FLORIDA — Florida is one of the most popular destinations to move to, and not surprisingly, it also leads the country in moving complaints.
In 2023, the Sunshine State made up more than half of the 3700 reports of movers filed with federal regulators. Jessica Sullivan is one of the stories behind the statistics.
The Sullivan family moved to Florida in 2021, but their belongings didn’t make it.
“We were living like squatters because we had just moved here and had nothing," Sullivan recalled.
She said the movers held the family’s belongings hostage after asking for more money than they quoted. Sullivan's story was one of many reported to the ABC Action News I-Team.
Margie Dimond told the I-Team that her mover doubled the estimate on moving day, leaving her feeling trapped.
“This has been probably one of the hardest things, and I've been through a lot in my lifetime,” Dimond said in 2023.
The I-Team found several Florida-based movers had racked up hundreds of complaints with the Better Business Bureau. Our reports on rogue movers prompted Senator Ed Hooper to take action.
During the 2022 and 2023 legislative sessions, he introduced bills aimed at tightening state regulations and giving consumers more protection. Those bills didn't make the cut, but in the 2024 legislative session, he hit paydirt with Senate Bill 304.
The legislation remedies some of the most common consumer complaints, including price gouging. The mover will have to provide a written, signed contract that is binding. And every mover operating within Florida will be required to carry at least $10,000 of insurance per shipment for lost or damaged goods.
The bill, if signed into law by the governor, will mandate full disclosure from brokers who sub out jobs to companies that do the packing, moving, and storage.
“Moving brokers have to clearly tell a shipper, someone who wants to move their goods, that we don't move any furniture,” Senator Hooper told ABC Action News.
The measure gives state regulators the power to immediately revoke or suspend a mover's license under certain circumstances.
Spero Georgedakis, the CEO of Good Greek Moving and Storage, would like to see the governor sign the bill into law.
“These are positive changes. They're really just reinforcing a lot of the laws that are in place; just making sure that they are specific to brokers as well,” Georgedakis said.
Before hiring anyone to make your next move, make sure the company you are dealing with is licensed, check their reviews, and if at all possible, try to get an in-home and guaranteed estimate.
The state keeps a database of complaints and you can check a mover’s registration and record here.
