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Sean Donnelly is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront. His content draws on more than three years of experience in the moving industry. He started as a laborer and was quickly promoted to moving crew leader. Sean also served as a move coordinator, where he conducted in-home and virtual estimates for customers. During his time in the industry, Sean assisted more than 500 clients with their relocation needs. Thanks to his years of hand-on experience, he understands all aspects of moving — from proper preparation to the quote process to effective packing techniques. Sean studied English literature and creative writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is still located in the greater Springfield area. When he isn’t writing, Sean is a cohead coach of the boxing team at his alma mater.
Safeway Moving Systems Inc. is a moving carrier and broker based in Florida that offers long-distance and interstate moves to all 50 states. My research found that its dedicated customer service teams provide concise and accurate pricing information, which features binding estimates for all relocation services.
When I called for pricing, the Safeway Moving representative advertised the quality of the moving crews it provides, saying they are one of the most trusted moving services available. However, some negative customer reviews I read mentioned unprofessional conduct and damaged items by third-party crews. If you book with Safeway, I recommend asking your move coordinator to name which provider will handle your relocation.
Safeway Moving is a solid choice for long-distance moving needs. It scored 4.3 out of 5 stars on our rating scale. Its flat-rate pricing makes moving costs easy to understand well ahead of your moving dOur Safeway Moving review details this provider’s service profile and quote process. Learn how this mover’s flat-rate pricing helps to set it apart.ate, and the full-time moving crews the company advertises are known for providing quality moving experiences.
That said, this provider falls short by not offering local moves and was primarily a moving broker until recently. Its lack of advertised add-ons and international moving presence held it back when we rated our top providers. In addition, I found reports of poorly handled moves brokered to other carriers.
Safeway Moving impressed me with its in-depth quote process. When I spoke with a company representative, they assured me that all moving crew members are background-checked and full-time employees. This came with assurances that I wouldn’t have my move carried out by a non-Safeway crew. While customer reviews seem to say this isn’t always the case, the company representative’s thorough rundown of its services made me feel confident.
Another aspect of this provider that stands out is its insurance offerings. All its trucks and crews come insured with $1 million liability policies. This exceeds typical industry requirements ($750,000) and enables this mover to operate in condos and apartment complexes with higher insurance requirements.
Safeway Moving recently underwent a rebrand, which involved transitioning from a broker to a majority carrier. It now advertises itself as a nationwide carrier that books long-distance services to all 50 states. However, some customer reviews still mention brokered-out moves that other partner carriers handle. This can lead to confusion and miscommunication on the day of a move.
Safeway Moving requires prospective customers to pay a deposit of 10%–50% of their final move total to book. This requirement is somewhat higher than what many other nationwide movers require.
Safeway Moving is a domestic mover that offers a basic range of long-distance and cross-country moving services. The company provides all service packages with flat-rate prices.
Safeway Moving offers full-service long-distance moves within the United States. Its relocation packages come with loading and unloading, transportation, released liability coverage and basic furniture protection. This mover doesn’t offer local relocation options. If you need this type of service, getting a free quote from Allied Van Lines, JK Moving Services or one of International Van Lines’ (IVL) local affiliates would be a great place to start.
The company currently doesn’t offer international moving services. While it does provide military, government and corporate moving assistance, these varied moving packages are limited to relocations within the U.S. We recommend looking into IVL or Allied if you need international moving expertise and services.
Safeway Moving doesn’t explicitly advertise many add-ons or specialized services compared to other providers. While other movers have dedicated webpages alluding to specialized add-ons, Safeway Moving only explicitly provides packing, storage and vehicle shipping. However, when I called for a long-distance quote, its representative glossed over a few of its more prominent offerings.
The company provides packing, unpacking and long-term storage services if you require it. It also offers vehicle shipping services in some locations. You must ask your Safeway Moving representative about its services if you need other add-ons.
I called Safeway Moving for a long-distance moving quote and was treated to one of the most in-depth over-the-phone estimates I experienced with any moving company. I spent nearly an hour on the phone with a representative who detailed all potential fees and basic moving package options.
