What My Arizona to Delaware Move with Safeway Moving Really Cost Me
Fact Checked by: 
Glendale, AZ → Wilmington, DE
$16,864
12,222 lbs, 1,746 cu ft
$27,995
+$11,131 for underestimated boxes
2,367 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared two quotes before I hired Safeway Moving for my Arizona to Delaware move.
- My final bill landed $11,131 over the estimate, almost all of it from a box count that came in 147 boxes over what my quote was based on.
- I shared all of it, my quotes, my bills, and my ratings, as part of moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project.
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This account is based on a conversation with Ryan B., who moved from Glendale, Arizona, to Wilmington, Delaware, in June 2022 using Safeway Moving. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from Arizona to Delaware
I graduated from medical school and relocated from Glendale, Arizona, to Wilmington, Delaware, to start a new job. Despite a packed schedule, I spent nearly two weeks researching movers and getting quotes before committing to anyone.
Going in, my biggest concerns were that movers wouldn’t meet my tight timeline and that my items would get damaged or lost. I found Safeway Moving while comparing companies through moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator.
Safeway met my timeline and delivered my items with minimal damage or loss. But the experience still left a bad taste due to poor communication and a final bill that came in 66% over my original quote. I would not hire Safeway again.
My Safeway Moving experience at a glance
Here’s what stood out most about moving with Safeway Moving, good and bad.
- Communication: Safeway communicated well from my initial quote through pickup day. After pickup, communication fell off significantly, and I had trouble reaching anyone who could tell me when my items would be delivered. Delivery ended up being fast, but I had no visibility into the timeline while I was waiting.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: My move cost increased 66% from the original quote to the final bill. Both Safeway and I share some responsibility for that increase.
- Timeliness: Safeway picked up and delivered my household goods on time. Given the distance and time of year, the turnaround was solid.
- Loss and damage: Nothing was damaged, and only one item was unaccounted for at delivery.
- Would I use Safeway again? No. Safeway failed to set accurate cost expectations upfront and communicated poorly after pickup, and those two issues overshadowed an otherwise serviceable move.
over my original Safeway quote
Find out what a move from Arizona → Delaware actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose Safeway Moving
Despite a chaotic schedule, I found time to research movers through Google searches, online reviews, and comparisons on moveBuddha. I contacted four moving companies but only heard back from two: Safeway Moving and Atlas Van Lines. Both quotes were similar enough, and Safeway offered substantially better pricing, so I booked with them.
After making a deposit and confirming services and dates with my coordinator, everything seemed to be coming together. I prepared by packing, decluttering, and getting my car inspected for the cross-country drive. Communication was strong through this stage, though it dropped off noticeably once my items were picked up, which ended up being my biggest complaint with Safeway.
rating
- GPS tracking en route
- Veteran-owned
- Dedicated move coordinator
- Flat-rate pricing
- Donates a portion of moves to charity
My move at a glance
Here are the basics of my relocation, including what Safeway quoted me and what I actually paid for my Arizona to Delaware move.
| Moving from | Glendale, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Moving to | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Distance | 2,367 miles |
| Moving company | Safeway Moving |
| Moving quote | $16,864 |
| Actual cost | $27,995 |
We found that when you use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator, you can save 30% on moving costs compared to customers who go with the first quote they receive.
Quotes I compared
Comparing moving company estimates isn’t as simple as comparing prices. You need to consider the weight or cubic footage each company is estimating, insurance levels, packing add-ons, and added costs to make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Here’s how the two estimates I got stacked up.
| Company | Size estimate | Cost estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Safeway Moving | 12,222 lbs/1,746 cubic feet | $16,864 |
| Atlas Van Lines | 13,526 lbs | $19,739 |
Two days before my scheduled pickup, Safeway called to go over the details and make sure nothing major had changed. I made some minor changes to my inventory and confirmed I had packed about 100 boxes.
Pickup day
My move took place a week after Memorial Day, one of the busiest times of year for moving. Pickup was scheduled for Thursday, but the truck and crew didn’t arrive until Friday morning, the designated backup day. I was irritated by the delay but understood it was a busy time of year.
If you’re moving close to a summer holiday, build some flexibility into your schedule, since delays are common during peak season.
When the crew arrived, the foreman did a walk-through and immediately noticed I had significantly more than the 100 medium boxes listed on my estimate. He determined there were 147 additional boxes, many of them large or extra large. Those boxes added over 1,000 cubic feet to the size of the move and resulted in an additional cost of $11,131. I was not happy.
I felt Safeway’s over-the-phone estimate was inaccurate. They should have done a video or in-home estimate to correctly assess my move’s requirements. While I admit some responsibility for the inaccurate box count, I believe the $11,131 overage was excessive.
