Moving scams in Canada: red flags and what to do

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How the scam works

Most moving scams follow the same pattern. The Competition Bureau describes it in four steps:

1. An online ad, often on Kijiji or Craigslist, promises a low price and “no surprise fees”.
2. Everything is agreed by phone. You never see a written contract.
3. On moving day the crew arrives with a different contract that adds fees, such as warehousing or pickup, and pushes you to sign.
4. Once your things are on the truck, the price goes up. Some movers then refuse to deliver until you pay.

In 2025, Québec’s consumer protection office checked 101 moving companies. It sent 89 of them a notice reminding them of their legal obligations (OPC, June 2025).

Red flags before you book

Ask more questions, or walk away, if a mover:

• quotes far below what movers in your city publish (see the table below). A low price alone isn’t proof of a scam, so ask what it includes: the truck, travel time, minimum hours and every fee.
• gives a firm price without asking what you’re moving, or seeing photos, a video or your home
• won’t put the price and every fee in writing before moving day
• asks for a large deposit (Consumer Protection BC)
• lists only a phone number, with no street address (OPC)
• has recently changed its name, or answers with a generic voicemail (Consumer Protection BC)
• advertises an hourly rate that turns out to be per mover. Québec’s consumer office gives the example of “$30/hour” that really means $120 an hour for four movers (OPC).

These are the rates movers publish on their own websites, before tax. Travel time and fees are often extra. A quote well below this range is the bait the Competition Bureau warns about, so ask what it leaves out.

Your rights depend on your province

Ontario, Québec and British Columbia don’t license household movers. Ontario says it plainly: “Moving companies are not licensed by the province” (Ontario.ca). Your protection comes from consumer law, and it differs by province. The table covers Ontario, Québec and British Columbia. If you’re moving elsewhere, check with your provincial or territorial consumer protection office.

In Québec, a phone or online contract can only ask for payment in advance by credit card. You can also cancel it if the move doesn’t happen within 30 days of the agreed date (OPC).

Check a mover before you book

1. Get at least 3 written estimates. Ontario’s government recommends it (Ontario.ca).
2. Compare like with like. Each estimate should list the crew size, hourly rate, minimum hours, travel time and every fee. Check them against what movers in your city publish on our moving cost pages.
3. Look the company up. In Ontario, search the Consumer Beware List, and the CVOR carrier search for trucks over 4,500 kg. In Québec, use the OPC’s merchant lookup on its moving page.
4. Ask for a street address and proof of liability insurance. Have the mover send its insurance certificate before moving day, and check the amount and the dates it covers. Québec’s consumer office suggests coverage of at least $1 million (OPC).
5. Keep any deposit small. Québec’s consumer office advises avoiding deposits or keeping them very small (OPC).
6. Read the contract before moving day, not on the doorstep with a crew waiting.

If movers hold your belongings hostage

1. Don’t sign a new or changed contract on the spot. Pressure to sign is part of the scam (Competition Bureau).
2. In Ontario, call the police. Holding your goods to make you pay more than you agreed is an offence under the Consumer Protection Act (Ontario.ca).
3. If you must pay to get your things back, write “paid under protest” on the invoice and keep a copy.
4. Keep everything: the ad, texts, emails, estimate, contract, receipts and photos.
5. Report it to your provincial consumer office, the Competition Bureau and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (Competition Bureau).
6. Go after your money. In Québec, send the mover a formal notice, then file in small claims court (OPC). In BC, the Civil Resolution Tribunal handles claims up to $5,000 (Consumer Protection BC).