How to Get Your Moving Deposit Back

You paid a deposit to a moving company. They either cancelled, no-showed, sent a different company, or demanded more money on moving day. Now you want your deposit back and they are not returning your calls.

This guide is the recovery plan. Every step is ordered by urgency and effectiveness. The first 48 hours matter most.

If you paid by credit card, file a chargeback immediately. This is your strongest and fastest remedy.

Call the number on the back of your card and say: 'I want to dispute a charge. The merchant did not provide the services described.' The bank will ask for documentation. Provide:

1. The original estimate or contract showing what was promised. 2. Evidence of what actually happened (no-show, different company arrived, price change, cancellation). 3. Any communication where the company refused a refund. 4. The company's FMCSA registration showing they are a broker, if they told you they were a carrier.

Visa and Mastercard give you 120 days from the transaction date to file. American Express gives 120 days from the date you expected to receive the service. Do not wait.

Chargeback success rates for moving disputes are high when you have documentation. The merchant has to prove they delivered the service. If they did not show up or sent a different company, they cannot prove delivery.

If you paid by debit card, the process is similar but your protections are weaker. File the dispute with your bank under Regulation E. The bank has 10 business days to issue a provisional credit.

Send a written refund demand even if you are also filing a chargeback. This creates a paper trail.

Email the company (so you have a timestamp and delivery confirmation) with:

1. Your name and booking/confirmation number. 2. The date you paid and the amount. 3. What happened (cancellation, no-show, bait-and-switch, different company arrived). 4. A clear statement: 'I am requesting a full refund of my deposit of $[amount] within 10 business days.' 5. A statement that you will file complaints with FMCSA, your state attorney general, and the BBB if the refund is not received.

Keep the email factual. Do not threaten litigation in the first email. Save that for the follow-up if they do not respond.

If the company has a physical address, also send the demand by certified mail with return receipt. Some states require written demand before you can file a deceptive practices claim.

File complaints in parallel with the chargeback. These create official records and may trigger enforcement.

FMCSA complaint: File at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov. Select the complaint category that matches your situation (billing/charges, pickup, deceptive business practices). Include the company's USDOT number. FMCSA rarely acts on individual complaints, but the complaint is public record and contributes to the company's federal complaint history.

State Attorney General: File a consumer complaint with your state AG's office. Most states have an online portal. The AG complaint matters because state deceptive trade practices laws (UDAP/DTPA) often have stronger consumer protections than federal law. If the company is in a different state than you, file with both your state and theirs.

BBB complaint: File at bbb.org. Many moving companies respond to BBB complaints because an unresolved BBB complaint damages their public rating. This is sometimes the fastest path to a refund for companies that care about their online reputation.

If you paid via Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App: file a fraud report with the payment platform. Recovery is harder with these methods, which is one reason scam movers prefer them.

If the chargeback fails or you paid by cash/wire/Zelle, small claims court is your next option. Most states allow claims up to $5,000 to $10,000 without a lawyer.

File in the county where the company is registered or where the transaction took place. The filing fee is typically $30 to $75. You will need:

1. The company's legal name and registered address (look this up on your state's business entity search or at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov). 2. Your contract, estimate, or booking confirmation. 3. Evidence of payment (bank statement, receipt). 4. Evidence of non-performance or misrepresentation.

Many movers default (do not show up to court). If they default, you win by default judgment. The challenge is collecting on the judgment, but a judgment gives you additional tools: wage garnishment, bank account levy, or liens on business property.

For interstate moves, you also have the option of filing under 49 USC 14704, which allows private lawsuits for regulatory violations. Attorney fees are recoverable under 14704(e), which means a lawyer may take your case on contingency if the violation is clear.

If the company that took your deposit turns out to be a broker (zero trucks, dispatches to carriers), you have additional leverage.

Brokers are required to maintain a $75,000 surety bond or trust fund with FMCSA. In theory, this bond exists to protect consumers. In practice, accessing it requires filing a claim with the bonding company, which you can find by looking up the broker's FMCSA registration under 'Insurance/Authority.'

If the broker misrepresented itself as a carrier (told you 'our trucks will be there' when they own zero trucks), that is a federal regulatory violation under 49 CFR 371.7. This violation strengthens every other remedy: the chargeback, the state AG complaint, the small claims case, and any federal claim under 14704.

Since the Supreme Court's May 2026 ruling in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport, brokers can also be held liable for negligent carrier selection. If the broker chose a carrier that damaged your goods or held them hostage, the broker is potentially liable for that carrier's actions.

Credit card chargeback: 120 days from transaction date (Visa/Mastercard) or from expected service date (Amex).

Debit card dispute (Regulation E): 60 days from the statement date showing the charge.

FMCSA complaint: No hard deadline, but file within 90 days for maximum relevance.

Small claims court: Varies by state. Typically 2 to 4 years for breach of contract, 1 to 3 years for fraud. Do not wait.

State AG complaint: No deadline, but file promptly. Patterns of complaints trigger enforcement; yours may be the one that tips the scale.

Section 14704 federal claim: 2 years from the date of the violation.

The single most time-sensitive action is the credit card chargeback. If you do nothing else, do that within the first week.