Safeway Moving Systems

Please read before booking!

This company operates more like a moving broker than an actual moving company. Brokers don’t own trucks, don’t employ the movers, and often sell your job to another company — which explains why the contract feels so concerning. Here’s what stood out:

1) Extremely low liability for damaged items. They aren’t responsible for fragile items unless they pack them. My family learned this the hard way.

2) You pay 90% before delivery. They require 40% upfront and another 50% at pickup — meaning you’ve paid almost everything before your belongings even arrive.

3) They can legally hold your belongings. The contract allows them to keep — and even auction — your items until you pay any charges they claim.

4) Delivery dates are meaningless. Verbal promises don’t count. The delivery window can be up to 6 weeks not including storage time, weather delays, or other exceptions. Even the “premium service” (which costs extra) only guarantees dates if both sides agree in writing.

5) They can use subcontractors without telling you. Your belongings may pass through multiple unknown hands, making accountability and claims much harder.

6) They take no responsibility for damaged electronics period

7) They can change your estimate on the spot; the classic bait‑and‑switch tactic

And this doesn’t even cover what happens if you try to pursue anything legally — that’s a whole separate nightmare. Please think twice (and then a third time) before choosing this company. Read the contract carefully, or have a lawyer or AI review it. My family’s experience was awful, and I hope this helps someone avoid the same situation.

Move size: 4+ Bedroom Home Service cost: $9999

Safeway Moving Systems, Inc. is one, if not the WORST, moving company I have ever encountered in my life. So, too, are their affiliated, Trans United and DM, Mover (Mr. Melendez, President).

PLEASE NOTE:
By mentioning the sales representatives name, I am in no way sharing any private or personal information that is not already available to the public. It is my responsibility and constitutional right to speak out as a disenfranchised customer about this company that has intentionally inflicted emotional and financial distress and professional hardship on me, among many others.

Mr. Scott is the face of this interaction, and I can prove it. This man is the one who introduced me to Danny Melendez, one of the movers of the crew who literally stole my rocking chair and other boxed item. Mr. Scott has been actively avoiding his professional responsibilities, and he passed work over the their assistant, Delilah, who does not seem to have a clue what she is doing.

Mr. Scott, Mr. Melendez, and Jason from Hallandale, FL, and their crew of thieves, charged me over $8,000 (+ tip) cash for a move that was initially quoted for half that. I am sharing these names because they are of public record, and I can prove it, and I want the public to know what they are getting themselves into by entering in a contract with crooked salesman. Ultimately, it was demanded that I WIRE TRANSFER $4,000 to them before delivery. After I did, they couldn't even call me to notify they have received the payment, which is the one request I made. There was no follow-through, which was really upsetting.

On moving day, I come to find out the initial movers (Danny Melendez and his crew) stole my rocking chair, broke several pieces of furniture (to an non-replaceable state), lost/stole more boxes with personal/household items, and concocted numerous lies about alleged delivery attempts made, yet I had no prior notification, but they still charged me for redelivery, storage, etc. I have cell phone records to prove this!

I was cursed out by multiple employees, a man with Trans United in Florida and a driver from CA. Danny Melendez and another man named Jason are affiliated with these scammers.

These reviews are being reported not because they are personal in nature, but because they expose the wrongdoing of this corrupt company that must be held accountable. I guarantee that if we, as customers, received the services that we initially signed up/paid for, I would not be sitting here writing this.

E. Scott knows and partakes in the deleterious ways these moving companies scam millions, and neither he, nor his staff, care that people are being hurt and placed under unnecessary strife. By depriving us of our hard-earned belongings, our money, and our trust in moving companies, you have violated the trust of millions.

What precautions should be taken before customers allow complete strangers to view and make note of everything that we value, everything that we own, thrown it in a truck, and drive away to who knows where? Do we call ICE? FBI? I know who I'm contacting, and this isn't a threat. I'm a federal employee, and I would never recommend any state or government agency to even consider these companies again.

