This is my account of what Value Added Moving did to me.
Everything on this page is my personal experience, told in my own words and backed by the documents shown below. I built this site so the next person who searches this company's name finds what I couldn't: a straight answer.
This is a consumer opinion and personal-experience site. It is not affiliated with the company. Every factual claim here is supported by the documents displayed. Where I state an opinion — like the word "scam" in the domain name — it is my opinion, based on what happened to me.
The Timeline
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May 27, 2026
The quote
I received a written binding estimate of $2,929.31 for a move from Oak Park, MI to Pikesville, MD — the document is titled “BINDING MOVING ESTIMATE” and itemizes all 25 items (50 pieces) I listed, at 401 cu ft.
I provided Ryan James a detailed inventory list, including dimensions of most items. He responded with the estimate and told me it would take 2–3 days for my items to be delivered. I asked about packing TVs and he told me they would include two TV boxes at no cost. Both TVs appear on the estimate’s own articles list.
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May 27, 2026
The deposit
I paid a deposit of $1,630, drafted from my checking account payable to “Moving Storage and Logistics Inc” — the legal entity behind the Value Added Moving brand (Exhibit E).
The bank record of this draft is Exhibit E below.
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June 22, 2026
Moving day
The moving company showed up on the second day of the two-day window. The foreman walked through the apartment with me, I showed him everything that needed to be moved, and they started wrapping stuff up. Then he reviewed the estimate with me and asked for the next payment of $650 via cash or Zelle; I sent it via Zelle to "MLV Transportation."
Around an hour and a half later, after everything was wrapped up, he told me he had a new estimate for me and provided a handwritten note saying that I used 1,200 cubic feet — 799 more than the estimated 401 cubic feet. He also charged me $200 for TV boxes (the ones I was told were included at no cost), $245 for shrink wrap (the written estimate states “Wrapping of all furniture with quilted moving blankets” is included), $80 for having more than 7 steps, and $160 for long carry to the parking lot. The total new price was $7,060 — $4,130.69 over the estimate.
I refused to pay more than the estimate and asked them to only take what would be included in the original price. He left most of my belongings behind, took far less than what was on the written estimate, and still charged for packing materials, stairs, and distance. The paperwork I signed that afternoon (Exhibit D) reverted to 401 cu ft — the original volume — at a total of $3,614.31, with the crossed-out items marked “Red lines No Valid” on the carrier’s own inventory log.
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June 24, 2026
Delivery (or lack of it)
I received an email from "Tip Top Moving" with a delivery estimate of 1-10 business days. When I called them and told them Ryan told me 2-3 days, they laughed and said it'll be close to 10 days.
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June 27th - July 1, 2026
What I did next
After getting nowhere with customer service and Ryan James ignoring my calls and messages, I filed complaints with FMCSA, FL state attorney general, and the BBB.
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July 6, 2026
Delivery update
I received a call today stating that the truck was being loaded (until now they had my stuff in a warehouse somewhere in the Midwest) and delivery should be expected any day. They said I would receive a call from the driver a day before delivery. As of 2 PM on July 7th, I did not receive the call. Delivery is now outside of the 1–10 business days they said earlier.
The Documents
These are the records behind every claim above. Names of uninvolved third parties and my personal details are redacted.
The binding written estimate — $2,929.31
The document itself (redacted) is below. Key terms, in the company’s own words:
“Binding to Not Exceed”: per its clause 9, “the total cost will not exceed the estimated amount” provided the customer gives an accurate description of the items — which I did: the estimate contains the full itemized articles list of 25 items / 50 pieces, including both TVs, priced at 401 cu ft (2,807 lbs) × $3.75/cu ft over 528 miles.
Included at no charge, per the estimate: “Wrapping of all furniture with quilted moving blankets,” “No charge for packing tape and moving pads,” reassembly and staging at drop-off ($0.00), the first flight of stairs at both ends, and up to 75 feet of long carry at origin and destination.
The inventory list I provided
This is the list the estimate was built from — sent with measurements for nearly every item, down to the trash can. The estimate’s own articles list (Exhibit A, page 5) mirrors it item for item: the 24 totes, both TVs, both doll houses, the hockey bag, all of it. Nothing was hidden and nothing was added.
And the dimensions invite anyone to check the volume themselves: computed item by item from the measurements shown, this list totals roughly 400–450 cu ft — consistent with the estimate’s 401 cu ft, and roughly a third of the 1,200 cu ft written on the clipboard in Exhibit C.
The revised charge — $7,060, handwritten on a clipboard
Read it against the binding estimate in Exhibit A, line by line:
“1200 × 3.75 = 4,500” — the same $3.75/cu ft rate from the written estimate, but the volume has tripled from 401 cu ft to 1,200 cu ft, written on a clipboard with no measurement shown. “Fuel 675” — the 15% fuel surcharge, recalculated on the inflated volume. “Material 445” — the $200 TV boxes I was told were free plus $245 of shrink wrap, both listed as included in the written estimate. “Long carry–Stairs 240” — the $160 long carry and $80 stair fees, also covered by the estimate’s included 75 feet and first flight. “Balance 4780 — 2390 Now, 2390 Delivery” — half the new balance demanded on the spot, with my belongings already wrapped and staged.
