Safeway Moving Systems

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 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

Salesman underbid my job and gave me my first “guaranteed“price. He Promised to be there every step of the way but disappeared, even not returning my phone calls . Final call from dispatch gave me my “guaranteed “ 2nd price, a significant increase. Pick up truck gave me my 3rd”guaranteed “ price, yes, another increase. I’mnow 2 price increases into the process. Pick up/Packer also gave me a not-thinly veiled threat that they had my stuff and would hold it hostage until I paid what they wanted.Customer Service people were great and could see my frustrations with communication but weren’t able to help much (Management sucks!) Delivery crew was great. However they didn’t have the hiding spot for the feet for my entertainment center. A little “Easter Egg” left by the movers. Now I have to find a handyman to attach the feet. NEVER AGAIN! I have a job number. I can prove that I am an unhappy customer.

Move size: 3 Bedroom Home Service cost: $7800

This company is a scam. I was quoted comparable rates, but wanted to support a Veteran owned company, as I am also a Vet. The day before my movers were to pickup my household items, no one had called to confirm, I had to reach out to them we went over the manifest again, I provided measurements of all my belongings, plus the exact number of boxes. When the movers arrived, they immediately said all my items were larger then what I indicated- FALSE. The movers said it would be an additional $800 or they wouldn't take my stuff. I had no options since I was leaving the next day. I was called a couple of days later for my new address and I filed a complaint. I was told a supervisor would call me THAT day to hear my grievance. No one called! When my items were to be delivered, the CONTRACTED delivery company had different policies than Safeway and it cost me an additional $150 for the delivery. I should have not let my soft heart for fellow vets cloud my financial decision making. DO NOT USE THIS MOVING COMPANY- SCAM!

Move size: 1 Bedroom Home Service cost: $5000

Still haven’t received our stuff 10 days later & just got off the phone with customer service. Guess what? “We don’t see where your truck is.”. We went with this company because they’re military owned & figured they would be organized and have good comms. They had to put our belongings on two trucks because they packed their truck too much on prior trips & couldn’t fit all of our stuff. We said okay, do what you have to do. When they left our house we asked how long until we get our belongings? They stated “it depends on weather but you’re the next stop.”. The driver confirmed he listed first available date as April 22nd. The drive from our OG state to this state is under 2 day drive btw. We called everyday because we weren’t getting calls back & no one could tell us where our truck was (& customer service was rather rude) until last Wednesday when they said our stuff was dropped off at a warehouse in Dallas, TX….it was never mentioned our stuff would be dropped off in another state out of the way. Called next day…still at warehouse. Waited the weekend and called this AM. They can’t answer where our stuff is & don’t see where the truck is. Do not hire this company unless you don’t want your stuff back until an undisclosed date. Happy to remove this review if they finish their job that we hired them to do and our belongings are in our home tomorrow, as it will be 11 days tomorrow.

Update: After calling 3 separate times and getting no call back. We finally got some answers. That answer is, they have no idea when our stuff will be here & it hasn’t left TX. After reading other reviews of belongings going missing, stuff being delivered over a month later & even being haggled and lives threatened upon delivery for more money (check other reviews, an attorney stated her and her husband were threatened). I have half the mind to file a report. I don’t know if and when I’ll get my things back at this point.

Move size: 4 Bedroom Home Service cost: $11000

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 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