Safeway Moving Review (2023)

If you’ve ever gone through the process of planning and executing a long-distance move, you already know how much work it is to pick up and move to a new home. From exploring new options for education and medical care for children to unpacking and staging your home, moving is a major hassle. Working with a professional moving company can help you enjoy a stress-free move and focus on your family’s needs. But with so many movers operating across the country, how can you be sure that you’re not overpaying for your moving process?

Safeway Moving Systems is a nationwide moving broker dedicated to helping homeowners find affordable local moving teams for their residential moves. Moving brokers help you narrow down your search for moving and storage services by negotiating rates on your behalf. Interested in learning more about whether Safeway’s model can get you the affordable move you need? Learn everything you need to know with our Safeway Moving Systems review below.

Our Safeway Moving Systems Review

Safeway Moving System is a major name in the moving industry, and their team is well-known for collecting moving quotes on each homeowner’s behalf to provide them with the best possible service. Safeway is not itself a moving company — instead, their team operates as a broker, connecting professional movers with customers. Safeway maintains a complete rolodex of connections with the best moving companies in the country. When you book your move through Safeway, their team will plan and book your moving experience with the best full-service moving company for your needs, often at advantageous pricing. This is a win-win for both you and your moving company — you get stress free, affordable moving services, and the movers get to spend more time on the road.

Overall, we found that Safeway Moving Systems does provide benefits above other moving brokers. Their guarantees and complimentary extras can help ease your mind if you’ve had a negative experience moving with a broker in the past. However, we still recommend that you get a quote from at least three competing moving service providers before booking your date, as Safeway cannot ever guarantee that they’ll be able to find the best price.

How Much Does Safeway Moving Systems Cost?

Like most moving companies, the movers that partner with Safeway Moving Systems use two primary factors when deciding how much to charge for your local or interstate move.

• Distance: The distance that you’re traveling is one of the first things that your moving company will look at when pricing your move. The further away from your current location you’re moving, the more you can expect to pay for moving assistance.
• Your home size: Cross-country movers know that the U.S. Department of Transportation puts strict limits on the total weight that can be loaded onto each moving truck. If you’re moving a larger home, you’re more likely to have a heavier shipment. This means that homeowners moving larger properties may require more personnel or vehicles to complete their moves safely. This increases the price that you pay for your moving services, so you may want to consider downsizing as much as possible before getting your quote.

Additional factors that will play a role in the price of your move may include extra services you book, your moving date, whether you’re planning a move at the last minute, and the items you’re moving. To help you get a better idea of what you might pay for your move when you work with Safeway Moving Systems, we’ve collected pricing information from previous customers who found their moving and storage company through the broker. Read on to learn more about what you might expect to pay for your move through Safeway based on the size of your home.

House Size	Moving Cost
2 Bedroom	$3,000 to $5,900
3 Bedroom	$4,000 to $8,500
4 Bedroom	$4,100 to $11,200

Other Fees

Most moving companies assign additional charges for extra steps in the moving process. For example, if your movers must park more than 50 feet away from your property, they may charge an additional long-carry fee on top of your flat-rate pricing. Stairs, shuttle services, and exceptionally awkward or heavy items can all come with extra fees. These fees will vary by company but will be included in the final price arranged for you by the team at Safeway. Be sure to contact your Safeway representative if you’re having trouble determining the fees your moving company has assigned to your service.

What Services Does Safeway Moving Systems Offer?

Safeway Moving Systems does not provide moving services, but it can arrange them on your behalf. You can currently book the following major services through Safeway’s team.

Long-Distance Moving Services

Safeway Moving Systems’ primary service is brokering long-distance moves. Safeway’s team maintains connections with some of the best long-distance moving companies in the United States. When you book your move through Safeway’s team, you’ll be matched with a moving coordinator who will call on these connections to match you with the perfect team. This process saves you the hassle of calling multiple moving companies to get a quote from each in order to find the best rate. In exchange for bringing them a new customer, the moving company you’re partnered with offers you a more affordable rate when compared to what they’d typically charge. Though Safeway can provide some local moving arrangements, they shine when coordinating long-distance moves.

