If a moving company damaged or lost your belongings, missed agreed terms, or charged more than expected, start with a written complaint to the carrier named on your bill of lading. Gather the paperwork, photos, and payment records before you contact the company. If the response is inadequate, use the state or federal complaint route that matches the move.

A regulator can investigate possible violations, but a complaint usually won't replace a formal loss or damage claim or guarantee reimbursement. Payment claims normally go through the carrier's claims process and, if needed, arbitration or court.

Choose the right complaint route

The first question is whether the shipment crossed a state line.

• Interstate move: Federal rules generally apply when household goods cross state lines. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) accepts many consumer and safety complaints involving interstate household-goods movers.
• Intrastate move: If the shipment stayed within one state, check that state's attorney general, transportation department, public utility commission, or consumer affairs office. The agency and procedure vary by state.
• Broker-arranged move: A broker may have sold or arranged the move while a different company transported the goods. Send a service complaint to both, but use the carrier's legal name and address from the bill of lading for a loss or damage claim.
• Loss or damage claim: This asks the mover to pay, repair, replace, or otherwise resolve missing or damaged property.
• Service complaint: Delays, poor communication, scheduling failures, misleading sales statements, and unexpected fees may involve different contract terms or consumer rules than a cargo claim.

The Surface Transportation Board's household-goods moving guidance says its oversight is limited to interstate moves and directs consumers with intrastate questions to state authorities.

Preserve evidence before the trail goes cold

If delivery hasn't happened, keep your phone available for photos and notes. If it already happened, document the condition of the shipment as soon as possible.

At delivery

1. Compare each box and major item with the inventory.
2. Photograph or record visible damage, packaging, labels, and any damage to a doorway, wall, or floor.
3. Put precise descriptions on the delivery receipt or inventory. "Box 34 crushed" is more useful than "some damage."
4. List missing inventory numbers and describe the missing items in detail.
5. Keep damaged items, boxes, and packing materials unless they pose a safety risk or the carrier authorizes disposal.
6. Read any release, waiver, or settlement language before signing.

A note on the delivery receipt helps establish what you saw, but it usually isn't the formal claim. Don't depend on a driver or crew member to report the problem for you.

Assemble one claim file

Keep copies of:

• The estimate, order for service, and bill of lading
• The inventory and condition report
• The valuation or liability option you selected
• Pickup and delivery dates
• Before-and-after photos or videos
• Repair estimates, receipts, and reasonable replacement-price evidence
• Emails, texts, call notes, and the names of company representatives
• Payment records, including card, check, or other transactions
• The mover's legal name, address, and USDOT number, if available

For a missing item, record the make, model, color, size, serial number, and inventory number. A receipt or other proof of value can help. For damaged property, explain whether repair is possible and attach a written estimate when you have one.

Check the estimate and contract

An unexpected final bill isn't automatically unlawful. First identify the estimate and other documents that control the price.

Compare the invoice with the signed estimate and bill of lading. Check whether disputed charges relate to services such as packing, storage, a shuttle, a long carry, stairs, or difficult access. Ask the mover to explain each disputed line in writing.

Submit the formal claim

For an interstate shipment, a written loss or damage claim generally must be presented within nine months. File sooner if you can. A phone call, social media post, or note to the driver may not satisfy the federal claim requirement.

Use the mover's claim form if it has one, but keep a dated copy of everything you submit. An online portal with a confirmation number, an email that preserves the sent record, or certified mail can help prove when the claim was delivered.

Include:

• Your name, contact information, and shipment number
• Pickup and delivery addresses
• Pickup and delivery dates
• Every missing or damaged item
• Inventory numbers and descriptions
• The type and extent of the damage
• The amount claimed or the remedy requested
• Photos, receipts, estimates, and relevant paperwork
• Your valuation selection

For an interstate carrier subject to the federal claims rules, the company generally must acknowledge the claim within 30 days. It generally must pay, deny, or make a firm settlement offer within 120 days. If the review isn't finished by then, the carrier generally must send written status updates at 60-day intervals. These are processing requirements; they don't mean the mover must accept the amount you request.

Written claim template

Subject: Written claim for shipment [number]

I am submitting a written claim for the loss or damage associated with my move from [origin] to [destination], delivered on [date].

The affected item is [description and inventory number]. The problem is [specific description]. I am requesting [repair, replacement, or dollar amount] based on the attached [repair estimate, receipt, or valuation terms].

Attached are copies of the bill of lading, inventory, photographs, estimate, and payment records. Please confirm receipt of this claim and provide the claim number and next steps.

Sincerely,
[Name and contact information]

Keep the claim focused on facts. Separate missing or damaged property from complaints about delay, communication, or billing, even if they arise from the same move.

Work out what your valuation covers

Moving-company valuation is a limit on the carrier's liability. It isn't automatically an insurance policy.

• Full Value Protection generally requires the mover to repair an item, replace it with a similar item, or pay for the loss, subject to the selected terms, deductible, exclusions, and the carrier's rights under the agreement.
• Released Value Protection provides much less protection. For interstate household-goods moves, the federal released-value option is generally 60 cents per pound per article when selected in writing.
• Separate insurance is governed by the insurance policy and insurer. A dispute with a third-party insurer isn't the same as a complaint against the moving carrier.

Check the documents for exclusions involving items you packed yourself, fragile goods, inherent defects, antiques, high-value articles, and items omitted from the inventory. The valuation terms may limit recovery differently from the item's retail price, so don't assume the full purchase price is payable.

Challenge an unexpected charge

For a covered interstate move with a nonbinding estimate, federal rules generally limit what the mover can require you to pay at delivery to 110% of the estimate. The remaining balance, if properly owed, can generally be billed later. This is a payment-at-delivery protection, not an automatic cap on the final bill.

