Safeway Moving Systems Review [2022]

Safeway Moving Systems Overview

Safeway Moving Systems was founded and established by a veteran looking to change the standards of the moving industry. Reliability is central to their mission. The company aims to help customers, train its employees, and most importantly, execute moves with military precision. The owners believe that each person’s moving experience should be clear and stress-free from the start.

Here are some quick facts about the company:

• Safeway is a broker that arranges services with other local professional movers nationwide
• They offer long-distance moves
• They do not offer local, short-distance moves
• They offer short-term and long-term storage options
• The company requires higher minimum carrier insurance than the legal requirement

When choosing the best moving company for you, we always recommend reaching out to at least two or three companies for a free quote. During your initial research, use the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration database and the Better Business Bureau to look up where it stands in the community. For example, Safeway Moving System’s data include:

• US DOT Number: 3166589
• MC Number: 114982
• BBB Accredited: Yes

Safeway Moving vs Competitors

We always recommend requesting quotes from multiple movers before signing a contract. Here’s a quick look at how Safeway compares to other top moving companies:

Safeway Moving Transparency

Our Safeway Review: 85%

Industry Average: 80%

Let’s begin with your initial customer experience with Safeway Moving Systems. When you peruse the company’s website, you won’t find a lot of information about its list of services, ballpark prices, or requirements for a long-distance move. Based on customer and industry reviews, however, you’ll learn much more about how the company works after reaching out to request a quote.

Pricing Transparency

While you won’t receive an instant quote for your move or storage needs, but that’s not uncommon with long-distance moving companies. Like most long-distance movers, Safeway estimates the price of your move after a phone call with you to collect data such as:

• Your moving and delivery date
• The weight of your household goods
• The distance of your trip
• Additional services
• Details about your home

The home page does note that it offers binding moving quotes. This is great to see, as a binding quote ensures that the estimate you receive will be the exact price you’ll pay on moving day.

It’s important to note, however, that pricing confusion is one of the most common customer complaints for this company. For example, some customers complain that they did not receive returned deposits after canceled moves. Others encountered extra fees despite receiving a binding estimate.

Basic vs Add-On Services

According to past customer experiences, Safeway is upfront about the services included in their base rate and those that require a premium charge. As part of its standard offering, the company will provide:

• Loading and unloading
• Basic furniture assembly and disassembly
• Protective materials for moving day
• All transportation costs
• Higher insurance policy than required by law

You will pay extra for things like packing services, piano moving, and storage. This is standard practice among long-distance movers.

Communication & Expectations

As a broker, Safeway contracts local companies to carry out your move. Because of this, communication and customer service quality varies by location. For instance, some customers experienced last-minute changes to their locally hired movers or were unable to get in touch with the team once items were on the moving truck. Others complain about an unclear contract process.

While the company does provide a binding estimate, it is not always straightforward. For example, some customers have mentioned that the contract did not explain additional charges, especially when the weight of the customer’s items ends up greater than expected.

Still, many other Safeway Moving reviews have praised the company for its transparency, communication, and clarity around pricing. When working with Safeway, consider asking your representative about which local provider your contract will be placed with. You can then perform independent research on the local provider.

Staff

Safeway Moving Systems is dedicated to hiring and training excellent staff that meets their military standards. Their representatives are trained to handle complex issues when scheduling projects and coordinating your move. Inconsistencies arise, however, with the day-of moving teams, who are not directly trained by Safeway, since it is a broker company.

Policies

There is very little data online about Safeway’s contract process, cancellation fees, or how to submit a claim. Based on negative customer reviews, we recommend clarifying these details over a call before signing.

Safeway Moving Cost

Our Safeway Review: 90%

Industry Average: 85%

While you won’t be able to get a ballpark quote from Safeway Moving System, past reviews state that prices sit just above the national average for long-distance moves of $4,300. Factors that can impact your cost include the distance of your trip, where you live, size and weight of your move, add-on services, and whether you move during the busy season.

When it comes to customer reviews, past clients state that the bottom line is fair and reasonable for the level of customer service.