Storage Services

Depending on when you’re moving and where you’re moving to, you might not be moving at the same time as your shipment. If you won’t arrive at your new home at the same time as your shipment, Safeway Moving Systems can arrange in-transit storage for some or all of your things. This process ensures that your things are kept safe at a secure storage facility before they’re able to come back into your possession.

Safeway Moving Systems includes up to 30 days of free storage-in-transit for most of its moves, which can be a major reason to consider Safeway if you know that you will need to split your moving process over the course of a few days. If you require more than 30 days of storage, Safeway can also arrange long-term storage services in the same way that they can arrange  moving services for you, taking another chore off of your plate.

Furniture Wrapping

Heavy items of furniture can be some of the most time-consuming and frustrating pieces to move. When you move furniture that cannot be taken apart and individually wrapped piece-by-piece, you must pad each of the corners of the piece so they aren’t scratched or damaged during the moving process.

When you book your move with Safeway, your moving process includes furniture wrapping and padding in the price that you see on your binding estimate. Your things will be professionally shrink-wrapped and padded prior to loading with your moving company, which ensures that your things arrive at your new property in the same condition that you left them. This service usually comes at an additional charge when you book directly through your moving company.

Packing Services

Furniture is far from the only thing that you’ll need to pack when you move. From clothing to light fixtures and from toys to cooking instruments, everything in your home has unique packing needs. Safeway Moving Systems includes its professional packing service with each of the moves booked through its service, taking another major moving chore off your plate. Like furniture padding and wrapping, this service is usually not included with your moving cost when you get a quote from individual moving companies. However, it is included free with the cost of your Safeway brokered move. If you have a large number of rooms in your home or items that will be tedious to pack (like books, clothing, or dishes) this special extra can be another reason to consider Safeway Moving Systems.

Military Moving

If you’ve received a permanent or temporary change of station order, you probably already know that the military moving process involves additional steps beyond residential moving as a civilian. Safeway Moving Systems was originally founded by a military veteran in order to make the military moving process more transparent and easier to understand for new servicemembers. Their list of moving connections includes approved military moving contractors, which will make the process of moving paperwork and reimbursement a breeze.

According to data from the United States Department of Defense, servicemembers receive a new permanent change of station every two to four years. Each move comes with a litany of paperwork that must be completed to secure financing and confirm the move to the new station. As an experienced military moving broker, Safeway Moving Systems’ representatives can help guide you through the process of moving for your first change of station order. If you’re making your first military move and you’re feeling anxious about the process, having the experienced hands at Safeway guiding you can give you peace of mind.

Additional Brokered Services

Do you need a service that you don’t see listed above? Don’t be afraid to reach out to the team at Safeway Moving Systems to ask if they can arrange it on your behalf. With thousands of partnered moving and storage companies, chances are that Safeway can help you get nearly any type of moving service that you might need.

Service Area & Availability

Safeway Moving Systems currently brokers moves in all 50 states. Its partnership network is nationwide, which means that no matter where you’re moving, their team will be able to help. However, Safeway does not currently support international moving processes.

How To Schedule With Safeway Moving Systems

Though the specific steps that you’ll go through when booking your move might vary depending on your needs, you should expect the following when booking through Safeway Moving Systems.

• Decide what you need: Take stock of everything in your home and downsize as much as possible before you begin the process of booking your move. After you know exactly what needs to be moved from your home, think about services that you’re willing to pay extra for on moving day. For example, if you’re moving a bed frame on a last-minute move, you might need your moving company to provide furniture disassembly services. Make a list of everything you expect from your moving company beyond standard loading and transportation.
• Connect with Safeway: After you have an idea of what you need for your upcoming move, contact Safeway and request a free quote. Your moving representative will ask you a few questions about your upcoming move and your needs.
• Wait for your quote: After learning more about your move and what you expect from your moving company, your Safeway representative will look through their list of partnered companies to find the right match for you. Safeway employs a strict inclusion criterion when choosing companies to work with — so no matter which team you’re partnered with, you’ll be receiving top-of-the-line service. Your representative will consult with a few moving companies to negotiate the lowest rate possible on your move before returning to you with your quote.
• Book your moving date: If you agree to the quote your Safeway representative returns with, they’ll book your moving date with their partner company. From here, all you need to do is prepare for your upcoming moving date and get ready for your part of the move.

