Most moving scams are not sophisticated. They follow a pattern so consistent that federal and state regulators publish the warning signs, and nearly every one of them is visible before you sign anything.
The hard part is that the signs look like convenience. A quote over the phone in four minutes feels efficient. A deposit feels normal. A low number feels like a win. Below are the seven that matter most, and what the rules actually say — because in California, several of these are not merely bad practice, they are prohibited.
1. The estimate comes without anyone looking at your home
This is the single clearest signal, and in California it is also the clearest violation.
A mover operating within California must give you a written estimate after visually inspecting your belongings. Estimates given over the phone or the internet are prohibited, and the Bureau of Household Goods and Services warns that such an estimate may not be enforceable — meaning the number you were quoted may not bind the mover to anything at all.
For interstate moves, federal rules require a written estimate based on a physical survey of the goods, either on-site or virtual, unless you waive the survey in writing.
A virtual walkthrough by video is legitimate and increasingly common. A price quoted from a list of rooms read aloud over the phone is not an estimate. It is a number designed to win the booking, and it is free to rise later.
2. A large deposit is required to hold the date
Reputable movers may ask for a modest deposit, and many ask for none at all. What should concern you is a demand for a large share of the total up front, particularly by wire transfer, cash app or cryptocurrency — methods with no recourse once sent.
The question worth asking is simple: what is the refund policy in writing, and what happens to the deposit if the move is cancelled? A company that cannot answer in writing is telling you something.
3. The paperwork has blanks in it
Never sign a document with empty fields. Not the estimate, not the inventory, and above all not the bill of lading, which is the contract that governs your entire shipment.
For interstate moves, the mover must issue a bill of lading no later than three days before the pickup date. You should have time to read it. A document presented for signature on loading day, with the price section still open, is not a contract you control.
4. The quote is dramatically below everyone else's
A quote far beneath three comparable bids is not a bargain. It is usually the opening position in a renegotiation that happens after your belongings are on the truck.
This is where understanding estimate types protects you:
| Estimate type | What it means |
|---|---|
| Binding | You cannot be charged more than the estimate. Adding items or services requires a new binding estimate agreed before loading. |
| Non-binding | A reasonable approximation only. Final charges depend on actual weight and services, and can legitimately exceed the quote. |
| Not to exceed | Used for California intrastate moves. The maximum you can be charged, unless you request extra services recorded in a Change Order. |
A suspiciously low number attached to a non-binding estimate is the classic setup. The quote was never a promise.
5. The company is vague about who it actually is
Ask who will arrive at your door. Brokers sell moves and subcontract them to carriers you have not vetted — which is legal and disclosed when done honestly, and a problem when it is not.
Then verify. Two lookups, both free, both quick:
- Moving within California: search the company in the BHGS License Search. Movers must be licensed before operating.
- Moving state to state: search the USDOT number in FMCSA's registered mover database.
Other tells: no physical address, a name that changes across the website and the paperwork, generic branding with no company name on the truck, and crews arriving in unmarked rental vehicles.
6. They cannot explain what your belongings are covered for
Valuation is not insurance, and the difference costs people thousands.
On interstate moves, federal rules give you two options:
- Full Value Protection — the default. The mover is liable for the replacement value of lost or damaged items, and must repair, replace, or settle in cash. It costs extra.
- Released Value Protection — free, and the reason people get hurt. The mover's liability is capped at 60 cents per pound, per article. A 25-pound television is worth $15 under this standard, whatever you paid for it.
Released Value only applies if you sign a specific statement electing it. If no one explains this to you and a signature appears on that line anyway, that is a serious problem.
Note also that movers may limit liability on items worth more than $100 per pound — jewellery, china, furs — unless you list them on the shipping documents. High-value items must be declared, in writing, before the move.
7. Your belongings become leverage after loading
The worst outcome is the hostage load: the truck arrives, the price has doubled, and the crew will not unload until you pay.
Federal rules constrain this directly. On a non-binding estimate, the mover may require no more than 110% of the estimate at delivery. Remaining charges are billed afterwards, no sooner than 30 days from delivery. On a binding estimate, the mover must release the shipment on payment of 100% plus 15% of any impracticable operations charges.
A mover demanding payment above those limits before unloading is not negotiating. It is breaking a federal rule, and it is worth saying so out loud.
If something has already gone wrong
You have more time than most people assume, but the clock is real.
- Loss or damage claims must be filed in writing within nine months of delivery. This applies both to interstate moves and to moves within California. Verbal complaints do not preserve the claim.
- The mover then has 30 days to acknowledge your claim and 120 days to issue a disposition, with 60-day extensions permitted only if it notifies you in writing.
- Complaints about a California intrastate mover go to the Bureau of Household Goods and Services, by post or online.
- Complaints about an interstate mover go to FMCSA, at 1-800-832-5660.
Photograph everything of value before it is loaded, and keep your copy of the inventory and the bill of lading somewhere other than the truck.
The short version
Insist on an in-person or video survey. Read the bill of lading before loading day. Verify the licence number yourself rather than trusting the one printed on the quote. Understand whether you are covered at replacement value or at sixty cents a pound. Those four habits remove nearly all of the risk.
Sources: Bureau of Household Goods and Services — Household Movers Information · FMCSA, Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move · FMCSA, Protect Your Move