How to File a Complaint Against a Rogue Mover

Before you contact any agency, build your paper trail. The strength of your complaint depends entirely on what you can substantiate. Gather the following before filing:

• Your Bill of Lading (the legal contract for your move)
• Your original written estimate (non-binding, binding, or not-to-exceed)
• Any written communications with the mover (emails, texts, quotes)
• Photos or video of damaged items, preferably with timestamps
• Dated inventory sheets and condition reports signed at pickup and delivery
• Payment records and receipts
• Names, dates, and notes from any verbal conversations
• The company’s USDOT number and FMCSA number, if available 
• The mover or broker’s name, address, phone number, website, email address, and any alternate business names
• Screenshots of ads, websites, search listings, online forms, or social media messages 

If you had a not-to-exceed estimate and were charged more than the capped amount, that discrepancy alone is a regulatory violation worth documenting precisely.

Federal law requires interstate movers to acknowledge your loss or damage claim within 30 days and resolve it within 120 days. Start here before escalating to outside agencies. Many disputes are resolved at this stage, and regulators will often ask whether you attempted direct resolution first.

You have 90 days from the delivery date to file a claim for loss or damage. Submit your claim in writing, with all supporting documentation, and keep copies of everything you send. Keep the message factual and avoid long explanations; the goal is to establish what happened, what you are asking for, and when you contacted the company. 

If the moving company refuses to address your claim, delays past the legal deadlines, or denies it without explanation, that non-response becomes part of your complaint to regulators.

The right place to report a moving company depends on what happened. In many cases, you may need to use more than one path.

File With the FMCSA

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the primary federal regulator for interstate movers. It doesn’t resolve individual disputes or award compensation, but it does investigate patterns of violations and can take enforcement action, including revoking a carrier’s operating authority.

File at: www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move

Your complaint goes into the National Consumer Complaint Database, which is visible to FMCSA investigators and informs enforcement priorities. Be specific: include your mover’s USDOT number (required for all licensed interstate movers), the nature of the violation, and your documentation.

Common FMCSA violations worth reporting:

• Charging more than 110% of a non-binding estimate before releasing your shipment
• Refusing to release your goods until you pay disputed charges (hostage load)
• Operating without a valid USDOT number or proper insurance
• Failing to provide required consumer disclosures

File With the Better Business Bureau

The BBB maintains complaint records that are publicly visible on a company’s profile, and that visibility matters. As prospective customers research companies on the BBB before booking, a pattern of unresolved complaints affects a mover’s rating and clues others into the company’s behavior so they can hopefully avoid moving company scams.

File at: www.bbb.org

The BBB will forward your complaint to the company and attempt mediation. Movers with BBB accreditation are contractually obligated to respond. If the company doesn’t respond or the resolution fails, the complaint remains on the public record.

This channel is especially effective for billing disputes, failure to deliver on time, damaged items, and general poor service. It’s less effective for outright moving fraud, where FMCSA or your state AG is the stronger route.

Report Moving Fraud to the FTC

Some situations involve fraud. The FTC collects reports about common moving scams and deceptive business practices across the United States. While the agency does not resolve individual moving disputes, your report helps investigators identify patterns involving fraudulent movers, fake moving brokers, and coordinated scam operations.

File at: www.reportfraud.ftc.gov

Consider filing an FTC report when:

• A mover’s website disappeared after payment
• The company used multiple business names that could not be verified
• You were directed to send money through unusual payment methods
• The company impersonated another moving business
• You received AI-generated emails, messages, or calls that misrepresented the company
• The mover requested personal or financial information unrelated to your move

When filing your report, include screenshots, payment records, website URLs, advertisements, contracts, emails, text messages, and any other documentation that shows how the company represented itself.

Contact Your State Attorney General

Every state has a consumer protection division within the Attorney General’s office. For moves that originated or ended in your state, the AG’s office can investigate deceptive trade practices and, in some cases, pursue restitution on behalf of consumers.

Find your state’s AG consumer complaint portal at www.naag.org.

This channel is particularly valuable if:

• The mover is local or intrastate (not regulated by FMCSA)
• You believe you were the victim of fraud or deceptive pricing
• Multiple consumers in your state have complaints against the same company

How to report AI-enabled moving scams

AI can make moving scams look more legitimate and lure customers in. A fake mover may use AI-generated text, fake reviews, cloned voices, altered photos, or a website that appears to represent a real company with a good reputation in the moving industry.

