Why quotes are so hard to compare
Containers are not offered to a common standard. One dealer quotes a net price ex depot, the second a gross price delivered within 30 kilometres, the third a hire rate “from” with a minimum term in the small print. All three numbers sit side by side in your inbox and are simply not the same quantity.
On top of that, “used 20-foot container” is not a product description. Between a 15-year-old container with a rusted-through floor frame and a one-way container shipped once lie several thousand euros – and both are advertised with the same phrase.
The way out is unspectacular but effective: a standardised enquiry that forces every provider to return the same items.
The enquiry that produces comparable quotes
Send every provider the same text with the same details. It takes ten minutes once and can save a four-figure sum.
Include these details:
- Type and size, as precisely as possible: 20 ft standard, 20 ft high cube, 20 ft insulated room container.
- Intended use, because requirements follow from it: storage of dry goods, tool store, year-round office.
- Buy or hire, and for hire the planned period.
- Delivery address with postcode, not just the town.
- Description of the access: road width, turning space, ground, overhead obstacles. Plus two or three photos.
- Desired timing with a note on whether you are flexible.
And request these items explicitly and separately:
| Item requested | Why |
|---|---|
| Price of the container, net and gross | comparability, input VAT question |
| Condition grade with description | the biggest price variable in a used purchase |
| Year of manufacture or age | indicator of remaining life |
| Delivery, amount and vehicle type | largest secondary item |
| Collection on hire, amount | regularly forgotten |
| Minimum hire period and billing unit | changes the arithmetic considerably |
| Deposit, amount and repayment conditions | liquidity |
| Included time on site and waiting rate | most common additional charge |
| Warranty or assurances | see Purchase contract and warranty |
| Payment terms | prepayment is both a risk and a negotiating point |
A provider who answers this enquiry with only “20 ft used, €2,400, delivery by arrangement” has not answered the question. That is itself information.
Condition grades and what they mean for price
The labels are not standardised and dealers use them differently. The classification below is the most common in the market.
| Grade | Meaning | Price level vs. new | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| New / one-way | shipped loaded once, practically as-new | 100% | representation, fit-out, sea transport |
| Cargo worthy (CW) | seaworthy, valid CSC plate | approx. 70–85% | sea transport, high-value storage |
| Wind and watertight (WWT) | tight, but not certified seaworthy | approx. 50–70% | stationary storage, fit-out |
| Used, signs of wear | tight, clear cosmetic defects, possibly dents | approx. 40–60% | construction sites, material stores |
| As is / needs repair | leaking, rust damage, floor damage | approx. 20–40% | only with expertise and time |
For the overwhelming majority of applications wind and watertight is the economically correct choice. The premium for cargo worthy is only worth paying if the container will actually travel by ship – the CSC plate is worthless for a container standing in a yard for ten years.
Conversely, the bottom grade is almost always a trap for the inexperienced. Repairing a leaking roof is work; a rusted-through bottom rail is an economic write-off – and the two are barely distinguishable in sales photos.
The items that make quotes incomparable
| Hidden item | Typical amount | How to spot it |
|---|---|---|
| Collection at the end of the hire | approx. €150–400 | missing from the quote, present in the terms |
| Minimum hire period | up to 2 months’ rent | “from €X / month” without a period |
| Crane requirement | €300–1,000 | quote names no vehicle type |
| Waiting time | €60–120 per hour | no statement on included time on site |
| Wasted journey | full delivery plus a second trip | no requirements stated for access |
| Cleaning on return | €100–400 | “to be returned swept clean” without definition |
| Lock and lockbox | €60–200 | “lock optional” |
| Condition grade without definition | several hundred up to €2,000 | “good condition”, no photos |
| Net instead of gross | 19% | price with no net/gross indication |
For comparison, use a simple table converting every quote to the total cost for your specific period: container plus delivery plus collection plus all surcharges, and for hire multiplied by the actual number of months allowing for the minimum term. Only that figure is comparable. In a good half of cases it changes the ranking of providers.