The signed moving-day paperwork — and the 1,200 cu ft that vanished
This is the packet I signed after refusing the $7,060 on the clipboard — and it quietly tells you everything about that number. The carrier’s own “Onsite New Visual Binding Estimate,” signed the same afternoon, is written for 401 cu ft at $3.75 — the exact volume and rate from the original estimate in Exhibit A. The moment I refused to pay, the “1,200 cubic feet” evaporated from the paperwork, even as the crew left much of my inventory behind.
The signed total is $3,614.31 — which is the original $2,929.31 plus exactly $685 in add-ons: $445 packing materials, $80 stairs, $160 long carry. Every dollar of that $685 is for services the broker’s estimate lists as included: furniture wrapping, the first flight of stairs, and 75 feet of carry. The materials form breaks the $445 down as 7 shrink-wrap charges at $35 ($245) plus $120 in TV boxes and $80 in TV packing labor — the $200 in TV charges I was told would be free.
The packet also contains the carrier’s handwritten inventory log, with rows struck through in red and the notation “Red lines No Valid” — the carrier’s own record of the belongings left behind. And it confirms who actually has my property: Tip Top Moving, LLC of Lincolnwood, Illinois, under the same order number the broker issued.
Payment records — $1,630 + $650
The $1,630 deposit, drafted from my account the same day the estimate was issued — memo G4661476, the same job number on every document in this case. The payee: “Moving Storage and Logistics Inc.” Note the detail: the estimate’s own payment-authorization form (Exhibit A, page 6) said the draft would appear as “Moving Storage and Logistics Services Inc” — even the payee name doesn’t match the name the paperwork promised.
The $650 moving-day payment, demanded by the foreman via cash or Zelle before loading — posted June 22, 2026 to “mlv transportation.” A fourth company name in a single move, and a payment method (Zelle) that the broker’s own terms say deposits and pickup payments shouldn’t be flowing through this way — clause 17 of the estimate specifies pickup payment in cash or postal money order.
Who Actually Has My Belongings?
Here's something I didn't understand until it was too late: the company I hired never touched my furniture. Value Added Moving operates as a moving broker — a middleman that sells the move, takes the deposit, and then hands the job to a separate carrier. My belongings are in the hands of Tip Top Moving, LLC of Lincolnwood, Illinois — a company I had never heard of until its paperwork appeared on the foreman’s clipboard on moving day (Exhibit D), followed by its delivery email two days later.
This split is where the accountability disappears. When delivery slipped from the 2–3 days I was promised to "1–10 business days," Tip Top laughed off the original commitment — it wasn't their promise. And the broker who made that promise, Ryan James, stopped answering my calls and messages. The company that quoted me is not the company holding my property, and each can point at the other. In fact, count the company names in this one move: the brand that quoted me is Value Added Moving; the deposit check was made payable to “Moving Storage and Logistics Inc” (its paperwork had said the draft would appear as “Moving Storage and Logistics Services Inc”); the moving-day Zelle payment went to “mlv transportation”; and the carrier holding my property is Tip Top Moving, LLC. Four names, one move, and not one of them fully matches another.
Brokers and carriers hold different federal registrations, and the FMCSA requires brokers to disclose that they are brokers. Before hiring any mover, look the company up at ProtectYourMove.gov and check whether its USDOT registration says broker or motor carrier. If it's a broker, your goods will travel with a company you haven't vetted — so ask, in writing, which carrier will perform the move, and vet that carrier's own record before paying a deposit.
If This Is Happening to You Right Now
If a mover is holding your belongings and demanding money beyond the written estimate, that may be a "hostage load" — a practice federal regulators specifically track. You can:
File a complaint with the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov or 1-888-368-7238, contact your state attorney general's consumer protection division, dispute charges with your card issuer, and look the company up on the FMCSA mover registration database before ever signing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Value Added Moving legit?
You should draw your own conclusion from the documents on this page. What I can tell you is documented fact: I received a written "Binding Moving Estimate" for $2,929.31 based on a complete itemized inventory, was presented a handwritten demand for $7,060 on moving day, and was charged for services the estimate lists as included. The company's Facebook rating is analyzed on the fake reviews page. In my opinion — and it's right there in the domain name — this was a scam.
Is Value Added Moving a broker or a carrier?
A broker. Its own contract (Exhibit A, clauses 4–5) states that Value Added Moving is a "moving coordinator/broker" that "will not transport an individual customer's household goods." The company that actually loaded my belongings was Tip Top Moving, LLC of Lincolnwood, Illinois.
What is Value Added Moving's USDOT number?
Its estimate lists USDOT 3488475 and MC 1147286. You can verify any mover's registration, authority type, and complaint history at the FMCSA's ProtectYourMove.gov. The carrier on my move, Tip Top Moving, LLC, is listed on its paperwork as MC 3091833.
What should I do if this is happening to me?
File a complaint with the FMCSA at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov (1-888-368-7238), contact your state attorney general's consumer protection division, and report to the BBB. Regulators act on complaint volume. Then share your story here so the next person searching this company's name finds it.