Hostage Loads
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), more than 35 million Americans move every year for better career opportunities or various personal reasons. Many of these people hire a professional mover, especially when moving to another state. Unfortunately, some of these consumers fall victim to moving fraud. One of the most common involves possessions being “held hostage.” This typically occurs when a “rogue” mover gives you a low-cost quote, gets your stuff loaded on the truck, then demands a much higher rate before he’ll release your worldly goods. You’ve just become the victim of extortion and it makes a strong point in favor of carefully screening each moving company prior to hiring one for an upcoming move. Holding your stuff hostage is illegal and there are certain steps you should take, if it happens to you.
Submit Written Complaints
Start by filing a complaint with the moving company. While this probably won’t get your stuff back, it’s important to have a written complaint on file, as evidence of the fraudulent activity. Take this a step further by contacting your local law enforcement agency. Although they may not be able to step in, unless a local or state law has been broken, you may still be able to file a written report of the incident. If your move was an intrastate or in-state move, follow this up by contacting the government entity that regulates motor carriers in your state. Regulations and licensing requirements vary greatly from state to state, so this agency may not do anything, but, again, you may be able to get your complaint on paper. You can also contact your state’s consumer protection department.
Notify the Better Business Bureau
Get in touch with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and lodge a complaint against the moving company. The BBB tracks complaints on both in-state and interstate movers and is a great resource when researching a mover’s background. Although the BBB may not resolve your dispute, filing an official complaint could prevent someone else from being scammed by the same company. Along this same vein, write reviews about the company to post on popular websites. Again, this probably won’t get your stuff back, but it might save someone else from the same fate.