I had to retain legal representation in order to get my belongings, which they kept from me for nearly 3 months, intentionally. I was forced to sleep on the floor, and one person from FL screamed at me and asked how it felt to know that Eric Scott was intentionally ignoring my calls/emails, then he laughed at me. Appalling customer service, and unprofessional behavior.

Further action is being taken, as these people are dishonest, manipulative, and thieves. I am also not the only victim.

SERVICE MEMBERS, FEDERAL & STATE GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, ETC. PLEASE AVOID.


Class Action, anyone?

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $8500

I hired a moving team at the last minute, and it was a gamble that paid off big time. They arrived right on the dot, even though it was a Saturday morning and they must’ve had a busy week. The team leader noticed I had a massive antique mirror, and he took extra care with it, wrapping it in bubble wrap like he was handling a baby. When I got to the new place, I realized I’d forgotten to pack a box of kitchen essentials. They went back to my old place and retrieved it, no extra charge. Talk about going above and beyond!

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3860

TLDR- Unprofessional moving company that packed haphazardly and poorly and delivered a couch with no cushion.

I had a recent long distance move done by Safeway. Listen to the negative reviews placed here on google. There are plenty of additional complaints on Yelp and Better Business Bureau and many people on Reddit stating how poorly this company does service. I highly doubt many of the positive reviews placed here are from real customers. You can tell by how short and sweet the reviews are. When you need volume you don't spend time with details. I wish I had done better research before doing business with them. My advice- scour reddit on r/moving and it will give you a good idea who you should be picking for your next move.

First and foremost, Safeway is a broker. Never pick brokers. They aren’t the actual moving company. They pretty much bid out the work to someone local. The people that came to pack my stuff were initially surprised that nothing was packed when I had explicitly stated and paid for a full pack and move service. Much of the packing was not organized well and was just dumped into boxes before placing tape on them. They also provide no update after picking your stuff up. Only some vague language that its on the way. I recommend placing some Airtag trackers in your stuff to get a general idea as to where it is. I am glad I was atleast able to get my stuff within the 21 day window as there are horror stories of people out there that took more than a month.

Worst part about my move was that the Safeway essentially lost a piece of my cushion of my expensive couch. Upon delivery, the driver essentially stated that the cushion was missing and must have gotten lost in transit. Safeway basically washes their hands off the problem pointing to the insurance clause that states that they only cover 60 cents/lb and that is tied to the weight of the cushion. They are like…”yeah we will try to find it for you…it might show up in 6 months. Good luck!”. This is not the level of service I expected. For the record, I have moved 5 times and have NEVER had a such a large mistake happen. I know what good service looks like and this isn’t it! The carefree attitude of this company should make you stay far away from them. They essentially dont care about your stuff once they have your initial deposit and have packed your stuff. They know you are in their hands.

Veteran owned….what a joke! You guys should be ashamed of the quality of work and customer service you are providing.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $6000

I decided to hire Allen and Mark after thorough research for a reliable moving company. Their honest, punctual, and prompt responses convinced me of their reliability. I highly recommend them. They were attentive, responsive, and provided a detailed estimate and inventory list free of charge. Their transparency and accuracy were commendable, with no hidden fees or surprises. They were dependable, punctual, and arrived ready to work. They were truly the best movers I’ve ever encountered.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $2254

Long story short, Safeway is a dishonest company that made my move significantly more stressful and frustrating than it needed to be due to lack of communication, respect, and honesty. I’ll detail my experience below but I would not recommend booking with them but if you already have, try to get as much in writing as you can.

To begin with, I was misled during booking promising that only Safeway would handle my move, that GPS tracking would be available, and that the delivery date would be scheduled before my first available delivery date. These were the main reasons I booked with Safeway. To later find out that I would not have any of those things was disappointing to say the least.

I originally booked with Safeway because the salesman, Scott Curtis, seemed to answer all of my questions with honesty and transparency, but, unfortunately, that was all a show to get my business.

