HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — New Sun City Center resident Margie Dimond describes her move from Kentucky as nightmarish. The 70-year-old retired hospital worker hired United Regions Van Lines in May to move from Louisville to Hillsborough County.
The company emailed the original estimate for $6,517 after Dimond said she submitted a list of her inventory. The estimate contained a large print warning that it was non-binding and that the cost would increase if the load were higher than the estimate.
Then a week before the May 10th move, Dimond says the estimate rose to $7667 after she did a video tour of her townhome while on the phone with someone from United Regions Van Lines. "We went through the inventory,” Dimond said.
The final bill dated the day movers arrived topped $12,000. Dimond told ABC Action News: “He came in and said it's going to be $12,000.”
She had sold her townhome and had to be out within hours. Dimond said she felt trapped.
“This has been probably one of the hardest things, and I’ve been through a lot in my lifetime, she said.
Robin Hutcheson is the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This agency regulates interstate movers and advises consumers to consider it a red flag when a mover offers a non-binding quote over the phone or online. “When there hasn't been a visual investigation of goods, it leaves this type of situation to happen," Hutcheson said.
In 2022, the US Department of Transportation received over 7,500 complaints against moving companies and brokers. “We are seeing a significant spike in moving complaints in recent years," Hutcheson said. "In fact, since 2015, they have about doubled.”
In Dimond’s case, the mover used a semi to move her belongings to Florida, but the moving crew rented a U-Haul to bring them to her home with the semi parked nearby. United Regions Van Lines charged her for 1750 cubic feet of belongings. But according to the U-Haul’s website, the 26-foot truck has a maximum capacity of just under 1700 cubic feet.
And a video shot by one of Dimond’s neighbors shows the truck arriving with plenty of space.
Witnesses say the U-Haul one trip. But the moving company told ABC Action News the U-Haul made two trips from the semi to her condo. And that Dimond was aware there would be an extra charge if the semi could not come to the front of the home.
United Regions Van Lines told ABC Action News in an email they stand behind the charges:
“I understand that there are differing perspectives on this matter. However, we possess a signed bill of lading which verifies that Ms. Dimond was fully aware of and agreed to all charges prior to the loading process. The claim that there was only one trip is not accurate.”
ABC Action News found United Regions Van Lines registered under a different name with the DOT. In 2021 and 2022, they had only one complaint with the agency. But so far, in 2023, there are 12 complaints listed.
Before hiring a mover, learn how to protect your next move or file a case against a mover at the Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website.
