Dumpster rental scams have been on the rise. Your best option is to avoid Facebook Marketplace for any dumpster rental. Here are some tips to avoid being scammed.

How the scam works:

1. You click on the ad and either use their phone number or connect through Facebook Messenger. Usually, the person isn’t even in the country, and the phone number directs to a call center.
2. They gather your info just like any other rental company would. Sometimes you can tell something is “off”, they’ll ask a few questions that don’t make sense for someone who would be from the area.
3. They want payment through Venmo, Cash App, etc. They’ll even take payment after the dumpster has been delivered!
4. Meanwhile, after you book, they use Google to call a real dumpster company and book the dumpster with a stolen credit card.
5. The real dumpster company delivers the dumpster, you pay the scammer; everything seems ok.
6. A day later, the card will come back as fraudulent to the dumpster company that was hired. Typically, the company will contact you directly for payment, or if no true information was provided, the company may come and take the dumpster. Unloading the contents right where the dumpster was due to non-payment.
7. At this point, you’re out of the money you gave to the scammer, and since the actual dumpster company had a chargeback. You can either pay the actual price for the dumpster + the money you lost in the scam. Or you end up with the same pile of trash you started with, and hurt the small business that provided the dumpster.

What to look for if it’s most likely a scam:

1. The price is too good to be true! Most rentals will be in the $300+ range, with a specific weight included in the base price. If the ad is very vague and has little to no information, then it’s most likely a scam.
2. Look for very generic titles like “Dumpster Rental (Same Day)”. Most scammers will do the least amount of work, knowing it’s just a scam anyway.
3. No real contact information was provided, or the phone number does not appear to be a local number.
4. Listings are the same generic blurry image with no information on the dumpster, truck, etc. If the company is legitimate, there will be some form of branding, phone number, logo etc. on the truck or dumpsters themselves.
5. Multiple listings with the same image in different parts of the country.
6. Random name, and they just joined Facebook. Every listing they have is for the same dumpster rentals.
7. Other random hidden fees not shown. Or the listing fee isn’t the “real” fee when it comes down to booking.
8. Don’t pay with Venmo or CashApp etc. These have no way to pull money back after sending it. Berks-Lehigh Dumpsters & Hauling won’t accept any form of payment that puts the customer at risk.
9. Almost all Facebook Listings at this point are scams or illegitimate companies.

How do you know if it’s a “real” company:

1. Try to stay away from brokers or any generic-sounding company.
2. Look for a Google My Business listing on Google Maps. There will typically be a service area or location shown.
3. Look for a specifically branded website. It’s 2025 (or later when you read this). Most legitimate companies will have some form of a website with information, pictures etc.
4. Check Google reviews! Most places should have more than 50 reviews in the first year of operation. It also helps to see if the reviews all look the same or “bot” generated. If the review sounds like a computer AI made it up, it probably was!
5. Look for a local number to call.
6. Look for a company email address, not Jim123@yahoo.com.
7. Try to book online through an actual website interface. Most legitimate companies will take major credit cards etc. (Like we do with no extra charges!)

What are the Benefits of Renting from Berks-Lehigh Dumpsters & Hauling?

• Family Owned and Operated in Fleetwood, PA: When you rent a dumpster from Berks-Lehigh Dumpsters, you are supporting a local small business. We are not a franchise, corporation, or conglomerate; we are your neighbors, offering a friendly and personalized service for your waste management, junk removal, and construction debris removal needs.
• Multiple Google 5-star Reviews: We don’t pay for our reviews from clients. We simply ask to give their opinion, and help us be the #1 dumpster rental company in Berks County. With over 100 5-star reviews we continue to try and provide the best service with the best pricing.
• What you see is what you get: We don’t have any additional hidden fees. Everything is laid out on the website and in the contract at booking.