FTC has warned that AI tools can be used in impersonation scams, including voice cloning and deepfakes. Government consumer guidance also notes that generative AI can be used to create false voices, images, videos, profiles, and websites.

If AI was part of the moving scam, report it through the same core channels:

• FMCSA if the scam involved a mover, broker, shipment, estimate, bill of lading, withheld goods, or moving charges
• BBB if the company appeared to be fake, impersonating another business, or using deceptive marketplace information
• FTC ReportFraud if the scam involved impersonation, payment fraud, a fake website, identity information, or AI-generated deception

Preserve AI scam evidence before it disappears. Save:

• The website URL
• Screenshots of the website, ads, search results, forms, and chat windows
• Emails, text messages, AI-generated correspondence, and payment instructions
• Caller ID, phone numbers, voicemails, and call logs
• Any legally obtained call recordings
• Names, profile photos, logos, or addresses used by the scammer
• Payment links, wire instructions, QR codes, invoices, and receipts
• Dates and times of each interaction

Do not assume an AI-enabled scam belongs somewhere different. If the scam involved a moving company or broker, report it as a moving scam and include the AI-related evidence.

If you paid by credit card and the mover didn’t deliver the agreed-upon services, you may have the right to initiate a chargeback. Contact your card issuer directly and explain the situation. Provide your documentation.

This isn’t a substitute for filing with regulators, but it can be a faster path to recovering your money while other processes play out. Note that chargebacks typically must be initiated within 60–120 days of the transaction, depending on your card issuer.

For disputes that can’t be resolved through the above channels, small claims court is an accessible option for many consumers, typically for amounts under $5,000–$10,000, depending on your state. No attorney is required in most jurisdictions.

Federal regulations require movers to have an arbitration program or legal process to resolve disputes about property loss, damage, and certain charges. FMCSA also states that movers must agree to arbitration for claims of $10,000 or less. For claims above $10,000, the mover can refuse to participate in arbitration.

If you’ve filed a written complaint with your mover with no response or resolution, check your Bill of Lading for the specific arbitration program your mover participates in. The American Trucking Associations Moving & Storage Conference sponsors a neutral arbitration program that many reputable companies use.

The ATA Moving & Storage arbitration program is available for participating ATA member movers and covers certain unresolved disputes involving loss, damage, or additional transportation and service-related charges billed after delivery.

Request arbitration at: www.moving.org/arbitration

Knowing how to avoid moving scams starts with slowing the process down before you sign anything. A reputable moving company provides a clear estimate, a documented inventory, written terms, direct communication, and a defined point of contact. You should know who is handling your moving services, what is included, when each step happens, and how changes will be documented.

Before you choose a mover:

• Get written estimates
• Make sure the estimate reflects a real inventory of what is moving
• Avoid blank documents or paperwork with missing prices, dates, or signatures
• Be cautious with large upfront cash requests
• Verify the company’s name, address, website, and contact information
• Ask whether you are working with a mover, broker, or both
• Confirm who will pick up, transport, and deliver your belongings
• Keep every estimate, inventory, receipt, and message
• Ask who your single point of contact will be

For more prevention guidance, read Bekins’ resources on common moving scams, signs of a moving scam, and rogue movers.

Yes, and you should file separately against both the broker and the carrier they assigned to your move. Brokers are also required to register with the FMCSA. File your FMCSA complaint using the broker’s USDOT number in addition to the carrier’s.

File with the FMCSA anyway to create a record. Your best recovery options at this point are your credit card issuer (if you paid by card) and small claims court against any individuals or parent companies still in operation.

No. The FMCSA and BBB don’t award compensation directly. Your best financial recovery routes are the direct claim with your mover, a credit card chargeback, or small claims court.

Document everything and act quickly. Most recovery options have time limits—credit card chargebacks typically expire within 60–120 days, and evidence becomes harder to gather the longer you wait.

Not for most of these steps. Small claims court is designed to be navigable without an attorney. For larger losses or fraud involving significant sums, consulting a consumer protection attorney may be worthwhile.