When to buy: season and market conditions
Container prices fluctuate for three reasons:
Construction season. Demand for site, storage and office containers rises in spring and stays high into autumn. Between November and February the market is noticeably calmer – hire companies have idle stock and negotiate more willingly.
Steel price. It sets the price of new units and thereby indirectly the used market. In periods of high steel prices, even simple storage containers get dearer.
Container availability in shipping. When shipping lines retire large numbers of containers, stock reaches the used market and prices soften. When freight demand is high, containers stay in circulation and become scarce. This cycle explains the sometimes considerable price swings of recent years.
In practice: if you are flexible and buy in winter, you pay noticeably less for storage and site containers. With an urgent need in May that lever is unavailable – then the others remain.
Negotiating levers that actually work
There is little room in the margin on the container itself. On these points, however, there is:
- A longer hire commitment. By far the strongest lever, because it removes idle-time risk from the provider. Turning three months into twelve is often worth 20 to 30 per cent.
- Multiple units. Two containers on one journey are considerably cheaper for the provider than two separate orders. Claim that advantage.
- A flexible delivery date. Offering a window of a week allows you to be fitted into an existing route.
- Consider collecting yourself. Over short distances with suitable equipment this can save several hundred euros – only with correct load securing, see Transporting a container.
- Negotiate condition instead of price. Rather than a discount on a dented container: a rust protection coat or new door seals thrown in. It costs the dealer less and gets you more.
- Payment terms and deposit. For commercial customers, waiving a cash deposit or agreeing 14-day terms is often easier to achieve than a price cut.
- Name a competing quote. Not as a bluff, but concretely with its items. Reputable providers will then explain where their offer differs – and that is frequently genuine information.
What rarely works: blanket discount demands without anything in return, and pressure on providers already quoting at the bottom of the market. With conspicuously cheap offers the right question is not “can you do better” but “why is this so cheap”.
Warning signs in quotes
| Warning sign | Meaning |
|---|---|
| No inspection possible, no photos of the specific container | condition cannot be verified |
| Stock photos instead of images of the actual unit | typical of resellers without their own stock |
| Full prepayment demanded, no company address | substantial payment risk |
| Price well below market level | condition grade, hidden costs or fraud |
| No information on delivery | the most expensive item stays open |
| “Warranty excluded” with no further detail | legally questionable in sales to consumers |
| No written quote, phone only | nothing to rely on in a dispute |
For a used purchase, demand photos of the specific container with its number, at minimum all round from the outside, of the roof, the interior and the floor. A dealer with their own stock supplies these without argument. More on inspection in Buying a used container.
How sham companies operate with copied websites and prepayment, and how a bank guarantee protects you, is covered in Spotting fake container dealers.
Checklist before you commit
- All quotes converted to total cost for the actual period
- Delivery and collection included and quantified
- Vehicle type named, crane requirement clarified
- Minimum hire period and billing unit in writing
- Deposit with repayment conditions in writing
- Condition grade described, photos of the specific container available
- Requirements for access and ground stated, photos sent
- Net and gross unambiguous, VAT shown or margin scheme stated
- Handover record agreed
- Payment terms and company address checked
Important note
All prices and percentages are rough orientation values without guarantee. Condition labels such as “cargo worthy” or “wind and watertight” are not defined in law and are interpreted differently by providers; what governs is always the specific description in the quote. This article does not constitute legal advice; on warranty and contract drafting see the notes in the linked legal article.
Conclusion
Quotes only become comparable once you convert them all to the total cost for your specific period – including collection, minimum hire period and vehicle type. Send every provider the same enquiry with the same requested items and photos of the access route. On condition, wind and watertight is the economically correct grade for most purposes. And negotiate not on the container price but on term, bundling, timing and added services – that is where the room lies.
Further reading: Buying a used container, Understanding hire prices and Transport and delivery costs.