Unfortunately, container fraud is rampant in East Africa and if you’re not careful you could get scammed. Here are some steps to avoid this:
- Investigate what companies are charging for containers in general. A significantly cheaper price should raise concerns.
- Don’t be bullied into a sale with limited-time offers or claims that “this is the last container at this price”.
- Only deal with container companies that are established and have a historical track record you can verify.
- Don’t rely on website reviews which can easily be fabricated. Rather check out third-party reviews like Google.
- No landline number on their website means that the “container supplier” has no physical presence.
- If they have an address on their website, don’t take it for granted that it’s genuine. Google Maps is your best friend to verify.
- You should call the seller. If they have a foreign accent this should raise the alarm. Some fraudsters operate from overseas without any East African presence.
- Check the container company’s website domain registration date at whois.com. If registered in recent months, treat them with suspicion.
- If you’re asked to confirm the bank account you’ll be using for payment, only mention the financial institution. They could be buying time to open up an account to receive your payment.
- All legitimate local companies ask for full payment upfront. Usually, scammers ask for 50% payment upfront with the balance due on delivery of the container but they don’t deliver.
For over 30 years, Almar Container Group has been providing container solutions to both international and domestic partners and continues to focus on building strong relationships based on trust, reliability, and quality as a key to our success.
Almar Kenya opened its doors in Mombasa in 2011 and in 2013, Almar broadened its Kenyan operation, opening up the East African head office in Nairobi. The operations in Nairobi extended to offer a full spectrum of services including gensets and reefer rentals as well as container conversions. For more information contact Kenya, Nairobi at sales.ke@almar.co.ke or phone at +254 719 675 272 or Kenya, Mombasa on sales.ke@almar.co.ke or phone +254 719 675 272
