Movers are Holding Your Household Goods Hostage – Fight Back

Each year, millions of Americans move. Usually, most of the moves go smoothly, maybe with a little too much drama, but finally, things end happily.

Unfortunately, there are those cases when customers are put in the situation of becoming victims of extortion.

Movers hold your items and refuse to release them unless you pay more money.

So, in this blog, we’ll discuss how to protect yourself if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Unscrupulous and rogue movers have always been on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s radar and in these situations are going to be a great help.

Being the regulatory authority, the FMCSA  does its best to improve the standards for the moving industry by constantly raising the safety bar level.

Since the MAP-21 bill took effect (October 1, 2012), the administration has the authority to order movers holding household goods hostage to return them to their rightful owners.

The FMCSA can enforce an interstate moving company to release consumer items.

So, what should you do if movers hold your stuff hostage?

You may also like to read: How to Avoid Moving Scams. Prevention is better than cure, so in this guide, we explain the most common moving scams, how to spot them, and most importantly, how to avoid them.

File a Report With the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Anne Ferro, Administrator at the FMCSA, appeals to consumers who have complaints to call their hotline at 1-888-DOT-SAFT and report the situation immediately. 

The operation hours are Monday through Friday between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm EST. A qualified government officer will help with the filing process.

You can complain against movers for issues such as unlicensed or uninsured operating status, overcharging (over 110% of non-binding estimate), damaged or stolen items, failure to keep the agreed time frame of the move, etc.

Of course, you should report it at the earliest opportunity that your chosen moving company is holding your items and refuses to release them.

You can also file your complaint through the Household Goods Consumer Complaint form online.

You have to provide all the mover’s paperwork and to fill out the following information:

• Your name, address, and telephone number.
• Name, address, and telephone number of the mover/broker.
• Bill of Lading Number.
• Origin and destination of your shipment.
• Mover’s DOT number and MC number.
• Specific violations claim.

Your report against movers will be entered into FMCSA’s consumer complaint database and later it will be used for analytical and statistical purposes. It will also be noted in the carrier’s public record.

You may also like to read: Understanding the Bill of Lading. The bill of lading is the contract between you and the mover. You must read and understand this document before signing it, this is where most moving scams start and you can save yourself a lot of grief by doing your due diligence before signing it.

And, here are some of the actions that the FMCSA can take against movers found guilty of egregious offenses:

• Estimate of Broker without Carrier Agreement – If a broker has provided you an estimate without the carrier’s agreement, the broker would be liable for a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 for each violation.
• Unauthorized Transportation – If a motor carrier or broker has provided transportation or other related services for household goods without registration, the moving company/broker would be liable for a civil penalty of not less than $25,000.
• Hostage Load – If your movers are holding your household goods hostage, the moving company is liable for a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 for each violation.

So, to reduce the outrageous instances of hostage load, FMCSA is urging anyone who’s about to move cross country to learn in advance how to spot the red flags of moving fraud by downloading their Moving Fraud Prevention Guide for free.

In short, be proactive – read the major points on how to spot dishonest movers, and don’t ever let them take your items hostage.

Here’s some red flags to watch out for:

• The mover tries to hide its real company name (if any!) by answering the phone with a simple “Movers” or “Moving Company”.
• The website of the mover (if they even have one!) does not give information about their local address, nor provides the required licensing and insurance information.
• The moving company has no local office or if they do, its condition is really bad.
• The mover refuses to visit your home for a visual on-site inspection of your items and gives you a low-ball estimate as bait over the phone or Internet.
• The mover refuses to furnish you with a written binding estimate where all the additional services and their charges are listed.
• The mover wants you to sign blank or incomplete documents. Don’t ever do it! But if you must, then make sure you get a copy of the document too, or at least snap a quick photo of it before it’s too late.
• The interstate moving company won’t give you a copy of the booklet “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” as required by Federal regulations. Nevertheless, you can easily download a free copy of the booklet here (PDF format).

In situations where an authorized carrier is found to have held household goods hostage, the FMCSA may suspend the carrier’s operating authority for a period of 12 to 36 months.

Furthermore, the FMCSA can not only order the return of household goods held hostage, but they can award the affected consumer all or a portion of the civil penalty collected from fines against the moving company.

So, if movers are holding your furniture hostage and insist on receiving thousands of dollars more than the already negotiated amount, do not freak out.

Even if movers aren’t returning your calls or worse, require an outrageous payment to release your stuff, do not take that bait.

Unscrupulous movers will do their best to fool you into paying more money in return for your “life” and they are pretty good at this “switch and bait” trick.

If you are experiencing such an egregious offense, just give notice to the FMCSA.

Movers may not answer your calls, but they can’t remain indifferent and ignorant to the Agency’s calls.

You may also like to read: Understanding Movers Paperwork. From the different types of quotes to tariffs and rules, this guide will explain all you need to know about the paperwork so that there are no nasty surprises on moving day.

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

If your moving company is holding your furniture, don’t despair – there is a set course of action that will help you emerge victorious.

Remember – if they are not returning your calls, or when they return a call, they demand you to pay a variety of ridiculous fees amounting to a lot more money than previously negotiated to deliver the shipment –  alert the FMCSA and the local regulatory agency.

Contact the Office of Inspector General to have special agents from the Office investigate companies and individuals that have violated criminal statutes relative to the Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

You can also get in touch with MoveRescue and ask for assistance.

You could even seek court resolution and sue movers if your company declines to resolve issues through arbitration.

It’ll take time, effort, and money because fighting back is never easy, but in the end, you will have justice restored.

Last but not least, write a review.

This may not help you get your furniture back, but you will help others who are about to move by informing them why they should avoid a particular moving company.

You can leave a review for a moving company via this link.