Verify the seller outside the advertisement
Check the company website, physical location, public contact information and business history. Call a number you found independently. Be cautious when a marketplace seller refuses a phone conversation or changes payment details at the last moment.
Ask for exact-unit evidence
Request current photos, container number, yard location, condition and availability. Reverse-image search suspicious photos and question inconsistent logos, weather, backgrounds or descriptions.
- Exact unit or clearly disclosed representative photos
- Written condition and price
- Origin yard and delivery method
- Named business on invoice and payment account
Read the complete price
A legitimate quote should identify the product, taxes, delivery and important conditions. Do not rely on a chat message alone. Avoid pressure to pay immediately because another buyer is supposedly waiting.
Use traceable payment and keep records
Pay the verified business using an agreed method and retain the quote, invoice, correspondence and receipt. Stop if account names, domains or instructions do not match. Report suspected fraud to the relevant payment provider and Canadian authorities.
Helpful answers before you decide
Is an unusually cheap container always a scam?+
Not always, but a price far below comparable delivered units is a reason to verify condition, ownership, location, taxes and delivery before paying.
What should a container quote identify?+
It should clearly identify the seller, unit or product, condition, quantity, price, taxes, delivery assumptions and contact information.
