The Phone Estimate Doubled My California to Texas Move
Fact Checked by: 
Saratoga, CA → Austin, TX
$5,975
Phone estimate, 863 cubic feet
$11,900
+$5,925, almost exactly double
1,729 mi
Long-distance, interstate
- I compared three quotes before I hired Safeway Moving for my California to Texas move.
- My final bill came to $11,900 against a $5,975 quote, and the reason is simple: I took a phone estimate instead of an in-person one.
- 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 Laurel, who moved from Saratoga, California, to Austin, Texas, in September 2023 using Safeway Moving. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
My move from California to Texas
My husband and I knew two years ahead that we wanted to relocate to Texas. We bought a 2,000-square-foot house in Austin, more than double the 1,000-square-foot condo we had in Saratoga, California, and made the 1,729-mile move in September 2023.
A year before the move I put everything into a self-storage facility, roughly 6,000 pounds or 30 boxes including four large wardrobe boxes. Nothing was a specialty item, though I have a large shoe and handbag collection I wanted kept pristine, along with fragile glassware and a Peloton bike. The other complication was the storage unit itself. It was on the second floor of an indoor facility, and I genuinely didn’t know how getting everything out was going to work, so I needed a crew experienced enough to handle it.
I Googled “moving quote,” found moveBuddha, and it ended up being the only site I used to plan the whole move. I estimated my cost with the moving cost calculator and worked through the best interstate moving companies guide. According to moveBuddha, users who compare movers this way save more than 30% versus taking the first quote they get.
My Safeway Moving experience at a glance
Here’s what stood out most about moving with Safeway Moving, good and bad.
- Communication: Great with Safeway’s own team, including a quality assurance call two days out to review my inventory. The hiccups came from their contracted delivery partner.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: My final price was double the estimate, $11,900 against $5,975. That’s on the phone estimate I accepted rather than an in-person walkthrough.
- Professionalism: The moving coordinators and the crews were the pinnacle of professionalism from start to finish.
- Timeliness: They arrived early on move day and got everything across the country in seven days against a four to 21-day window.
- Loss and damage: My handbags, shoes, fragile glassware, and Peloton all arrived without a scratch.
- Would I use Safeway Moving again? I’d choose a different mover next time because of the pricing gap, and I still think Safeway is a great deal if you get an accurate in-person quote.
over my original Safeway Moving quote
Find out what a move from California → Texas actually costs before a mover tells you.
Why I chose Safeway Moving
Safeway called to get more details for my estimate, and I enjoyed talking to the consultant, who explained the process thoroughly and gave me a detailed quote. At $5,975 they were also the cheapest. Mayzlin offered to match that number, while telling me the service would normally run around $8,500. North American Van Lines came back at $15,000.
I went with Safeway on the strength of their service and support. I bought white-glove pickup and delivery, which included specialty packaging for the Peloton and $30,000 in moving insurance. After booking they sent a welcome packet with what to expect and some packing tips, I put down a deposit by ACH transfer, and I booked a flight from Texas back to California so I could be there for pickup.
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 I was quoted and what I actually paid for my California to Texas move.
| Move date | September 14, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Moved from | Saratoga, California |
| Moved to | Austin, Texas |
| Distance | 1,729 miles |
| Move size | Two-bedroom condo (1,000 square feet) |
| Moving company | Safeway Moving |
| Moving quote | $5,975 |
| Actual cost | $11,900 |
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
It took me a week to find a mover. I shared my move details through moveBuddha and waited for quotes to come in. All three priced the same 863 cubic feet, and the spread was enormous.
| Company | Estimated volume/weight | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Safeway Moving | 863 cubic feet (6,041 pounds) | $5,975 |
| Mayzlin | 863 cubic feet (6,041 pounds) | $5,975 (price matched, normally about $8,500) |
| North American Van Lines | 863 cubic feet (6,041 pounds) | $15,000 |
Pickup day
Safeway called to confirm my date and gave me a 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. window, and their quality assurance team called two days beforehand to go through my inventory in detail. That call matters more than I realized at the time.
The movers called around 7:30 a.m. to say they were on their way and arrived at 8:25, ahead of the window. I didn’t mind the early start. They did a great job and handled everything carefully, fragile boxes included, and they got it all out of a second-floor indoor storage unit without drama. I sat in a camping chair working on my laptop, staying available for questions.
Then, once everything was loaded, Safeway told me the final cost would be significantly higher than my estimate, because I had more than I’d described. I paid the balance, which brought the total to $11,900. That’s nearly double the $5,975 I was quoted, and it’s what happens when you take a phone estimate.
Delivery day
I got email updates while my things travelled from California to Texas, which is better communication in transit than a lot of people get.
Safeway said the driver would call 24 hours before delivery and that didn’t happen. I could see my items were close, so I contacted Safeway myself to confirm it would be the next morning. The reason for the gap is that Safeway contracted the delivery out, and the lines crossed somewhere between the two companies.
They still got everything to Austin fast. Against a four to 21-day window, delivery took a week. When the truck arrived I walked the house with the crew and told them where things went, and they were pleasant and followed instructions exactly. The one oddity was that I ended up with two boxes that weren’t mine. The delivery partner asked for photos so they could reunite them with their owner.
Final thoughts
Overall the move went as expected, and the pricing is the one thing I’d change. Safeway communicated proactively, arrived on time, and handled everything with care. Nothing was damaged across 1,729 miles, including the glassware and the Peloton.
Knowing what I know now, I’d have made a far more detailed inventory list and insisted on an in-person estimate. Going from $5,975 to $11,900 is a big jump, and it happened because a phone estimate can only reflect what you tell them. Unless you move often, you probably don’t know how much you own. I wouldn’t use Safeway again for that reason, and I’d still call them a good company if you get an accurate quote up front.
One thing I got right: I flew back to California to be there for loading. Being present let me answer questions and watch the process, and I’d recommend it to anyone whose things are coming out of storage.
Planning a long-distance move? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare real quotes from vetted movers before you book.
My ratings
Here’s how I scored Safeway Moving on a scale of 1 to 5 based on my end-to-end experience.
- Communication: 5 out of 5. Proactive from Safeway’s own team, including a quality assurance inventory call two days before pickup.
- Timeliness: 5 out of 5. The crew arrived early and delivery took seven days against a four to 21-day window.
- Quote accuracy: 3 out of 5. My lowest score. I paid $11,900 against a $5,975 phone estimate.
- Overall experience: 4 out of 5. Careful crews, nothing damaged, and a final bill that nearly doubled.
More moving resources
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Laurel’s experience:
- Never accept a phone estimate on a full-service move: This single decision is the entire $5,925 gap in Laurel’s move. Insist on an in-person walkthrough, and if that’s impossible, send the company a lot of photos or do a video survey.
- Build your own inventory list before anyone quotes you: A phone estimate can only reflect what you remember to mention. Laurel’s things had been in storage for a year, which made recalling them even harder.
- Be present for loading, especially out of storage: Laurel flew from Texas back to California for pickup and could answer questions in real time while a crew emptied a second-floor storage unit.
- Ask whether delivery is subcontracted: The promised 24-hour call never came because Safeway handed delivery to a partner company. Ask who is driving the truck at the far end and who will actually phone you.
- Use a competitor’s quote as leverage: Mayzlin matched Safeway’s $5,975 against a normal price of about $8,500. Asking cost Laurel nothing.
- Check for boxes that aren’t yours: Laurel found two that belonged to someone else. Count your inventory at delivery, because an extra box can mean one of yours went somewhere too.
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