My long-distance quote was for a three-bedroom home moving from California to North Carolina — a total of 2,880 miles. My given total was $10,300, which included full-service packing. This price also included basic furniture protection from pick up to drop off, transportation and released liability coverage. I was told that the initial quote included 30 days of free storage near the destination address if I needed it.
Below are some price points for the same three-bedroom, 2,880-mile move from some of the best long-distance moving companies. Safeway Moving is a cheaper option than many competitors at first glance. However, negative reviews reporting brokered out moves with added fees being tacked on during the move. You can mitigate this by getting written confirmation from your move coordinator that your move will be handled directly by Safeway Moving.
To book with Safeway Moving, I would’ve had to pay a $2,000 deposit. This amount is fully refundable, but I couldn’t get the representative to give me a clear cancellation policy. Most moving companies of this size charge a fee or withhold deposits for any last-minute cancellations. You may also see higher rates than what I was quoted if you book shortly before your planned moving date. All moves can be paid via credit card, money order or cashier’s check.
Safeway Moving offers long-distance and interstate moving services to all 50 states, which is typical among nationwide carriers and brokers. While some pages and graphics on its website claim international moving coverage, it doesn’t explicitly outline this service anywhere on its site.
All Safeway Moving relocations come with released liability coverage. This covers your goods at a rate of 60 cents per pound per item, and it comes at no additional cost to you. This provider can offer valuation coverage for all moves as well. This valuation — or full-value protection — covers your goods at a rate of $6 per pound per item in most cases.
Some movers also offer coverage for items of extraordinary value (more than $100 per pound). You’ll have to ask about this with any quote you receive.
All Safeway Moving affiliates and directly employed moving crews also carry $1 million liability policies which goes beyond the industry requirement of a $750,000 policy. This enables Safeway Moving and its partner companies to move clients in homeowners’ and condo owners’ associations that require elevated insurance.
Safeway Moving currently has a score of 3.41 out of 5 stars on Better Business Bureau (BBB) through 59 customer reviews. The organization gives Safeway Moving a B- rating. The Google Reviews score for its Fort Lauderdale, Florida, location is 3.3 out of 5 stars from more than 110 customer reviews.
Safeway Moving features more positive reviews than negative ones. These are highlighted by praise for the movers it hires along with generally smooth moving processes. Positive reviews also mention timely deliveries at clients’ new homes, which makes for stress-free moving experiences. A review from John M. on BBB specifically praises the movers for not taking too many breaks and having good attitudes.
While no moving scams are mentioned in negative reviews, customers mention some common issues with long-distance carriers in the moving industry. The most frequent single issue appears to be late deliveries for longer interstate relocations. According to some reviews, this stems from Safeway Moving brokering service out to low-quality carriers. One review from Colleen K. on BBB said their furniture was a week late and damaged.
Safeway Moving shows itself to be a quality moving company overall, but we recommend that you ask its representatives about the people who will be handling your furniture before you book.
Safeway Moving’s flat-rate pricing is a huge positive if you want to stay within a defined budget. Its deposit requirements can be a deterrent to some, but the quoted rates it provides are lower than those I received from other prominent companies in the industry.
Many of its negative reviews stem from up-charging and hidden fees, but Safeway Moving still earns higher marks than competitors offering ballpark pricing. Again, I recommend pressing for assurances on your price and carrier when you call Safeway Moving for a quote.
Our moving recommendations are all backed by our detailed rating methodology. To fairly assess both interstate and local movers, we have tailored two sets of review standards for long-distance and intrastate movers.
Both sets of review standards assess factors including reputation and customer satisfaction, availability and range, services offered, pricing and quote practices and customer service. We rate each moving company out of 100 possible points. We then divide the final score by 20 to obtain the 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.
BBB and Google ratings are accurate as of December 2023.
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Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
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International Van Lines (IVL) is our pick for the best long-distance moving company. Its in-house moving teams and partner carriers offer a wide range of services, including fragile-only packing, climate-controlled storage, packing supplies and more. It posts prices online for many of these add-on tasks, allowing customers to set accurate moving budgets before getting fully…
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