Getting money back from a moving company depends on why the charge is wrong. There's no federal rule that hands every customer an automatic full refund. A cancellation deposit is usually controlled by the contract and state law. An interstate loss or damage claim follows federal claims procedures. A credit-card dispute follows separate billing rules.

The result may be a refund, a corrected invoice, or compensation for damaged property. It often isn't every dollar you paid. Confirm the type of move, keep the paperwork, and put the request in writing.

Quick answer

1. Confirm who you hired and which rules apply. Check whether the shipment crossed state lines, whether a broker booked the job, and what the signed estimate actually covers.
2. Build an evidence file. Keep the contract, estimate, bill of lading, inventory, receipts, photos, messages, and payment records.
3. Send a written refund request or damage claim. Name a dollar amount and show how you calculated it.
4. Dispute an eligible credit-card charge promptly. The FTC says written notice for a billing-error dispute should reach the card issuer within 60 days of the first statement containing the error.
5. Escalate if the mover refuses or ignores you. Use FMCSA for an interstate move, the state agency for an in-state move, and arbitration or court when that route fits.

Which rules control your moving dispute?

Start with a basic question: did the shipment cross a state line?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates interstate household-goods movers and brokers. A company that only moves you inside one state is usually under state oversight instead. A broker may arrange the job without transporting your property, so match the legal name on the estimate, payment receipt, and bill of lading before you send anything.

What kind of refund or compensation can you request?

Cancellation or a moving company no-show

No nationwide rule guarantees a full refund if you cancel or the crew never shows up. The cancellation clause, deposit terms, service agreement, and state law usually decide what comes back.

When the mover canceled, never arrived, or took payment without doing the agreed work, ask for the amount paid for the missing service. You can also list reasonable, documented replacement costs, such as a second truck or short-term storage. Whether those extra costs are recoverable still depends on the contract and applicable law.

Don't treat a phone promise as the refund. Put the request in writing and give the company a reasonable response date. If you paid by credit card, you may also have a billing dispute when the service wasn't provided or wasn't delivered as agreed.

Lost or damaged belongings

A damage claim is usually not a refund of the moving fee. The carrier may repair an item, replace it, or pay compensation based on the valuation option in your paperwork.

For an interstate move, federal claims procedures generally require a written loss or damage claim within nine months after delivery. If the shipment never arrived, that period generally runs from when a reasonable delivery time has elapsed. The carrier must generally acknowledge the claim within 30 days and pay, deny, or make a firm settlement offer within 120 days. If it needs more time, it should send written updates at 60-day intervals.

The amount you can recover depends heavily on the valuation you selected:

• Released value commonly limits liability to 60 cents per pound per article. A 20-pound television could have a stated limit of $12 under that option, no matter what you paid for it.
• Higher-value or full-value protection may cover more, but deductibles, exclusions, declared values, and repair-or-replace terms can still apply.
• Items worth more than $100 per pound may need to be listed on the mover's declaration of extraordinary value. Check the bill of lading and valuation statement before you add up the claim.

The Surface Transportation Board's guidance on lost or damaged household goods explains why that valuation language matters.

Overcharges or incomplete service

Compare the final invoice with the estimate line by line. Watch for inventory changes, packing or unpacking charges, stairs, long carries, storage, shuttle services, fuel charges, and extra work you asked for after the estimate.

A binding estimate generally sets the price for the listed services and quantities, subject to lawful adjustments for changes or work outside the estimate. A nonbinding estimate is not a guaranteed final price. On many interstate moves, the mover generally may not require more than 110% of a nonbinding estimate at delivery. A remaining balance may still be billed later under the federal rule, so 110% is not a blanket cap on the final bill.

Ask the company to identify the contractual and factual basis for every disputed line. If it performed only part of the job, request a refund for the unperformed portion instead of claiming the entire moving charge by default.

A mover is holding your shipment over a disputed bill

If the company won't deliver until you pay more, treat it as urgent. Save the invoice, estimate, texts, call records, and any message that says the goods stay on the truck until you pay.

On an interstate move, review the estimate type and the federal delivery-payment rules. If the mover demands more than the amount allowed at delivery under a nonbinding estimate, write the company and use the FMCSA complaint portal. For a move inside one state, contact the state transportation or household-goods regulator.

Call local law enforcement if there are threats, theft concerns, or an immediate safety issue. Don't put yourself at risk or try to take property off a truck. If you pay an amount solely to get the shipment released, record that payment accurately and write "paid under protest" on the receipt if that's what happened. The note documents your position. It doesn't guarantee a refund.

A broker refuses to return your deposit

Find out whether you paid the broker, the carrier, or both. Send the same written request to each business, using the legal names and addresses on your documents.

A broker's involvement doesn't automatically decide who owes the money. The brokerage agreement may control the deposit, while the carrier's bill of lading and valuation terms control transportation and damage issues. A broker's oral promise of a refund doesn't replace a written request to the company that processed the payment.

Step-by-step process for requesting your money back

1. Collect and organize your evidence

Put these in one folder:

• Signed contract, estimate, order for service, and bill of lading
• Inventory and packing records
• Receipts, invoices, deposit records, and proof of payment
• Photos or videos from before loading and after delivery
• Photos of damaged packaging, labels, and individual items
• Repair estimates, replacement prices, or proof of original value
• Emails, texts, call logs, and advertisements
• The mover's legal name, address, USDOT number if available, and broker information
• A timeline of booking, pickup, delivery, cancellation, damage discovery, and every refund request

Keep the originals. Submit copies and label each attachment so the company, bank, regulator, or court can follow the dates.

2. Calculate a specific amount

Split the request into categories:

• Refund for a service that was canceled or never provided
• Amount billed above the agreed or legally applicable charge
• Damage or loss compensation based on the selected valuation
• Documented extra expenses, if the contract or state law may allow them

A line-by-line calculation is stronger than a demand for "all my money." For damaged property, list each item, its condition, the amount you want, and the document that supports it.

