Safeway Moving Inc. Review (2023)

Safeway Moving Inc. is a veteran-owned and operated company that acts as a licensed and insured interstate moving broker. They provide full-service options like packing and loading to local, long-distance, and cross-country moves across the United States.

The This Old House Reviews Team has researched and reviewed the best moving companies to help you find a mover that’s right for you and your upcoming move. Keep reading to decide if this Safeway Moving Inc. is the best choice for your upcoming move.

We scored Safeway Moving Inc. an 87 out of 100 and believe the company is the most customer-oriented moving company of those we’ve reviewed.

Safeway connects you to its partner moving carriers that actually perform your move. This service model gives homeowners access to a large network of reputable movers nationwide. However, since you won’t be in direct contact with your actual moving carrier until late in the process, communication about the moving process may be more difficult.

Safeway is a great option for those whose move involves a condo or homeowners association (HOA), as the company partners exclusively with moving carriers who hold the required additional licenses and certificates of insurance. Most condo associations and HOAs request that movers carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance. While many standard moving companies carry around a $750,000 liability insurance policy, all of Safeway’s movers meet HOA requirements.

To see how Safeway can help move your home or condo, complete this easy-to-use form or call 844-886-1118.

Here is a quick look at some of the advantages and drawbacks you may encounter with Safeway:

Safeway provides full-service options through partners in the moving industry across the United States. Service options include industry-standard services like packing, loading, transportation, unloading, and unpacking. We have listed some of Safeway’s major service options below.

• Packing and unpacking: Professional movers will pack your belongings into boxes and unpack these belongings, placing them in their proper rooms.
• Pad and shrink wrapping: Upon request, Safeway can include pad- and shrink-wrapping for fragile items and furniture. Movers will wrap hardwood furniture, glass belongings, and antiques to avoid scratching, cracking, or breaking during transit.
• Storage solutions: Safeway also partners with companies to provide storage solutions. Your items can be stored at a secure location in wooden vaults equipped with anti-theft security alarm systems until you are ready for them. The company’s moving packages automatically include up to 30 days of storage.
• Insurance coverage options: The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) require all moving carriers to offer at least a limited liability plan. This plan covers items at $0.60 per pound per item. Safeway’s partnered companies also create custom contents protection plans that provide an adjustable coverage cap. This approach helps you receive compensation for the actual value of your items rather than a predetermined amount by weight.

Safeway Moving Inc. is available as a broker for local and long-distance moves in all 50 states.

In accordance with its no-hidden-fee policy, Safeway provides itemized binding estimates, an accurate price based on an in-home or virtual survey of your belongings that will have no additional charges unless your inventory changes significantly. It is important to be detailed and honest during the quote process to obtain a truly accurate binding estimate.

We requested a moving quote from Safeway for the sample quote below.

Sample quote: $3,195 (3-bedroom move from Boston, Massachusetts, to Atlanta, Georgia, with disassembly and reassembly of furniture, loading, unloading, wrapping, transportation, taxes, tolls, fuel surcharges, and a Release Value contents protection plan)

Deposit: A Safeway customer service representative told us that we would pay the initial deposit (a percentage depending on the details of the move) to Safeway and pay the balance directly to the broker partner on the day of the move.

Get your binding estimate: To get in touch with a Safeway representative to determine your binding estimate, fill out this short survey or call the company at 844-886-1118.

To book a move with Safeway, you must:

1. Get in touch with Safeway on its website or over the phone. You will provide some brief information about your move, including your desired moving or delivery date.
2. Safeway will either call to confirm your move’s information or send an email that confirms it has received your information. Shortly after this, you will be connected to one or multiple of the company’s moving partners that can fulfill your move’s criteria.
3. You will then provide a detailed inventory or schedule either an in-home or virtual estimate with the company that interests you.
4. The company will then respond to you with a moving quote.

Check out some reviews from previous Safeway customers below:

“The guys were fantastic!! Arrived on time, packed all the furniture well, and moved everything without any damage. Everything I was looking for in a moving company and then some!! Their prices were highly competitive, as well. You will not be disappointed. Call Safeway Moving Systems.” —Daniel via BBB

“[Our rep] never told me they would use a separate carrier. I had Safeway pick up our items out of storage on our behalf. No one contacted us to tell us they were arriving within 30 minutes or that pick-up was complete. I had to follow up with Safeway multiple times for this confirmation and never had a driver or the other carrier call. So after pick up, when a separate carrier sent me paperwork and information, I thought it was a scam and spam. Finally, I put two and two together and reached out and asked my sales rep if it was in fact the moving company that had my things and he said no.” —Kate K. via BBB

There are many other moving companies that provide full-service options. Many of these companies act as both carriers and brokers. This means you can receive services directly from a single company rather than communicating with multiple companies.

Safeway Moving Inc. vs. International Van Lines

We gave International Van Lines (IVL) a score of 96 out of 100 in our review. IVL is an interstate moving company that offers full-service moving options at affordable rates. This includes specialty services, auto shipping, and providing moving supplies. IVL allows customers to mix and match service options to create partial-service and full-service moving packages that fit their needs and budget.

We created a quote with IVL for a three-bedroom home moving from Boston to Atlanta for $4,200–$6,150. This includes loading services and transportation. We encourage you to see what International Van Lines can bring to your move by completing this brief form.

Safeway Moving Inc. vs. Allied Van Lines

We gave Allied Van Lines a score of  94 out of 100. Allied is also a carrier and broker that offers a majority of its services, including vehicle relocation, in house. It also provides GPS tracking on all shipments.

Allied Van Lines provided us a quote to move a three-bedroom home from Boston to Atlanta with an average number of belongings for a total of $8,077–$8,927. We suggest you get an accurate idea of what Allied might cost you by filling out this short survey.

Given Safeway’s large network of movers and its ability to guarantee unique licenses and large insurance policies for HOAs and condos, we find the company to be a great moving broker. Safeway has high customer review scores, and it partners with reliable carriers to provide many full-service options to improve your moving experience.

However, Safeway’s status as a broker may make communication more difficult between you and the company providing your moving trucks and labor. Working directly with a moving carrier may be the better option if this is a concern for you. You might also be able to avoid a broker fee (what Safeway calls a deposit) with a moving carrier.

If you want similar services and availability to Safeway directly from a carrier, we recommend you look into International Van Lines. If you would also require vehicle shipping, we recommend Allied Van Lines.

The This Old House Reviews Team backs up our moving company ratings and recommendations with a detailed rating methodology to objectively score each company. We conduct research by reading through the company websites, analyzing customer reviews, conducting consumer surveys, requesting quotes, and speaking with customer representatives. We then score each moving company against our review standards for services, contents coverage, scheduling, trailer and container options, additional benefits, and reputation to arrive at a final score out of 100.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.