How to File a Written Moving Complaint with the Massachusetts DPU
James Brazil lives in Mérida, Mexico. He founded Swift Agent Sites and studied Classics at the University of Mississippi.
Published · Updated
If a move starts and ends in Massachusetts and you cannot work it out with the company, file a written complaint with the Department of Public Utilities. The Transportation Oversight Division has to investigate written complaints. Call the mover first. A phone call to the DPU is not the complaint.
The DPU only covers movers working solely inside the state. Storage and a truck that crossed a state line belong to other offices.
What should I do before I file?
The mover guide says to contact the company and explain the problem. Many disputes end there. Write the company anyway, even if you also call, and keep the reply. Note the date, who you spoke with, and what they offered.
Pull the papers from the move:
- The estimate and the bill of lading, including the DPU certificate number
- Photos of damage, and photos of the truck and the name on the door
- The delivery receipt, especially if you noted damage before you signed
- What you already sent the company, and what they answered
Check that the company is the one on the DPU list. Hiring steps, filed rates, and the 60-cent valuation baseline are in why your in-state mover needs a DPU license. This page is what you do after that paperwork fails.
Where does the written complaint go?
Use the state's form for a complaint against a bus, moving, or towing company: mass.gov/forms/file-a-complaint-against-a-bus-moving-or-towing-company. The Transportation Oversight Division's published contact on the household-mover application page is (617) 305-3559 and DPU.Transportation@mass.gov, weekdays. Put the certificate number, both addresses, and the dollar amount in dispute in the written account. Say what you want: a repair, a refund, or a corrected bill.
Keep a copy. The department investigates. It does not become your lawyer, and the guide does not promise a dollar award. Your contract, including the valuation you chose, still limits what the mover owes for a broken item.
Which problems are outside the DPU?
Three limits show up on the same mover page:
- Another state. If either end of the move is outside Massachusetts, FMCSA has the complaint. The DPU lists (888) 368-7238. See interstate rules, including the 110 percent release.
- Storage. The DPU does not regulate storage of household goods. Call the Office of Public Safety and Inspections at (617) 727-3200. See public warehouses and self-storage.
- A company that never held a DPU certificate. Tell the department anyway if they held themselves out as a Massachusetts mover. The investigation is about the move they actually performed, and the certificate check is part of that file.
What belongs in the written account?
The form is the department's path for a bus, moving, or towing complaint. Use it when both addresses are in Massachusetts. Attach the estimate, the bill of lading, photos, and the letter you already sent the company. Name the mover the way it appears on the certificate.
Put the certificate number, the pickup address, the delivery address, the move date, and the dollar amount in the first lines. Say what you want: a repair, a refund, or a corrected bill. The published contact on the household-mover application page is (617) 305-3559 and DPU.Transportation@mass.gov. A letter that includes those facts is still a written complaint if you cannot use the form.
Keep a copy of what you send. If the company answers after you file, add that answer to the same file. The department investigates the complaint. It does not become your lawyer, and it does not replace the valuation you signed on the bill of lading.
What if the bill is higher than the estimate?
The DPU says movers must charge the rates they have on file, not more and not less. A written estimate made after someone saw the goods is the protection the department emphasizes. A phone estimate is non-binding. If the final bill uses a rate that is not in the filed tariff, say so in the complaint and attach both the estimate and the tariff page you looked up.
Damage claims depend on the valuation in the bill of lading. Basic coverage is often 60 cents per pound per article. Asking the DPU to pay replacement cost when you initialed the basic option asks for a result the agreement does not give. Ask the department to look at whether the company offered the choice and whether the bill matched the tariff.
FAQ
Does the DPU have to look at my complaint? Yes, if it is in writing and the move is one the department regulates. The mover guide says the Transportation Oversight Division is obligated to investigate written complaints.
Should I call the mover first? Yes. The department tells you to try the company before you contact the DPU.
Can I complain to the DPU about a move to New Hampshire? No. Crossing the state line puts the move under FMCSA.
Can the DPU order the warehouse to release my furniture? Storage is outside the DPU. Use the Office of Public Safety and Inspections.
Will the department sue the mover for me? The guide describes an investigation of a written complaint. It does not appoint the department as your attorney.
Next step
Write the company, then file the DPU form with the estimate, the bill of lading, and the photos. If the route left Massachusetts, skip the DPU form and call FMCSA. If the goods are in a warehouse, call the Office of Public Safety and Inspections with the warehouse contract in hand.
Sources: DPU: Moving Within Massachusetts, DPU complaint form for bus, moving, or towing companies, DPU Transportation Oversight Division contact.
Before you hire: Check a moving company's federal authority and insurance free, from FMCSA's records.
General notes for moves in and to Massachusetts. Not a quote or a recommendation of any specific company. Confirm details with the mover you hire.
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