As the UK’s leading seller of shipping containers, here at Lion we see people fall victim to shipping container scams almost every week. Most people fall prey to scams because they don’t know what to look out for, so today we are going to teach you how to avoid shipping container scams.
Shipping container scams have increased internationally and here in the UK at an alarming rate. All too often we receive pleas from prospective customers, distressed that they have attempted to purchase a shipping container elsewhere which has never actually materialised after payment.
Whilst we cannot make up for the losses caused by these fraudsters, we can offer some key points to look out for when making a shipping container purchase. Here are some important red flags you definitely should not ignore:
If the price is too good to be true, it usually is
A very common trap set by fraudsters is advertising shipping containers for an unrealistically low price. Whilst these smaller figures may be eye-catching, they are usually also a sign that the offer is a scam.
If a shipping container is advertised for a very appealing low price, do some research by collecting quotes from other shipping container vendors. If the seemingly cheap shipping container is vastly undercutting the average price offered by others, there’s a very good chance that said container does not in fact exist.
More often than not, these scam vendors disappear as soon as money is transferred for the presumed purchase.
At Lion we offer our customers the most competitive prices on the market, guaranteed. A realistic price tag with expert customer support will always be much more valuable than an impossibly low offer from a fraudster.
Avoid buying on a social media platform
Social media is, unfortunately, a hive of fraudulent activity. Many shipping container scams are posted on sites such as Facebook Marketplace and even selling sites like Gumtree and eBay, often under the disguise of a private seller wanting to shift their unit quickly.
Whilst there are some genuine offers on social media sites like Facebook, exercise extra caution before transferring any of your hard-earned cash. Even if the seller is legitimate, they will not be able to offer you unparalleled expertise and ongoing customer support in the same way that a market leader can.
Check their website
Any shipping container vendor worth their salt will have a full and comprehensive website, demonstrating that they are a legitimate company. If you have any doubts as to whether the company selling you the shipping container is to be trusted, cross-reference their address – as listed on their website – with records shown on Google or even Companies House. If contact details such as an address cannot even be found on their website, it is not worth taking the risk with the vendor.
Quickly scraped together websites with no company details or means of contacting by phone are two very big red flags that are not to be ignored.
If you’re looking to purchase a shipping container in safe hands, Lion Containers is the answer. As the pride of the shipping container industry here in the UK, we take pride in providing the best quality shipping containers on the market, whilst also offering our customers with expert support throughout and after the ordering process.
Speak to a member of our team today to get the ball rolling on your scam-free shipping container.
