Moving Scams in Los Angeles: 7 Red Flags Before You Book

The 7 red flags

1. Quote far below everyone else's. If three companies say $560–$840 and one says $250, the $250 becomes $900 on move day. The lowball is the hook.
2. No physical or video survey for big moves. Legitimate companies look at your stuff before binding a price on a 3-bedroom house.
3. Cash-only or large upfront deposits. Card payment creates a paper trail; scammers avoid it.
4. No CAL-T number on the website, truck or contract. California household movers must hold a CPUC permit. No number, no booking. (Ours is in final approval and we say exactly that — vagueness is the tell, not honesty.)
5. Won't send a COI. Insured companies produce certificates within hours. "We'll bring it on move day" means no.
6. Truck and crew arrive unmarked and undersized. Day-labor crews in rental trucks are how furniture dies and deposits vanish.
7. Reviews all posted the same month. Check the spread: real companies accumulate reviews over years, with some 4-star ones in the mix.

The 2-minute protection routine

Before booking anyone (including us): search the company at the CPUC's mover lookup for an active permit → ask for a COI → get the quote in writing with the hourly rate, minimum and drive-time rule spelled out. Companies that survive those three steps are running a real business.

If it already happened

Hostage loads and bait-and-switch bills go to the CPUC's Transportation Enforcement (complaint form online), small claims court up to $12,500, and — if goods are being withheld — local police, since withholding household goods for inflated payment crosses into criminal territory in California.

What honest pricing looks like

Our math is public: $99/hr for 2 movers + truck, +$40/hr per extra mover, 3-hour minimum, CPUC double drive time, everything included. The phone quote, the written quote and the final bill all use the same numbers — that's the whole trick. (213) 676-9460.

Related questions

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