Safeway Moving vs. North American Van Lines (2024 Comparison)
Quick answer: Safeway Moving edges out North American Van Lines (NAVL) with its dependable quotes, competitive costs, and top-tier customer service. While North American Van Lines excels in specialized services and has a broader international reach, Safeway’s affordability and transparent communication make it our go-to for a smooth, hassle-free move.
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Compare customer experiences
We created the Better Moves Project to share moving customers’ actual experiences with some of the biggest names in the moving industry.
Here’s how real-life customers described their experiences moving with Safeway and NAVL.
Safeway Moving
Safeway Moving gets a lot of praise for its competitive pricing and professional moving crews, making it a good option if you’re on a budget.
However, some Better Moves participants have complained about communication issues and delivery delays. Despite these challenges, most customers felt like hiring Safeway was a worthwhile investment.
Customer praises:
- Competitive pricing: Marcel found Safeway’s pricing to be competitive, which was a significant factor in his choice of moving company.
- Professional moving crew: Christian appreciated how professional and friendly his moving crew was, which eased the stress of his long-distance move.
- Transparent pricing: Melissa loved Safeway’s transparent pricing, noting that there were no surprise charges and her final cost was even lower than the initial quote.
Customer complaints:
- Lack of communication: Both Marcel and Christian felt like Safeway’s communication throughout the move could’ve been better.
- Damaged belongings: Melissa reported some light damage to her stuff, such as cracked plastic bins, which is unfortunately common in the moving industry.
- Delays: Christian dealt with a major delay, waiting 60 days for his belongings to arrive at his new house after the move.
rating
4.85 / 5
89% of users select this mover
North American Van Lines
Most North American Van Lines reviews describe it as a reputable, affordable moving company with comprehensive services.
Even so, there’s room for improvement, with some complaints about NAVL’s timeliness, cost, and handling of items.
Customer praises:
- Overall value: Marcie found NAVL’s quote to be competitive. She appreciated the comprehensive services it included, such as loading, unloading, and protective wrapping for her furniture.
- Communication: Kyle called out NAVL’s excellent communication, giving them a perfect score in this category.
- Comprehensive service: Alexander appreciated the full-service moving experience, which included handling fragile items and making multiple stops along the way.
Customer complaints:
- Timeliness: Both Marcie and Alexander gave NAVL a 4 out of 5 for timeliness, indicating the company could’ve delivered their items faster.
- High price: While Kyle would use NAVL again, he thought the cost of his move was a bit steep.
- Handling of Items: Alexander’s belongings suffered some damage, which left a negative impression even though other parts of his move went well.
rating
4.5 / 5
89% of users select this mover
Compare company reputation
Safeway Moving
- BBB rating: B-
- moveBuddha rating: 4.85/5
- Average Better Moves rating: 4.3/5
Customers rate Safeway highly for its transparency and affordability. While its B- rating with the BBB is lower than NAVL’s, customers consistently praise its flat-rate pricing and responsive communication.
Safeway’s ability to deliver cost-effective solutions without compromising quality makes it a standout choice for budget-conscious movers.
North American Van Lines
- BBB rating: A+
- moveBuddha rating: 4.5/5
- Average Better Moves rating: 4.2/5
North American Van Lines has a stellar reputation, with customers praising its shipment tracking and guaranteed pricing.
Its A+ BBB rating reflects its commitment to addressing customer concerns, and its moveBuddha rating highlights consistent service quality.
Round winner: Despite NAVL’s better BBB rating, Safeway Moving is the winner here based on our thorough company rating process and stronger customer feedback.
Compare services
Safeway Moving
Safeway focuses on long-distance and interstate moves, offering all the essentials, including packing and unpacking services, custom crating for fragile items, and up to 30 days of free climate-controlled storage.
While it doesn’t specialize in local moves, Safeway’s emphasis on flat-rate pricing and simplicity appeals to customers looking for straightforward, cost-effective long-distance service.
North American Van Lines
North American Van Lines provides one of the most extensive service lineups in the industry. From local and interstate moves to international relocations, NAVL’s versatility is a major strength.
It offers specialty services like vehicle transportation (Safeway lacks this service), fragile-only packing, and corporate relocation, making it ideal for complex or high-value moves. We’ve also found NAVL’s services to be customizable, allowing you to pick exactly what services you need for your move.
Round winner: Round one goes to North American Van Lines for offering a broader selection of services, particularly for local and international moves.
Compare availability
Safeway Moving
Safeway serves all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, with an extensive network of nationwide movers.
They do not advertise local moves, but they accommodate them on a move-by-move basis. While its international services are less extensive than NAVL’s, Safeway’s straightforward focus on interstate and long-distance moves should meet most customers’ needs.
North American Van Lines
North American Van Lines provides moving services in all 50 states and has a robust international network, carrying out moves in more than 130 countries.
Its ability to handle local, interstate, and global relocations sets it apart as a comprehensive service provider.
Round winner: This round goes to NAVL. While Safeway can cater to most long-distance moves, it doesn’t compete with NAVL’s extensive local and international moving services.
Compare cost structure
Safeway Moving
Safeway is known for its affordability—its flat-rate pricing eliminates hidden fees, and the company provides discounts for military members and early bookings. Safeway is also one of a handful of movers that price matches if you receive a more competitive offer from another mover.
With recent improvements like mandatory virtual walkthroughs for quotes, its pricing has only gotten more accurate. Customers frequently note that Safeway’s final costs closely match their initial estimates, so they don’t have to worry about last-minute price hikes.
North American Van Lines
North American Van Lines also provides binding estimates that it determines using in-home walkthroughs. However, customer feedback suggests that their pricing isn’t always the most accurate.
While NAVL’s pricing is competitive, it’s on par with industry averages and can be higher than budget-focused providers like Safeway. NAVL offers some discounts upon request, but they don’t price match.
Round winner: We give this round to Safeway Moving. Safeway’s overall affordability, true flat-rate pricing, discounts, and price matching are hard to beat.
Compare the quote process
Safeway Moving
Safeway offers virtual walkthroughs as part of its triple-check verification process, which balances accuracy and convenience.
Customers say they appreciate how simple it is to get a quote and appreciate Safeway’s price-matching policy. Safeway’s focus on clear, upfront communication during the quote process is a major draw.
rating
4.85 / 5
89% of users select this mover
North American Van Lines
Similar to Safeway, North American Van Lines relies on in-home and virtual walkthroughs to come up with binding estimates.
Based on our Better Moves customer feedback, NAVL’s quote process isn’t the quickest and the company gets some complaints about inaccurate pricing.
rating
4.5 / 5
89% of users select this mover
Round winner: Safeway Moving stands out here. While both companies offer a similar quote process on the surface, we’ve found that customers find Safeway’s quotes more accurate and convenient to obtain.
Safeway Moving vs. North American Van Lines: Final Score
Safeway Moving takes the prize with its unbeatable combination of affordability, transparent pricing, and professionalism.
While North American Van Lines’ specialized services and massive network are noteworthy, Safeway’s reliable, cost-effective approach makes it the top choice for most long-distance moves.
| Comparison category | Round winner |
|---|---|
| Company reputation | Safeway |
| Services offered | NAVL |
| State availability | NAVL |
| Cost structure | Safeway |
| Quote process | Safeway |
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