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Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) advises consumers to use caution if doing business with Direct Sea Box, an online shipping container sales business which claims to be located in Springfield, Mo. A California man reported losing nearly $4,000 in a transaction with Direct Sea Box, while similar incidents have been reported to BBB Scam Tracker this year.
“BBB is receiving a lot of reports from people losing money in storage container transactions,” said Pamela Hernandez, BBB Springfield regional director. “If you’re in the market for a storage container, you really have to do your research so that you don’t lose any of your hard-earned money.”
Direct Sea Box claims to be located at 3551 East Turner Street in Springfield, which is the location for the Springfield Underground warehouse. BBB spoke with security at Springfield Underground which reported there is no business by that name operating there.
A man from Grass Valley, California, filed a complaint with BBB about a transaction he had with Direct Sea Box. The man said he was searching online for a container to use as office space and ordered a 20-foot modified shipping container in late April 2024.
The container was to be shipped to him 10 days after he paid $3,879 for the item. However, he never received the container and could not get in contact with anyone at Direct Sea Box after the sale.
“It seemed legitimate,” the man told BBB. “The price was a little too good to be true, but everything else seemed to check out. Their website looked good.”
According to web registration documents, the Direct Sea Box website was registered on April 13, 2024. BBB could not find the business listed in Missouri secretary of state records.
BBB Scam Tracker records show several reports made by consumers this year who lost money in shipping container scams. Typical reported losses were in the thousands of dollars.
Attempts by a BBB investigator to contact Direct Sea Box were not successful.
BBB offers these tips on avoiding shipping container scams:
- Research any business and its owners carefully before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Profile at BBB.org or by calling 888-996-3887.
- Before making a purchase, review the company’s website and contact information carefully. Make a virtual visit at the company’s address through Google maps. If the address comes up as an empty lot, residential home or post office location, that is a red flag.
- If advertised prices for the items for sale seem too good to be true in comparison with other sites, that is a red flag.
- Be wary of aggressive sales tactics. The business may apply pressure for you to purchase. Don’t give into the pressure. Take your time when making a buying decision.
- Pay by credit card whenever possible in case you need to challenge the payment.
- If you feel like you have been wronged, file complaints with BBB, the state’s attorney general’s office and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
- You can report scams to BBB Scam Tracker.
BBB St. Louis contributed this article.
