Outright theft by movers is less common than people fear, and missing items are usually the result of a hostage load, a lost shipment, or poor inventory control rather than deliberate stealing. That distinction matters, because a company holding your goods over money is a regulatory matter, while a company that has vanished with your property is closer to theft and police are more likely to engage.
I spent nearly twenty years in this industry. Here is an honest account of what actually happens to missing belongings, and what to do in each case.
Four different things get called “theft”
| What happened | What it usually is | Your route |
|---|---|---|
| They have your goods and want more money | Hostage load | FMCSA, state AG, chargeback |
| Shipment delivered, some boxes missing | Loss in transit | Written claim within 9 months |
| Individual valuables gone from a box | Possible theft | Claim plus police report |
| Company unreachable, goods never arrived | Closest to theft | Police, FMCSA, state AG |
Getting this right changes who you call and what you say when you call them.
Why most missing items are not theft
Long-distance shipments are usually consolidated, meaning your goods share a truck with other people’s. Cartons get transferred, warehoused, and reloaded. Inventory tags fall off. Boxes get delivered to the wrong address.
None of that is comforting when your things are gone, but it changes the remedy. Loss in transit is covered by the claims process and the carrier is liable for it regardless of fault. The Carmack standard is close to strict liability: you do not have to prove anyone was careless.
What you do have to prove is that you gave them the item in good condition, that it did not arrive, and what it was worth. That is why the inventory sheet matters so much.
When it does look like theft
Certain patterns are harder to explain away:
- A sealed box arrives with the tape cut and specific valuables gone while heavier items remain
- Only small, high-value, easily resold items are missing across multiple boxes
- Jewelry, cash, firearms, prescription medication, or small electronics gone while everything around them is intact
- The company will not say where your goods are being held
- The company has disappeared entirely and cannot be located
Selective loss of valuables is different from a missing carton, and it is worth saying so plainly in your report.
What to do about missing items
1. Check the inventory sheet first
Every item should have an inventory number. Go through the sheet and identify exactly which numbered items did not arrive. “Some boxes are missing” is weak. “Inventory items 47, 48 and 52 were not delivered” is a claim.
2. File the written claim, and watch the deadline
You have 9 months from delivery to file a written claim with the mover. That is a hard limit and phone calls do not stop the clock. Send it certified mail so the date is provable.
For a non-delivery, the nine months generally runs from a reasonable time for delivery having elapsed rather than from an actual delivery date.
3. Understand what you will be paid
This is where people are hit twice. If you did not select Full Value Protection in writing, Released Value applies automatically at 60 cents per pound per article.
A missing laptop weighing four pounds pays $2.40. Not its value. Two dollars and forty cents.
Also note: movers may limit liability on items worth more than $100 per pound, such as jewelry and collectibles, unless you specifically listed them on the shipping documents.
4. File a police report where it fits
Police usually decline moving disputes as civil matters. They are considerably more receptive when the facts look like theft: cut tape, selectively missing valuables, or a company that cannot be located.
Ask for a report number even if they decline to investigate. It strengthens your FMCSA complaint, your state Attorney General filing, and any insurance claim.
5. File with FMCSA and your state Attorney General
nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov for the federal record, and your state AG for deceptive practices. Neither will recover your property, but complaint volume is how FMCSA selects investigation targets.
How to make this much less likely
Nearly everything on this list is decided before the truck arrives.
- Never ship jewelry, cash, documents, medication, or small valuables. Carry them yourself. No exceptions worth making
- Photograph your belongings before packing, especially anything valuable. Timestamped photos are your proof of condition and existence
- Keep your own numbered inventory alongside theirs
- Declare items of extraordinary value in writing on the shipping documents, or the mover’s liability on them may be limited
- Select Full Value Protection if you are shipping anything worth meaningfully more than 60 cents per pound, which is almost everything
- Verify the carrier at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov before you hire. An unregistered operator with your property is the worst version of this
Frequently asked questions
Is it common for moving companies to steal your stuff?
Outright theft is less common than people fear. Missing items more often result from a hostage load, loss during consolidation and transfer, or poor inventory control. Deliberate theft does happen, and selective loss of small valuables is the clearest sign of it.
What do I do if movers stole my belongings?
Identify the missing items by inventory number, file a written claim with the mover within 9 months of delivery, file a police report where the facts look like theft, and file complaints with FMCSA and your state Attorney General.
Will police investigate a moving company theft?
They usually decline pricing disputes as civil matters, but are more receptive where boxes were opened, valuables were selectively taken, or the company cannot be located. Ask for a report number even if they do not investigate.
How much will I get for stolen items?
It depends on your valuation level. Released Value Protection, the free default, pays 60 cents per pound per article regardless of the item’s value. Full Value Protection covers repair, replacement, or cash settlement at current value.
What should I never let movers pack?
Jewelry, cash, important documents, prescription medication, firearms, and small high-value electronics. Carry these yourself. Movers may also limit liability on items worth more than $100 per pound unless you list them on the shipping documents.
Related reading
- How to file a claim, and the nine-month deadline
- When police will and will not get involved
- How to track down a mover that stopped answering
- Why valuation is not insurance
- What to do when movers won’t deliver your belongings
Get the full playbook
Moving Scam Secrets is the complete field guide, written from twenty years inside the industry. It covers the documentation that wins claims, the deadlines that kill them, and the pressure points that get moving companies to settle.