Misleading Pricing, Unexpected Fees, and No Accountability
Misleading Pricing, Unexpected Fees, and No Accountability
I booked SafeShip Moving Services after a personal referral and seeing positive online reviews. Unfortunatel
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Misleading Pricing, Unexpected Fees, and No Accountability
I booked SafeShip Moving Services after a personal referral and seeing positive online reviews. Unfortunately, the experience was very different from what I was promised.
My initial quote was about $4,800. When I hesitated, the representative immediately lowered it to approximately $3,300, while emphasizing limited truck availability and that the price might not be available later. I booked partly because I was told I had 72 hours to cancel.
Before booking, I repeatedly asked whether the estimate could change. I was told it would change only if my inventory changed. I also specifically described how far my daughter's apartment was from the building entrance and asked whether a "long carry" fee would apply. The representative assured me it would not, explaining that the fee was for situations such as a truck having to park a block away.
Three days before the move, SafeShip increased the estimate from $3,300 to $4,400, citing approximately 300 cubic feet attributed to my couch. I question that measurement, but with the move only days away, my options were limited.
When the assigned carrier, Stanford Moving, arrived, the crew immediately measured the distance from the truck to the apartment and demanded another $600 in long-carry fees. This was exactly the circumstance I had asked SafeShip about. After I disputed it, the charge was reduced to $300.
The move itself was poor. Two movers arrived, but only one, Jose, consistently did the physical moving. The other spent much of the time on paperwork and phone calls. After three hours, the relatively small apartment still wasn't packed and loaded, and my husband began helping Jose to get things moving.
At delivery, we were told there would be yet another long-carry fee. I refused to pay another unexpected charge and said the mover could leave our belongings at the 75-foot limit. I then spent approximately two hours trying to resolve the dispute with SafeShip. I asked them to review the sales calls because I had specifically raised this issue before booking. SafeShip offered no refund or meaningful resolution, saying the charges were up to the carrier.
The original $3,300 estimate had become at least $4,700—a roughly 42% increase—without including the additional charge attempted at delivery.
Only afterward did I investigate SafeShip's reputation more thoroughly. I found numerous negative customer accounts and public warnings concerning its review practices, including a MoveAdvisor notice about apparently non-genuine reviews and a BBB notice about allegations involving requests to withdraw complaint or review text. These are third-party warnings and allegations, not conduct I personally witnessed, but I wish I had seen them before booking.
My biggest concern isn't simply the money or an unpleasant moving day. It's that SafeShip made specific assurances during the sale and then disclaimed responsibility when the assigned carrier imposed the very fees I had asked about. I didn't fully appreciate when booking that SafeShip is a broker, not the company that actually moves your belongings.
If you're considering SafeShip, research the broker and the carrier separately, insist on written explanations of all possible fees, and read independent complaints rather than relying on headline ratings. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend SafeShip Moving Services.
Move size: Studio Move
Service cost:
$-2
