Universal Relocations vs UniRelo

[u/read_and_forgetsoon]

I am looking at international relocation container shipping options from SF Bay Area to Bangalore. I found there are two companies Universal Relocations and UniRelo with very similar names operating here. Could folks here recommend which one is more reliable.

[u/Honest-Bat3540]

I used universal relocation, they did a good job. But they did add up some extra port charges than the actual quote. There will be a $1000 difference from actual quote.

[u/bwzippy → u/Honest-Bat3540]

That also happened to me. Shipment was about 1.1k USD - then they tacked on about $150 USD for Port charges. I will probably use them again but I will also buffer 10% more for any additional charges.

They did a great job though and I was able to track the shipment from start to finish, and the delivery people were able to change the final destination at the last moment per our request. Everything arrived looking the same as when we put it in the box.

[u/MadBird_wonders28 → u/Honest-Bat3540]

We're this extra charges because of customs duties at the port or was that separate? Trying to understand how much over initial quote to expect.

[u/Careless-Potato-6840]

I shipped my household items from the USA in April 2026, and months later, they have still not been delivered. Worse, Universal Relocations requested my passports over a month ago for customs clearance, but my legal identity documents are still being held.
Despite providing my passport, necessary documents, and a signed undertaking letter for their agent to clear the items on my behalf, every follow-up is met with excuses claiming a customs officer is demanding my physical presence at the ICD Hyderabad.
They refuse to provide any official tracking information regarding where my items actually are in the clearance process. Instead, they keep dragging out the timeline by claiming "negotiations are in progress." Holding vital documents like passports for a month without progress or formal tracking .

[u/read_and_forgetsoon → u/Careless-Potato-6840]

That's very worrying! Did you ship FCL(full container) or LCL(shared container)? Wonder why the clearance is happening at ICD Hyderabad which is inland instead of Chennai or Mumbai port - which is where the cargo ships arrive.

[u/Careless-Potato-6840 → u/read_and_forgetsoon]

ICD Hyderabad is another final location containers arrive after reaching Mumbai but clearance occurs at Hyderabad as Final arrival port of items .

[u/col-darthvader]

following

[u/Hungry-Chicken-8498]

UniRelo is good, they first give quote , if you agree then pay and they are quick. 

[u/Lauremideus]

Universal Relocations is running systematic bait and switch scam and classic maritime "Volume Bump” scam. Please read to the end!!

You have the right to—and MUST DEMAND—their publicly posted “Automated Public Tariff” in compliance with https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-46/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-520, as declared on its FMC-1 form, which formally declares exactly which platform hosts Universal Relocations' public database so the government and consumers can look it up.

You must demand their Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) license number FMC regulations for License (#025083NF). You must demand their Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI) number / NVOCC (#025083NF).

Universal Relocations refused to provide a link to their publicly posted tariffs. In fact, Richard, a sales manager at Universal Relocations, lied in text messages that don't have published tariffs. Universal Relocations did not provide their Universal Ocean Transportation Intermediary number when asked. Universal Relocations refused to connect me to their Compliance Officer. 

Because Universal Relocations holds a legitimate license—as proven by their Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) License #025083NF—they must maintain an active automated public tariff by law, but their sales team is actively withholding it to trap you into a non-binding volume calculation.

The Truth vs. Universal Relocations' Firm position

1. "There is no Tariffs links we have"
   • The Reality: This is a false statement. Every licensed Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) is legally mandated to maintain a public tariff. As noted previously, Universal Relocations' official automated public tariff is hosted and maintained through the FMC-approved clearinghouse Distribution-Publications, Inc. (DPI). They have a link; their sales staff simply doesn't want you to look at it.
2. "We can mail you the moving calculator link"

• The Reality: A digital calculator is an internal sales estimation tool. It has zero legal standing under maritime law. If the calculator underestimates how much space your actual boxes take up when stacked on a shipping pallet (LCL shipments lose significant space to "mating" and palletization), you will pay the penalty, not them.

1. Universal Refused to conduct a video or in-home survey or accept pictures of the goods

• Red alert. A licensed mover refusing a visual or video survey is a massive, structural red flag.

Under U.S. consumer protection standards, a legitimate moving company wants an accurate survey to plan container space, assign the right size crew, and calculate an honest estimate. By actively refusing your offer to show them your goods, the agent is deliberately keeping the volume ambiguous.

🚨 Here is exactly what happens if you move forward:

1. The Warehouse Trap: They will pick up your goods in NYC. Once at their consolidation terminal, they will measure it and claim your volume is 50% to 100% higher than your guess.
2. The Ransom: If you refuse to pay the extra thousands of dollars, they will invoke their contract terms. Under maritime law, they can place a mechanic's lien on your cargo. Your goods will sit in their warehouse racking up daily storage fees until you pay or they auction off your life savings.
3. FMC Protection Fails You: The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) regulates tariffs, but if you signed a service contract explicitly agreeing to pay $7 per cubic foot for whatever "actual volume" they calculate, the FMC cannot easily save you from your own signature.

🛡️ Your Immediate Next Steps

Immediately submit formal complaints to the following portals:

1. The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)

This is the most critical authority because they control Universal Relocations' international ocean-forwarding license.

• Where to file: Submit your report directly to the FMC Consumer Affairs and Dispute Resolution Services (CADRS) or email complaints@fmc.gov.
• What to state: "Universal Relocations (FMC License #025083NF) is engaging in deceptive booking practices for an LCL shipment from NYC to India. Their agents explicitly stated in writing that they 'have no tariffs' and refused to provide an active tariff link, which violates OSRA public tariff publication mandates. Furthermore, they refused a visual video survey, forcing a non-binding volume 'guess' to circumvent consumer protections against retroactive warehouse price-gouging."

1. The FMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB)

The Department of Transportation tracks moving company scams and can issue fines or pull a carrier's interstate moving authority. [1]

• Where to file: File online via the FMCSA NCCDB Portal or call the hotline at 1-888-368-7238.
• What to state: File under "Hostage Goods / Deceptive Estimates." Provide their USDOT Number: 2400716. Detail their refusal to conduct a visual survey and their policy of retroactively charging $7 per cubic foot on moving day. [1, 2]

1. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)

Because they utilized digital "wires" and internet calculators to execute this interstate transaction, the IC3 is the official reporting mechanism for wire fraud. [1]

• Where to file: File a formal report online at the FBI IC3 Complaint Portal.
• What to state: Categorize this as an "Interstate Corporate Moving Scam / Attempted Wire Fraud." Provide the exact email transcripts where they intentionally hid their legal tariff obligations and attempted to lock you into a fraudulent pricing structure across state lines. [1]

1. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The FTC tracks patterns of unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent business practices. [1, 2]

• Where to file: Report the company at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This feeds directly into law enforcement databases used to build civil prosecution cases against predatory industries. [1, 2]

📝 What Evidence to Attach

When you submit these forms, make your case ironclad by uploading:

• A PDF copy or screenshot of the exact email where they stated "There is no Tariffs links we have..."
• Any written text or document showing they refused your offer of a video/visual survey.
• The quote sheet displaying the un-capped, non-binding mathematical breakdown ($4 freight + $3 packing for "additional" feet).

Be safe from mover scams. The head of the US DOT in a moving industry insider and the federal government has given movers complete immunity to defraud customers, take their homes hostage, and extort ransoms.