Cost of Services

As we mentioned above, the company includes a range of basic services in its initial quote. The largest factors influencing price include cubic feet/weight and the trip distance. The base price includes loading, unloading, basic assembly, and the driving of the moving truck.

Quotes & Estimates

Past reviewers report that the estimate process takes about three days to complete. Customers exchange information with the Safeway Moving team over the phone, supplying inventory and other moving details.

Deposits and Additional Fees

Safeway requires a deposit upon booking your moving date. Past customers report having to put down between 30% and 40% of the final cost.

Safeway Moving Services

Our Safeway Review: 90%

Industry Average: 75%

As we noted above, Safeway Moving Systems is considered a broker within the industry. In other words, you will not see a Safeway truck or team of movers on moving day. Instead, the company will contract a vetted local mover to carry out your move.

However, this does not necessarily mean you will end up with an unreliable mover. Many brokers, especially for long-distance and interstate moves, work this way to best accommodate different service needs, areas, and price points.

Entry-Level Services

Safeway offers industry-standard services in their basic package for both moving and storage needs. You can rely on a full-service moving team when you don’t want to handle any of the heavy lifting or driving yourself. Plus, your move is 100% guaranteed to arrive on time, according to their website.

Additional Services

While add-on service availability appears to vary by state, Safeway can also provide:

• Packing
• Unpacking
• Packing materials
• Piano moving
• Car shipping
• Commercial or office moving
• Liability insurance

Strengths & Weaknesses

Safeway shines when it comes to handling full-service long-distance and cross-country moves. The company can also connect you with trusted short or long-term storage facilities, which can be very convenient during your move.

However, it’s important to note that Safeway does not handle local moves. And with minimal details on its website, it is unclear whether the company offers specialty services like international or next-day moves.

Safeway Moving Reputation & Customer Reviews

Our Safeway Review: 95%

Industry Average: 80%

Safeway Moving Systems has over 40 years of experience coordinating long-distance moves across the US. Let’s take a closer look at customer reviews and the company’s general reputation:

Safeway Moving Systems BBB Rating & Reviews

The company recently earned accreditation with the Better Business Bureau (in February 2021) and currently holds a B rating (as of October 2021). As of October 2021, the company had the following reviews:

• Safeway BBB Reviews: 4.07/5 stars (164 reviews)

Safeway Customer Feedback

As is often the case with national moving companies, you’ll find a mix of positive and negative customer reviews. Let’s look at some of the green and red flags from recent clients.

Customer Care

Overall, customers appeared to enjoy working one-on-one with the Safeway Moving Systems team. Many found the phone calls to arrange services clear, professional, and concise.

Markus on Better Business Bureau states, “Our move with Safeway Moving was exactly what we hoped for: on time, courteous workers, no damage, and reasonable costs. We needed to have our goods stored for several weeks, and we used the pods offered by the mover. These worked out great. Highly recommend Safeway Moving.”

Value

Prices are noted to be fair in most parts of the country, especially for long-distance moves. While they do fall slightly higher than the national average, customers report more value with carrier liability coverage, flexible services, and a month of free storage.

Efficiency and Reliability

Issues creep up when dealing with the brokered companies supported by Safeway Moving Systems. Some of the most common complaints pertain to:

• Missed delivery windows
• Unreliable prices
• Poor communication
• Canceled moves

Safety & Professionalism

Unfortunately, customer care on and around moving day received complaints as well. Several Yelp reviewers step forward to complain about missing items, broken furniture, and rude employees.

A recent review on Yelp from April 2021 reported that while the early stages of the moving process went smoothly, communication broke down after the initial call. During the move itself, the customer’s items were temporarily missing and then arrived late and badly damaged.

Not all customers experienced this. Many customers have praised the company for its punctuality, courteousness, and professionalism throughout their move. Unfortunately, reviews appear to vary greatly by location due to the nature of the broker system.

Our Final Review

Safeway Moving Systems reviews run the gamut from being pleased about their experience to claiming the company is a scam. While the company itself is legit, it appears they occasionally work with unreliable local movers. If you decide to work with Safeway, be sure to ask who your job is being contracted to, then do some research into that provider before signing.