A Florence woman says she handed over an extra $3,500 and still waited more than a month to get her furniture back. A 69-year-old Sierra Vista man says he has contacted his mover but still does not know where his belongings are, including his father's World War II medals and childhood photographs. Both are among several Arizona residents describing moving problems. Heidi says a mover demanded far more than the original quote and held her belongings until she paid up.
A Move From Washington Turns Into a Costly Standoff
According to ABC15 Arizona, a woman named Heidi moved to Florence, Arizona, but left much of her belongings in storage in Washington state, where she said the fees were extremely expensive. A moving broker quoted her $2,700 for the job, but the station reports the mover ultimately demanded $3,500 more than that original quote before it would release her things.
Heidi paid the additional amount, the outlet reports, but still didn't recover her belongings for more than 30 days and roughly $5,000 in total costs. She told the station she dealt with three different moving companies during the process and, at one point, didn't know where her belongings were or which company even had them. Among the items she was waiting on was an heirloom hutch she attributed to her great-grandmother, which she called priceless. She said she felt ripped off by the companies involved, and her husband described the whole experience as highway robbery.
Sierra Vista Veteran Still Waiting Since May
Thomas, a 69-year-old Sierra Vista resident, told the outlet he moved from Illinois in May and gave movers roughly a $1,500 deposit. Months later, the report notes, the company still had not delivered his belongings or told him where they were. Among what he's still waiting on are his father's World War II medals and photographs from his own infancy.
Dozens of Complaints Piling Up at Arizona DPS
Heidi and Thomas aren't isolated cases, per the station's reporting: Heidi said she paid extra and waited for her belongings, while Thomas said he paid a deposit and still had not received his belongings. The Arizona Department of Public Safety has received complaints about moving companies this year, and according to DPS, the total stands at 97, with Arizona-based moving companies accounting for 14 of them.
The DPS Household Goods Division investigates complaints involving extended delivery times, damaged or missing items, and so-called hostage loads, the same report states. Arizona has its own Hostage Load Law, which, according to a separate ABC15.com report, prohibits intrastate movers from demanding payment and refusing to deliver or unload household goods unless they comply with specific statutory requirements. A related report on the same law notes that a mover may not refuse delivery or unloading once the customer pays the total estimated price in the signed contract. That same article notes Arizona has no registration law or professional licensing requirement for movers. The Arizona Attorney General's Office has separately warned consumers about hostage-load scams in which movers substantially raise prices after loading belongings and may refuse to deliver them if customers don't pay.
How Arizona Compares to Federal Penalties
The hostage-load problem isn't unique to Arizona. A federal policy first announced in 2012 allowed regulators to assess a fine of $10,000 per day for any load of household goods held hostage, according to CCJ Digital. Under that same federal framework, carriers or brokers holding a load hostage could also face suspension of their registration for 12 to 36 months in addition to the fines.
What Arizona Officials Recommend Before Hiring a Mover
ABC15's reporting lays out several precautions for anyone planning a move. Customers should get multiple estimates rather than relying on a single number, and a moving company should assess belongings in person at the customer's home rather than quoting sight unseen. The outlet also advises watching out for overly low estimates offered by phone or online, since those numbers often balloon later.
Movers and brokers should be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and customers can check a company's registration, insurance, and complaint history in the FMCSA database before signing anything. The station's report also warns customers never to sign blank documents and suggests considering tracking devices placed inside belongings, which can provide information about where a shipment actually is during transit. Anyone dealing with a moving-company dispute is encouraged to file complaints with both the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
