With numerous online platforms that offer sea-can sales, it is only sensible to look for the best deal that we can find. Given the global shortage of sea-cans, which led to higher purchasing prices, various scams circled the sea-can to purchase market. Here we will list out some advice on identifying scams online so that you do not fall into the hands of fraudulent activities.
Be careful when browsing Facebook Marketplace.
Facebook is unarguably one of the most popular online platforms in terms of social media. With Facebook Marketplace, anyone could be a seller. It is surprisingly easy to post an advertisement; the only requirement is to have a Facebook account. Scams often use sea-can companies’ names or their original photos to make their advertisements look legitimate.
The most direct way to differentiate between a legitimate advertisement and a scam is the seller’s email address. For example, if you see an advertisement using the ContainerWest name, the person you communicate with should be using a company email address: Johndoe@containerwest.com.

ContainerWest yard on Mitchell Island, Richmond BC
Request to view the sea-can before paying for it.
Like purchasing any commodity, it is only reasonable for you to view the item before deciding to pay for it, especially when you are buying a sea-can that is usually worth more than one thousand dollars. We recommend to always ask for multiple photos of the container, or to be even more secure, request viewing the container at their location.
At ContainerWest, we will always send sea-can photos to customers upon their request. Customers are always welcome to come to our yard to view the sea-can they are interested in purchasing.
ContainerWest yard on Mitchell Island, Richmond BC

Trust your instincts.
When it comes to scams and fraud, sometimes it is obvious to catch. If we are not careful, it is easy to fall for it. It is always essential to trust our instincts.
Due to the supply chain issue, the industry is currently experiencing a shortage of sea-can. As a result, the price of a regular sea-can doubled or tripled. Scammers took full advantage of this phenomenon and offered cheaper than average sea-can prices to scam people. If you see a surprisingly cheap sea-can offer, you think, “This is too good to be true!” You are probably right. Moreover, if you feel that something is wrong when inquiring about the sea-can to purchase, you should be extra cautious.
After these suggestions, we hope you will not fall victim to fraudulent activities and to always choose legitimate companies when considering purchasing a sea-can. Feel free to send us a note or call us for more information.