mover overcharging you? Check it against the federal rule.

On an interstate move, federal rules cap how much a mover can require at delivery before handing over your belongings: 100% of the charges on a binding estimate, or no more than 110% of the charges on a non-binding estimate. Enter your numbers below to see that threshold and how far the demand sits above or below it — then what you can do about it.

Check a delivery demand against the federal rule

Step 1 · What kind of estimate do you have?
Not sure which I have?

If your paperwork says "binding estimate" or "guaranteed price," it's binding. If it says "estimate" or "approximate," it's non-binding.

Binding vs. non-binding estimates →

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The rule: before releasing your household goods at delivery, a mover may require 100% of the charges on a binding estimate, or not more than 110% of the charges on a non-binding estimate.[1]

What you can do, step by step

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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 →

  4. 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.

    Find your state’s office →

  5. File a BBB complaint

    Public pressure and mediation. No legal force, but it creates a record and sometimes moves a mover to settle.

  6. 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.

    How a card dispute works →

  7. 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.