3. Send a written request or formal claim

Use the company's claim instructions if they appear in the contract. Send the request through the listed method and keep proof of delivery. Email is useful for speed. Certified mail or another trackable method can show when the company received the notice.

Identify an interstate loss or damage letter as a written claim. For a cancellation, no-show, or billing dispute, call it a refund request and point to the contract provision or service failure.

You can adapt this template:

Subject: Written refund request or claim -- move on [date]

[Your name]
[Your address]
[Email and phone]

[Company legal name]
[Company address]

I hired [company name] to provide [services] on [date] under
contract or estimate number [number]. I paid $[amount].

The problem is: [describe the cancellation, no-show, damage, loss,
overcharge, or incomplete service]. I am requesting $[amount] for
[refund or compensation]. My calculation is: [brief explanation].

Attached are copies of [contract, estimate, invoice, photos, receipts,
repair estimates, and communications].

Please respond in writing by [date]. If this is an interstate loss or
damage claim, treat this letter as my written claim under the applicable
carrier claims procedure.

If we cannot resolve this, I may contact the appropriate regulator,
dispute an eligible payment, request arbitration, or pursue a court
remedy.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Ten business days is a reasonable response window for many refund letters, but it isn't a universal legal deadline. Don't replace the federal nine-month damage-claim deadline or a card issuer's deadline with the date in your letter.

4. Dispute a credit-card charge when the facts fit

A credit-card dispute can help when the mover didn't provide the service, charged an incorrect amount, or failed to deliver the service as agreed. It's a bank process, not a guaranteed refund, and it isn't a substitute for a formal damage claim.

The FTC's credit-card dispute guidance says to:

1. Contact the issuer using the number on the card.
2. Send a written billing-error notice to the issuer's billing-dispute address, not simply the address used for payments.
3. Make sure the issuer receives the notice within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent.
4. Describe the service failure, disputed amount, and date of the transaction.
5. Include copies of the contract, invoice, refund request, and the mover's response.
6. Keep a copy and proof of delivery.

The issuer generally must acknowledge the complaint within 30 days unless it has already resolved the issue, and resolve the dispute within 90 days under this process. Card-network deadlines can differ, so contact the issuer promptly even if more than 60 days have passed.

That process doesn't automatically apply to debit cards, prepaid cards, ACH transfers, wires, cash, or peer-to-peer payments. Call the bank or payment provider immediately and ask what dispute or recall options exist. Protections for an unauthorized transfer are not the same as protections for a service that was poor or incomplete.

Pay any undisputed portion of the card bill on time. Don't claim the entire transaction was unauthorized if you authorized the booking.

5. File the right complaint

For an interstate mover or broker, use the FMCSA complaints page or its complaint portal. Include the company's legal name, USDOT number if known, route, dates, amount paid, estimate type, and a short description of what happened.

An FMCSA complaint can document possible regulatory violations and may prompt agency attention. It isn't a court judgment, and you shouldn't assume it will order a private refund or pay you for every loss.

For a move entirely within one state, look for the agency that licenses or regulates household-goods movers. That may be a transportation department, public utility commission, attorney general, or consumer-protection office, depending on the state. A state complaint can help, but it doesn't replace a written claim or court filing.

6. Consider arbitration or small claims court

Interstate household-goods carriers generally must maintain an arbitration program for certain transportation, charge, loss, and damage disputes. Ask the carrier for its program rules, eligibility requirements, fee information, and filing deadline. Disputes involving $10,000 or less receive special treatment under federal arbitration requirements, but the program's scope and the contract still matter.

Read any arbitration clause before you file in court. Agreeing to arbitration or signing a settlement release may affect other options.

Small claims court can fit a clear, documented dispute over a modest amount. State rules set the filing limit, venue, service requirements, and deadline. Bring the signed contract, estimate, invoice, payment record, photographs, written claim, delivery proof, and the company's response. A court may award an amount supported by the evidence. It won't automatically refund the entire move.

Mistakes that can weaken a refund claim

• Waiting to report damage until the federal or state deadline has nearly expired
• Making only phone calls and having no written record
• Sending a claim to the broker but not the carrier, or the other way around
• Treating the 110% delivery rule as a guarantee that the final bill cannot be higher
• Assuming released-value coverage pays the item's retail price
• Disputing an entire credit-card transaction after you received part of the service
• Signing a receipt or settlement that waives future claims without reading it
• Relying on an agency complaint while a court, arbitration, or card-dispute deadline runs

Frequently asked questions

Does FMCSA guarantee a refund?

No. FMCSA can receive complaints about interstate movers and brokers, but an agency complaint isn't a private damages award. Keep pursuing the written claim, payment dispute, arbitration, or court option that fits the facts.

Does the nine-month deadline apply to every moving-company refund?

No. The nine-month period generally applies to written loss or damage claims for interstate household-goods shipments. It doesn't automatically cover cancellation deposits, no-shows, overcharges, or every state-law claim.

What does the 60-cents-per-pound limit mean?

If you selected released-value coverage for an interstate move, the mover's liability may be limited to 60 cents per pound per article. The item's actual purchase price may be much higher, so check your valuation statement and bill of lading.

Can I get a chargeback for a moving company?

You can ask a credit-card issuer to investigate an eligible billing error, such as a service not provided or not delivered as agreed. Follow the issuer's written-dispute instructions and deadlines. A chargeback isn't guaranteed, and payment methods other than credit cards follow different rules.

Download the contract and payment records first, then send a written request that states the dollar amount and a response date. If the company doesn't answer, use the regulator and payment-dispute route that matches the move and how you paid.