SCFS
Filed
Sep 13, 2026
Read
1 minutes
Section
Inspection
Container field guide

What photos should a seller provide before I buy a container?

Before purchase, obtain current images of every exterior face, roof, doors and seals, interior, floor, underside where safely accessible, identification and each dent, repair or corrosion area.

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What photos should a seller provide before I buy a container? — Canadian sea can guide
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A seller should provide enough current photographs to identify the promised container and reveal its condition: all four exterior faces, roof using a safe method, door gear and gaskets, interior with doors open and closed, floor, underside or crossmembers where safely accessible, identification markings, and close-ups of dents, patches, corrosion or modifications. The set must also say whether it depicts the exact unit or only a grade example.

Anchor seller photos to the quoted container

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Four elevations reveal different damage

The roof needs safe evidence

Doors deserve an operating sequence

Interior photos should answer light, floor and history

Underside access has limits

Turn defects into quote line items

Seller photos should support an arrival comparison

Request an evidence set tied to the quote

Ask whether the sale is exact-unit or grade-based, then obtain the matching identifier, condition views, defect list and written repair commitments before acceptance.

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Related Canadian sea can guides

Common questions

What buyers ask next

How recent should container photos be?

Recent enough to represent current condition and custody. For a specific unit, request a fresh dated or quote-referenced frame when identity or fraud risk is material.

Are stock photos acceptable for a container sale?

Only when clearly labelled illustrative or grade-representative. The contract must define what condition the actual delivered unit will meet.

Can photos prove a container is wind and watertight?

They can reveal holes and seal defects but cannot fully reproduce weather exposure. Require a written condition promise, inspection method and remedy.

Should a seller photograph the container underside?

When safely accessible and relevant, yes. No one should crawl beneath an unstable unit; document limitations and use competent inspection for higher-risk purposes.

Research record

Sources

  1. ISED Office of Consumer Affairs — Online shopping
  2. IMO — International Convention for Safe Containers
  3. IICL — Technical Bulletin on container repair manuals
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