I’ve since learned that inaccurate estimates like mine usually come down to one of two things: an estimator who miscalculates, or a customer who’s too overwhelmed by the move to describe its full scope accurately. I’ve also learned that over-the-phone estimates tend to be less accurate than video or in-home surveys. I did get a video survey quote from Atlas Van Lines during the initial quoting process, and their size estimate came in only about 10% higher than Safeway’s, so both companies were still far off from my actual move size.
During my pre-move check-in call, my coordinator asked me to count my boxes. I walked through the house and confirmed 100 was still accurate.
I’ve since learned that movers rely heavily on customers to self-report changes like this, and to some extent I could have done a better job updating Safeway with my final box count. But I think Safeway should have relied less on my self-report and taken the time to review my inventory by video, or at least worked with me to bring the $11,131 overage down instead of simply adding it to the bill.
Bottom line: I think Safeway and I share responsibility for the increase in final costs.
With the box count issue behind us, the crew wrapped my musical instruments, packed a few large pieces of artwork, and began loading the truck. I occasionally checked on their progress and answered questions but mostly tried to stay out of their way. My partner ran a few last-minute errands to avoid the stress of watching everything get loaded. All told, the four-man crew loaded everything in about six hours.
Delivery day
A few days after my items left Arizona, I received an email explaining the payment process and letting me know my household goods were in a warehouse. I called Safeway multiple times to find out when my things would be shipped, but nobody I reached seemed to know.
My items were delivered ten days later. Given the time of year and the 2,367-mile distance, that was an excellent turnaround on Safeway’s part.
When the truck arrived, it was a large tractor trailer that barely fit in front of the house. I was very dissatisfied that nobody had told me my move would be transferred to a different truck. I’ve since learned that items are commonly transferred once or twice during a long-distance move. The same truck rarely handles both pickup and delivery on a cross-country move. That said, I think Safeway should have told me this upfront.
I also noticed there were only two movers instead of four. The crew seemed ill-prepared for the job. I’ve since learned that movers typically send a crew of three to four for a move this size. Two Safeway crew members called out the day of delivery, and rather than delay, Safeway proceeded with just two men. Unloading took seven hours.
Before leaving, the driver asked me to note any damage and sign off on the inventory even though I hadn’t had time to inspect everything. Thankfully:
- Everything was accounted for (except for a moving dolly that disappeared somewhere between Arizona and Delaware)
- Nothing appeared to be damaged
Final thoughts
I would not use Safeway again. My main complaints were poor communication about delivery timing, excessive handling (my items went into storage and were loaded onto a different truck), an understaffed crew at the destination, and a phone estimate that set the wrong cost expectations from the start.
That said, the move wasn’t entirely bad. My items arrived relatively quickly and with almost no loss or damage, which matters. The miscommunications and staffing issues were frustrating, but given the busy time of year and industry-wide staffing shortages, they were relatively minor compared to what some movers experience.
The real issue was cost. A 66% increase from quote to final bill is unacceptable. Safeway should have done a better job on the initial estimate and should have worked harder to reduce the overage once the discrepancy was identified.
My experience does appear to be an isolated incident. I haven’t seen a pattern of inaccurate estimates with Safeway elsewhere. Since my move, the company has implemented a video survey requirement on all moves and updated their training to improve box count accuracy.
Before I go, here are my dogs making the cross-country road trip with me.
Planning a long-distance move? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare quotes and see what your move should actually cost.
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Ryan B.’s experience:
- Push for a video or in-home estimate, not just a phone quote: Ryan B.’s over-the-phone estimate with Safeway missed 147 boxes and added $11,131 to his bill. A video or in-home walkthrough gives the estimator an actual look at your belongings instead of relying on your count alone.
- Know how movers actually estimate your box count: The standard process is to estimate seven to ten boxes per room, with larger rooms like the kitchen closer to fifteen to twenty. Estimators then adjust based on how many people are moving and how cluttered your closets and cabinets are, and a coordinator typically calls a few days before the move to reconfirm the count. If your inventory has grown since your quote, tell them before that final call.
- Ask whether your shipment will change trucks or go through storage: Ryan B. wasn’t told his items would be transferred to a different truck for the final leg of delivery. Ask upfront whether your mover uses a direct truck or a relay, since that affects your delivery window.
- Confirm your delivery crew size in advance: Ryan B.’s four-man pickup crew became a two-man delivery crew when coworkers called out, which stretched a seven-hour unload. Ask your mover what happens to your timeline if their crew is short-staffed on delivery day.
- Build in flexibility around summer holidays: Ryan B.’s pickup slipped from Thursday to the Friday backup day because his move fell the week after Memorial Day, one of the busiest stretches of the year. Give yourself a buffer day on either end if you’re moving near a holiday.
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