Household Goods and Safety Violation
Consumer Complaint Database
Help Guide
| Complete
Filer Information |
- | Select a Moving Company |
- | Complete Move Summary Information |
- | Select Complaints |
- | Review Complaint |
- | Submit | - | Confirmation |
The Household Goods and Safety Violations Complaint Management system was established for consumers and employees of businesses to file safety violation complaints against a motor carrier and file complaints in cases where they feel that they have been victimized by a household goods moving company, broker, or any other company.
This step-by-step user's manual will guide the user through the various steps in creating and submitting a safety violation or HHG consumer complaint. Also, there is an added Help feature icon located at the top right corner of each page, which will help the user navigate through the site to file their complaints.
Be sure to maximize your screen size to take full advantage of the Help and navigation options available throughout the site.
When printing pages from the site, make sure to use the print icon located at the top of each page to get a print friendly version of each section.
Submitting a Household Goods Consumer Complaint
- Click the "Submit a Household Goods Consumer Complaint" heading from the Household Goods and Safety Violation homepage.
The Household Goods Disclaimer notice page will be displayed. It's a good idea to read this page as it will give you the necessary information needed when filing a Household Goods Consumer Complaint, over the phone or online.
How to Submit a Household Goods Complaint
Filer Information
- The Filer Information is the personal information of the consumer filing the complaint.
- On this page the fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required in order to process your complaint for more efficiently. You will not be able to proceed if all required fields are not filled in and missing information will be highlighted.
Move Summary
- The move summary provides all the necessary details regarding the transportation of the consumer's household goods associated with the filer's complaint.
Question: What's a Bill of Lading Number?
A bill of lading number is paperwork that provides the driver and the truck line with all the details they need to process the shipment and bill correctly.
- Once all the required information is entered, select "Next".
Searching for a Company
The next step in filing a household goods complaint is to search for the company you're filing the complaint against. There are several ways to identify a company, follow these steps:
- Type the company's name in the "Name" box.
- If you do not know the entire company name, you can search for a company by entering certain key words that can start, contain, or end with particular letters or words.
- Or, if you know the company's DOT number, you can type that in the search box.
- ยท You can also search by Docket number. A Docket number is how Freight Forwarders and Brokers are identified. It's like a DOT#, a unique number.
- Once entered select the "Search" button.
Selecting a Moving Company
Depending on what was typed in the company search, a list of matching company names will be displayed.
- Search for the correct carrier name and click on the green [+] button to add/select the company to the complaint.
Sometimes more than one company is involved in the moving of consumer's household goods. If another company needs to be included in the complaint
- Click on the "Add Another Company" button
- Follow the steps above for searching for another company name
- Once the company has been identified, click the "Next" button
Question: I entered the wrong company name, how do I delete it?
- Before you select the "Next" button
- Click on the RED X next to the company's US DOT number.
- Then choose the "Select Company" button to add a new company name if only one company had been initially selected.
- If two companies had been selected and one of them was incorrect,
- Click on the RED X next to the US DOT number to delete the company.
- Select the "Add Another Company" button to add a new company name.
Reporting a Household Goods Complaint
Follow these steps when filing a household goods complaint against a motor carrier.
- Select the [+] box to expand the household goods menu of complaint categories. Each category will provide a list of pre-selected complaint descriptions to choose from.
- Put a check in each box that applies to the complaint you are reporting.
- When the complaint is completed, select the "Next" button.
You are not limited to selecting just one category per complaint. You can open and expand each complaint category and choose the best responses for the household goods complaint you are reporting.
Question: What if I don't see the complaint I am reporting in the pre-determined list?
The predetermined list has been compiled of the most common complaints that could be reported in each category for a household goods complaint. If the complaint you are reporting is not listed either in the list of complaint categories or on the predetermined list in each complaint category, simply:
- Select the complaint category from the list provided.
- Select the pre-determined complaint detail that is the closest to what you want to report.
- Select the "Add Comment" button
Question: Can I add more detail to the violation I am reporting?
- Yes, after you've selected a complaint from the pre-determined list
- Click on the "Add Comment" button to add more detail to your complaint
- Select the "Done" button
Question: I have some documents I'd like to send with my complaint. Can I do that?
- Yes. Select the "Upload Files" button to attach any documents you want to submit with your household goods complaint.
- Select the "Browse" button and search through the documents on your personal computer to find the file you wish to attach.
- Type in a brief description of the document in the Description box.
- Select the "Upload File" button
- Your document will be displayed with corresponding detail about the file.
- Select the "Done" button
Question: If I attach the wrong file, can I delete it?
- Yes. Click on the checkbox next to the file name.
- Select the "Delete" button
Company Notification Form
The company notification form asks the consumer for permission to disclose the contents of your complaint to the moving company in a notification letter. This notification letter will provide the company with the following information regarding your complaint:
- Your Name
- Shipment Bill of Lading Number (Move Identification Number)
- Origin City and State of the Move
- Destination City and State of the Move
- Type of Complaint Cited in the Complaint Details
A user can either say "Yes" or "No" in having the complaint sent to the moving company, however, if you decline, the company of this complaint and the complaint itself will not be included in the reports made available to the public for each company on the Protect Your Move website at www.protectyourmove.gov.
Reviewing the Complaint
You will have the opportunity to review you're the details of your complaint before it's submitted.
If you need to make any changes, at the top of the page, there is a menu bar for each page in the Household Goods complaint section.
- Click on each page and make the necessary changes.
- To submit the complaint for review, click on the "Submit" button.
Confirmation
Once your household goods complaint has been submitted, the system will give you a confirmation that the complaint has been filed along with:
- an identification number, and
- a link to see your complaint.
It's also a good idea to print out a copy of the complaint for your records.
