Warehouse in Leavenworth may hold clues for people missing household items after cross-country moves
GPS trackers lead customers, police investigators to warehouse, but no charges yet
GPS trackers lead customers, police investigators to warehouse, but no charges yet
A Leavenworth warehouse may hold new clues in a KMBC 9 Investigation into a moving company accused of up-charging customers and not delivering goods.
Howards Vanlines, a New Jersey-based moving company, now has nearly 100 complaints on file with a U.S. Department of Transportation database, as KMBC 9 Investigates continues to hear from more customers about the company's track record of undelivered goods or getting up-charged by thousands of dollars.
Abbie Steiner, who now lives in Mexico, hired Howards earlier this year to move her items from Evansville, Indiana, to El Paso, Texas.
For weeks, a GPS tracker she put inside her boxes pinged to a warehouse in the 500 block of Olive Street in Leavenworth.
After sending demand letters to Howards, she finally got her items returned.
"We'll probably never use another moving company again," Steiner said.
Steiner sent KMBC 9 Investigates a tip to warn others about the company's tactics.
At least three other people also digitally tracked their items to the same warehouse in Leavenworth, according to Leavenworth Deputy Police Chief Maj. Dan Nicodemus.
He said police are still investigating, but they do not have enough evidence for a crime, since three of the people had their items returned, and one other is still within a contractual delivery window.
Nicodemus said police are trying to let the civil process run its course.
He also encouraged people to make sure they're understanding contracts before hiring a moving company.
"I've really gotta stress for folks to just do their due diligence and make sure that they're understanding what they're agreeing to with the contract," he said.
Another company leases the warehouse, according to the property owner. The building's owner, who wished to remain anonymous, is working to evict the company after they have received multiple city code violations.
Neighbors tell KMBC they've seen crews moving items in and out of the warehouse at all hours of the day.
KMBC first started telling stories about Howards after hearing a tip from Ted and Emily Knox of Independence.
The Knoxes are still trying to find their household goods after they say Howards Vanlines up-charged the couple by $15,000 after loading their items onto a truck.
KMBC has tried to reach representatives of Howards multiple times but has not heard back.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is currently investigating Howards for compliance issues with FMCSA regulations as part of its Operation Protect Your Move 2026 initiative.
The U.S. DOT has also offered the following tips when choosing a moving company:
- Contact various reputable, long-standing moving companies to compare estimates and get a foundation of what the legitimate cost of your move will be.
- Ask the moving company if they will be conducting the move or if it is being brokered for fulfillment by another company.
- Keep all records of contracts, proof of payments and communication with the moving company.
- Carefully examine the reviews on various online business rating websites to ensure they contain more than just recent glowing reviews.
- Use online street-view and satellite maps to research the moving company's address to verify that the address is a business and not a residence.
If you have gone through something similar or need help getting your items back, email investigates@kmbc.com.
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