My first red flag was when another moving company, Just Pro Moving, arrived to pick up my belongings. Scott promised me that Safeway owns all their trucks and employs all of their movers. He affirmed Safeway would be the one handling the move from beginning to end. He went so far as to send me a separate email advising that I watch out for predatory brokers. So I was confused and afraid when the movers asked me to send the payment to Just Pro Moving, instead of Safeway, after all of my belongings were on the truck. I was afraid I had been scammed. No one warned me that this would be happening. I had to reach out to the general customer service line where I was met with a rude explanation. The person remarked, “How can you expect a national company to have movers in every location?” I called for clarity and reassurance and only received dismissal and condescension. I don’t expect a national company to have movers in every location, but I did expect Safeway to have movers for my move because that’s what was sold to me. They also tried to say that they were Safeway although paying Just Pro Moving and them arriving in a Penske truck would suggest otherwise.

During one of the calls, they clarified that Just Pro Moving was handling my entire move, including delivery. They also clarified that because of this, GPS tracking would not be available as it was advertised at the time of booking my move. I understand that a cross country move takes time, and I’m sure the logistics are very complicated, but multiple promises were, at best, wholly ignored or, at worst, intentionally falsely advertised.

Overall, communication was terrible. Much of this could have been avoided if only I was told beforehand. It was hit or miss if Blossom would answer, and if I left a message she never called me back.

I’ve experienced a similar issue with customer service. When I spoke to someone, they promised they had escalated the issue and that someone would call me back but they never did. I was told that everyone is extremely busy but that is not an excuse to never call a customer back. It’s also not an excuse to outright lie to customers to get their business.

Now that my move is complete I was supposed to receive a quality assurance call to make any claims and give feedback but it’s been almost a week and a half since my delivery and I haven’t been called. I think it’s clear that don’t care what I have to say since they know I had a terrible experience but didn’t do anything to try and make it better.

To top it off, one of the customer service representatives advised me to send an email to their general inbox in the hopes that a supervisor would respond. I sent two emails summarizing my experience and never received any response. I am shocked at the lack of respect Safeway has for their customers. Their willingness to lie and mislead to get business is disgraceful. A friend also booked with Safeway to do the same move as me and they had a similar awful experience. I don’t know how they made it onto any of the best long distance movers lists but I think they need to be seriously reevaluated.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $6248

Robert and his team did a fantastic job. They wrapped everything up in blankets and plastic wrap to protect them from any damage during the move. I had a variety of furniture, including a sofa, coffee table, mattress, and some shelves, and they handled them all with caution. They even disassembled and reassembled my mattress, which was a huge relief because I had no clue how to do it myself. They were very helpful and accommodating, and made the whole process smooth and easy.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $3075

This company was very difficult to deal with. My furniture was 10 days late. No phone calls were returned and most texts ignored. They didn’t have records of my payments. Upon arrival the movers said I owed more money than I did. My moving coordinator wouldn’t return my calls. I eventually had to find my receipts. Unacceptable. It felt like a scam to get more money from me. Worst customer service ever!!! Companies MUST do better. All my concerns were met with minimal concern and that was IF I ever got to speak to anyone. I would never recommend this company to anyone for their cross country move.

Move size: 2 Bedroom Home Service cost: $7000

Great sales pitch. Smooth pickup. Then total radio silence.

Once they had my money and all my belongings, delivery promises meant nothing. Missed delivery windows, daily calls, zero answers, and a constant “dispatch will reach out” lie that never happened.

Customer service admitted they don’t know when my stuff will arrive and don’t care because they’re protected by the 30-day rule.

If you enjoy being powerless while a company holds everything you own, this is your mover.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $16600

I'm a photographer and needed to move my studio. This meant moving not just furniture, but extremely expensive, sensitive camera gear, lighting equipment, and backdrop stands. I was a nervous wreck. The crew treated my equipment like museum pieces. They used custom-sized boxes and an incredible amount of foam padding for every lens and light. They created a separate, cushioned zone in the truck just for the gear. At the new studio, they unpacked the fragile boxes first, per my request. Their meticulous attention to detail and understanding of the value of my equipment went far beyond a standard move. They provided a specialized, white-glove service that put my mind completely at ease.

Move size: Studio Service cost: $4755