For example, 110% of a $4,500 estimate is $4,950. That doesn't necessarily make $4,950 the final price. Extra inventory, packing, storage, access problems, or other authorized services may affect the total if the paperwork supports those charges.

A binding estimate usually offers greater price certainty for the services and inventory listed. It can still be affected by changes you request or services that weren't included. Ask for:

1. An itemized final invoice
2. The estimate type and signed estimate
3. The contract clause supporting each added charge
4. A calculation showing how the company reached the total
5. A corrected invoice if the charge doesn't match the paperwork

If the mover refuses to release your belongings over a disputed payment, save every message and photograph the vehicle and documents if it's safe to do so. Don't confront the crew physically. Contact law enforcement if anyone threatens you or there is an immediate safety risk. For an interstate nonbinding estimate, document whether the company demanded more than the amount allowed at delivery.

Send a demand letter if the claim stalls

A demand letter doesn't replace the formal claim, and it isn't a universal legal requirement. It gives the company a final, organized statement of what you want and why.

Include:

• The shipment number and relevant dates
• The contract or claim terms involved
• The amount you seek and your calculation
• The documents supporting your position
• The remedy you want
• A response deadline, such as 7 to 14 days
• Your contact information

Send it to the carrier's claims or legal address and copy the broker if one arranged the move. Keep the original documents and proof that the letter was delivered.

Demand letter template

Subject: Demand for resolution of moving claim [number]

On [date], your company transported my belongings from [origin] to [destination]. I submitted a written claim on [date] concerning [loss, damage, delay, or billing issue].

I am requesting [amount or specific remedy]. I calculated this amount as follows: [brief calculation]. Attached are the relevant estimate, bill of lading, inventory, photographs, receipts, and prior correspondence.

Please confirm in writing by [date] how you will resolve this matter. If I don't receive a response, I may submit the documentation to the appropriate regulator and review the dispute-resolution options in my contract.

Sincerely,
[Name and contact information]

Don't threaten criminal action over an ordinary contract dispute, exaggerate an item's value, or label an unproven allegation as fraud.

Escalate through the appropriate channel

Interstate complaints

For serious interstate violations, submit a complaint to the FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database or call 1-888-368-7238. Include the mover's legal name, USDOT number, dates, amount charged, and supporting documents.

Possible reportable issues include suspected unregistered interstate operations, deceptive documents, serious delivery or billing violations, and improper withholding of household goods. An FMCSA complaint may help prompt regulatory action, but it generally won't decide the value of a private damage claim or order a refund.

Intrastate complaints

For a move that stayed within one state, contact the agency that regulates or receives complaints about movers there. Depending on the state, that may be the attorney general's consumer protection office, department of transportation, public utility commission, or office of consumer affairs. Check the agency's current filing requirements; mover licenses, claim deadlines, and dispute procedures differ by state.

Court or arbitration

If the mover denies the claim or ignores your demand, read the bill of lading and service contract for:

• An arbitration clause
• A small-claims option
• A forum-selection term
• A notice requirement
• A deadline for starting a court or arbitration case

Those deadlines are separate from the deadline for presenting a cargo claim. Filing with FMCSA or a state agency doesn't necessarily pause a statute of limitations or a contract deadline. For a significant claim, a local consumer attorney or legal-aid service can explain the available route in your state. This is general U.S. consumer information, not legal advice.

Keep these steps in perspective

Several actions may help document the dispute but don't resolve it by themselves:

• A delivery receipt note: Useful evidence, but it isn't usually the complete written claim.
• A regulator complaint: It reports possible violations but doesn't guarantee compensation.
• The 110% rule: In certain interstate nonbinding-estimate situations, it limits the amount demanded at delivery; it doesn't erase a properly supported final balance.
• A negative review: It may warn other customers but normally doesn't preserve a legal claim or require payment.
• A broker's promise: The carrier's bill of lading and valuation documents may control the transportation claim.
• A verbal settlement: Treat the matter as open until the payment and any release terms are clear in writing.

A practical timeline

• Delivery day: Inspect the shipment, photograph problems, note missing or damaged items, and preserve the paperwork.
• Within a few days: Notify the mover in writing and ask for its claim procedure.
• As soon as possible: Present the complete written claim with supporting evidence.
• Within nine months for an interstate loss or damage claim: Make sure the formal claim has been presented under the applicable federal rules.
• After the mover's response period: Send a demand letter if the response is missing or doesn't address the evidence.
• After denial or continued silence: Use FMCSA for an interstate regulatory complaint, contact the appropriate state agency for an intrastate move, and check court or arbitration deadlines.

Frequently asked questions

Does writing damage on the delivery receipt file my claim?

Usually not by itself. The notation records what you observed, but you should submit a separate written claim through the mover's claims process.

How long do I have to file a moving damage claim?

For an interstate household-goods shipment, federal rules generally require a written claim within nine months. File earlier and check the contract and applicable state rules for other disputes.

Can an interstate mover demand more than 110% of a nonbinding estimate at delivery?

In covered circumstances, federal rules generally limit the amount required at delivery to 110% of a nonbinding estimate. That limit concerns the immediate payment demand, not necessarily the final amount owed.

Is Full Value Protection the same as moving insurance?

No. Valuation sets the mover's liability under the transportation contract. A separate insurance policy has its own terms, exclusions, claims process, and insurer.

What if the moving company never answers?

Keep proof of the written claim and follow-up attempts. Send a demand letter, then use FMCSA for an interstate complaint or the appropriate state agency for an intrastate move. Check the contract now for arbitration and court deadlines rather than waiting for a response.