Safeway Moving Systems Reviews From Actual Customers

Remember that the moving and storage company that you trust with your household goods is responsible for transporting your entire life to your new home. That means that it’s well worth the time to see what previous customers have said about the moving company that you’re considering working with before you book. Third-party review websites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Yelp can give you an uncensored look at how past customers were treated by their moving teams. Make sure you read reviews and know what to expect before you book your delivery date.

Safeway Moving Systems has overall negative online reviews. Customers complained about the quality of services they received from their partnered providers, and reports of incorrect pricing were common. Many customers claimed that the moving team they were partnered with was unresponsive or didn’t communicate with them regarding deliveries and pick-up dates.

I had repeatedly reminded every single person I talked to well before and after my items were picked up about the time restrictions at the 2nd location and each time the agents reassured me that wouldn’t be a problem as they have done plenty of delivers in Manhattan and are aware of these types of restrictions. The next day (delivery day), I got a call from the actual driver around 12:40pm with ETA at the 1st location of 4:30pm. I explained to him that is not the window I was given and that we won’t be allowed at the 2nd location for delivery past 5pm. The driver was honest and said he had no idea about the time restrictions and that he would’ve planned for my delivery first that day had he known. 

— Bhrugini P.

Like others on here, I received a “binding estimate” on a “not to exceed” quote, on a move from CA to WA. I paid my deposit and then was ghosted. My “move coordinator” wouldn’t return calls texts or emails, I didn’t even know if someone was coming on my move day. They subcontracted with a local mover who showed up and wouldn’t load the truck until I paid DOUBLE the “not to exceed” estimate. $17,000 instead of the contracted $8000! 

— Jazzy J.

They contracted the move through VanGo Van Lines and gave me a 2-3 day estimated pick-up and final delivery range. To be prepared for the first day of pickup, I had to purchase a 2-day parking permit from the City of Philadelphia. This proved useless, as the moving company did not show up until 1 day after my estimated range…

When the movers showed up, one of the movers was late and hardly contributed any work (sitting around, asking for snacks, taking personal phone calls, etc.). The entire packup should have taken 3-4 hours but ended up taking nearly 8 hours. 

— Jason W.

House Method Rating Methodology

At House Method, our primary goals are to be a reliable source of information and to be totally transparent to our readers. With that in mind, we’ve developed the following formula to render objective ratings – on a scale of 10 points – for the moving companies we review.

• Transparency (3.0): Communication and being fully straightforward regarding company policies and licensing are incredibly important. A given mover’s willingness to display these, to supply quick quotes, and to provide clearly-worded moving contracts all factor into the three points within this single rating criteria.
• Cost (2.5): A mover’s cost relative to industry averages, as well as accessibility to cost data play a role in the customer experience as much as anything else. We know that being sure of what you’re paying – and being confident that you’re not overpaying – will ultimately make for a positive move. We’ve weighted cost factors accordingly in our ratings.
• Customer Service (2.0): Establishing an easy line of contact with your movers during the booking process or during the move itself is a huge asset for any moving client. The stress of moving, in general, can be greatly eased by knowing you can talk to a licensed professional whenever you need to, which is why we’ve listed this as a key rating category. This is where customer reviews come into play; since the majority of complaints stem from poor customer service, feedback from BBB, Yelp, Google, and other review platforms factor into this criteria.
• Services Offered (1.5): This rates lower on our priority list than many would think, simply due to the fact that many movers provide a similar line of services. However, breadth of service offerings does still vary to a degree.
• Customization Options (1.0): Having the autonomy to fully customize your move should rate highly on any moving checklist. Here, we’ve taken moving package customization ability, as well as pricing for more involved add-ons. Steep pricing for such services can provide something of a soft barrier for clients looking to add to their move, and we’ve taken this into consideration.

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