Before you sign
Moving quote red flags that deserve a closer look
Pause when a company will not inspect the shipment, provide a complete written estimate, identify itself, or put a material change in writing before loading. Verify the facts and request corrected documents instead of relying on a verbal assurance.
Estimate and survey warning signs
No meaningful survey
FMCSA lists a sight-unseen telephone or online estimate without an on-site inspection as a red flag. Current interstate rules call for a physical survey, which may be on-site or virtual, unless the shipper signs a written waiver before loading. Source: FMCSA Spot the Red Flags; source: 49 CFR § 375.401.
No complete written estimate
Pause if a mover offers only a verbal total, says the price will be determined after loading, or omits whether the estimate is binding or non-binding. Interstate estimates must be in writing and identify their type. Source: FMCSA Spot the Red Flags; source: 49 CFR § 375.401.
Blank documents
Do not sign a blank estimate, revised estimate, order, or other contract. FMCSA warns that blank documents can later be filled with terms you did not review. Keep a copy or clear image of every document you sign. Source: FMCSA Blank Document Warning.
A last-minute change after loading
Tell the mover about added goods or services and ask whether your written estimate needs to change before loading. For an interstate move, you and the mover must agree to any estimate amendment before loading. A mover may not amend the estimate after the shipment is loaded. Source: 49 CFR § 375.401(i).
Company identity and authority warning signs
- The company will not clearly say whether it is the mover that will transport the shipment or a broker arranging service.
- The estimate's company name, address, phone number, or U.S. DOT number does not match the company's advertising or FMCSA record.
- The website provides no local address and no registration or insurance information.
- The phone is answered with a generic business label rather than the company's name.
Interstate household-goods movers and brokers must be registered with FMCSA. A broker does not transport the shipment; it arranges service, and FMCSA advises consumers to verify both roles. Source: FMCSA Movers vs. Brokers.
Payment and price warning signs
Cash or a large advance deposit
FMCSA identifies a demand for cash or a large deposit before the move as a red flag. Ask for the deposit, cancellation, refund, and accepted-payment terms in writing. Source: FMCSA Spot the Red Flags.
A total that leaves out belongings or services
A low price alone does not prove wrongdoing. It does require a careful check for missing rooms, boxes, packing, stairs, elevators, long carries, shuttles, storage, valuation, and other services before the quote can be compared fairly.
A vague “everything is insured” claim
FMCSA lists a claim that all goods are covered by the mover's insurance as a warning sign. Interstate movers must present liability choices, including Full Value Protection and Released Value; these choices do not provide the same recovery. Source: FMCSA Spot the Red Flags; source: Appendix A to Part 375.
Do not misread the 110 percent rule
For an interstate non-binding estimate, the mover generally may not require more than 110 percent of the original estimate at destination for the quantities and services shown. Shipper-requested services added after the bill of lading may be collected separately, and qualifying impracticable-operations charges collected at delivery may not exceed 15 percent of all other charges then due. The rule limits the amount collectible at delivery in specified circumstances; it does not automatically erase every later charge. Source: 49 CFR § 375.405(b)(8)–(10); source: § 375.407.
What to do when something does not match
- Stop and compare the statement against the written estimate and attachments.
- Ask for the mover's legal name, role, U.S. DOT number, and the identity of the carrier that will transport the shipment.
- Request a written, signed correction that lists the changed goods, service, price, and estimate type before loading.
- Keep the original document and every revision, email, receipt, and photograph.
- Verify interstate registration and complaint history in FMCSA's database.
- If necessary, use FMCSA's complaint process or contact the appropriate state authority.
FMCSA asks consumers filing a complaint to preserve estimates, bills of lading, inventory pages, company identifiers, and details of the alleged conduct. Source: FMCSA File a Moving Fraud Complaint.