If a moving company took your money and never performed the booked service, start by requesting the amount tied to that service. A full refund isn't automatic.

The shipment's route sets the starting rule. A move across state lines generally falls under federal household-goods rules; a move that stayed within one state usually also depends on state law, regulator rules, and the contract. The signed estimate, cancellation terms, bill of lading, and payment record will do most of the work.

Keep other losses separate. Damaged belongings, replacement services, and disputed extra charges need different proof and may follow different procedures.

Identify the move and the company

Ask where the shipment traveled. The mover's office address doesn't answer that question.

A broker may arrange the job while a separate carrier transports the goods. Keep both names.

For an interstate household-goods move, start with 49 CFR Part 375. Its consumer rights appendix addresses estimates, valuation choices, and payment at delivery. Those federal rules don't create a blanket refund for every cancellation, delay, no-show, or disappointing experience.

A move wholly within one state usually requires a state-specific answer. Find the transportation agency, public utilities office, consumer-protection agency, or attorney general through its official website.

Moving paperwork spreads across email, portals, text messages, and card statements. Save it early, while the links still work and the business names haven't blurred together.

When a refund request is strongest

The cleanest request focuses on a service that was paid for but never supplied. Tie the amount to a contract term, receipt, or documented failure.

If no crew arrived, request the full prepaid amount for that appointment or service. That's a focused contract request, not a universal federal refund entitlement.

Hotel, storage, rental-truck, and replacement-mover costs are different losses. They may be recoverable, but you generally need proof of the expense plus a contractual or legal basis for seeking it.

Deposits and cancellation terms

Part 375 does not give every deposit the same refund treatment. The contract may set a notice deadline, cancellation fee, or refund method, and state law may affect whether a term can be enforced.

The word "deposit" isn't decisive. The payment might instead be a reservation fee, broker fee, packing charge, or advance payment for a particular service.

Check the paperwork for:

• The payment's purpose. Identify what service or appointment it was meant to reserve.
• The cancellation deadline and notice method. A phone call may not satisfy a written-notice clause.
• The amount the company may retain. Look for the fee or percentage in the agreement you accepted.
• The payment recipient. A broker and carrier may have separate contracts and separate refund positions.
• The promised refund timing. Use it as the follow-up date for your written request.

Save the cancellation policy that applied when you booked. Website terms can change, and a dated screenshot helps.

Thing is, a company policy and a legal requirement aren't the same thing. If the policy appears to conflict with state requirements or the signed agreement, point to that specific conflict instead of demanding that every fee be returned.

Estimate rules that affect payment

Find out whether the estimate is binding or non-binding before disputing the final charge.

Turns out, the 110 percent figure is a delivery-payment rule. It isn't a promise that the final bill can never be higher, and it isn't an automatic refund.

The federal consumer appendix says payment at delivery is generally 100 percent of a binding estimate or 110 percent of a non-binding estimate. That rule concerns what the mover may collect at delivery. A later invoice and a claim for a service that never happened are separate issues.

Keep the original estimate, every revised document, and the time each version was presented. Last-minute price changes deserve their own record.

Price estimates aren't damage protection. The estimate should identify Full Value Protection and the waiver of that protection, which can limit responsibility to 60 cents per pound per article when selected. That choice concerns lost or damaged goods, not a no-show or cancellation refund.

Damage claims are separate

Missing boxes and physical damage usually follow a cargo-claims process. They don't automatically turn the moving charge into a refund.

Use the inventory, delivery receipt, photographs, and the carrier's written claim instructions. If the mover also failed to provide packing, loading, storage, or another paid service, request that service refund separately.

Keep the calculations separate. One line can cover the unperformed service; another can cover a cargo claim or documented replacement expense.

A no-show refund workflow

A no-show is easier to prove when the day's events are recorded as they happen. Create the record before the situation gets crowded with replacement arrangements.

1. Confirm the status in writing. Contact dispatch and the broker, if there is one. Ask whether the appointment is cancelled, delayed, or still scheduled, and save the response.
2. Build a timeline. Record the appointment window, calls, texts, emails, and the time you concluded that no crew was coming.
3. Preserve the original paperwork. Save the estimate, booking confirmation, receipt, bill of lading, and cancellation policy.
4. Limit avoidable losses. If you need replacement service, get the price in writing and keep the invoice. An emergency premium isn't automatically recoverable.
5. Calculate the request. Start with the amount paid for the missing service. List replacement costs separately.
6. Contact the payment provider promptly. Ask about the dispute process and deadline for your payment method. Describe the transaction accurately.

A chargeback is a bank or card-network process, not a legal finding that the mover breached the contract. Any temporary credit can be reversed.

If a mover threatens to withhold goods or demands payment outside the paperwork, preserve the exact demand. Seek prompt help from the appropriate regulator.

Write a narrow, documented demand

A useful demand identifies the missed service, the amount requested, and the calculation behind it. Keep the tone factual.

Use a format like this:

Subject: Refund request for [move date] - [booking or invoice number]

I paid [company] $[amount] on [date] for [service]. The agreement says:
"[short quotation or accurate paraphrase]"

The company did not provide [service] on [date]. I request $[amount]
for the unperformed service. I calculated that amount as [brief calculation].

Please respond by [date]. Send payment by [method], or explain in writing
the contract term you believe changes the amount.

Attached are [estimate, receipt, messages, photographs, and invoices].

This request concerns [service refund, cargo claim, or both].

[Name]
[Address]
[Email and phone]

Send the demand through any method required by the contract. Then use a second method that creates a delivery record. Keep the sent message, attachments, and confirmation.

A demand letter isn't a special legal form. It gives the company a fair chance to respond and creates a usable record for an agency, payment provider, or court.

Build an evidence file

Build one folder that answers four questions: what was promised, what was paid, what happened, and what remains unpaid. A dated chain beats a pile of unsorted screenshots.

Keep original files, not just screenshots. Note which document came from the broker and which came from the carrier.

Escalate through the right channel

Choose the route that matches the problem. Filing everywhere at once can muddy the record.

Use the FMCSA route for an interstate carrier or broker concern. A state agency may be the better first regulator when the move stayed inside one state.

To be honest, a card dispute should run on its own timetable. Ask the issuer or bank about its deadline, then provide the contract, payment record, written demand, and proof of nonperformance.

Small claims court can address a documented money dispute. Check the local dollar limit, filing deadline, venue rules, and business name before filing.

Questions that come up often

Does a no-show mean I automatically get a full refund?

No. Part 375 doesn't turn every no-show into an automatic full refund. Request the prepaid amount for the service not supplied, and support any additional loss separately.

Is a moving deposit always refundable?

No blanket rule answers that question. Read the payment's purpose, the cancellation clause, applicable state law, and the timing of your cancellation.

Does the 110 percent rule cap the final bill?

Not necessarily. It generally limits what a mover may collect at delivery on a non-binding estimate. It isn't a blanket promise that the final charges cannot rise.

Should I file a chargeback?

Ask your card issuer or bank promptly about its dispute process. Give it the contract, payment record, written demand, and proof of nonperformance, and follow the issuer's deadline.

Can I claim damage and a service refund?

Possibly. Use the carrier's cargo-claims procedure for missing or damaged belongings, while making a separate request for services that were not performed.

Put the estimate, contract, payment receipt, bill of lading, and communications in one dated folder today. Then send one precise request tied to a specific service, amount, and document.