1. Who we are and what this policy covers
Container Trader LLC (“Container Trader,” “we,” “us” or “our”) operates thecontainertrader.com, an online marketplace for buying, selling and delivering shipping containers, together with our seller plans, the Dealer Pro wholesale exchange, the referral program, and our email, phone and messaging support (together, the “Services”).
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices you have. It applies to buyers, sellers, dealers, suppliers, referral partners and visitors. It should be read together with our Terms of Service.
Independent dealers, sellers, suppliers and transportation providers who receive your information through the marketplace to complete a sale or delivery handle it under their own privacy practices.
2. Information we collect
Information you give us
- Account details: name, email address, phone number, password, account type (buyer, seller or dealer) and, for businesses, the business name.
- Profile and listing details: business profile, container listings, photos, prices, depot or yard locations and descriptions.
- Order and delivery details: billing and delivery address, delivery ZIP code, site type (for example residential or commercial), delivery notes and order history.
- Seller plan and Dealer Pro applications: business address, type of physical location, business license, resale certificate or EIN, website or Google Business Profile and other details you choose to provide.
- Wholesale exchange: supplier stock lists, purchase requests, messages, photos and documents shared on a request.
- Referral program: your referral code and link, referrals and commissions credited to you, and the payout and tax information needed to pay you (such as a W-9).
- Communications: messages sent through the marketplace, emails, form submissions, reviews, and phone calls or texts with us.
Information collected automatically
- Device and usage data: IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, links clicked, referring site and the date and time of visits.
- Approximate location: the ZIP code or city you search, which we use to show nearby containers and estimate delivery. We do not collect precise GPS location from your device.
- Cookies and similar technologies, described in the Cookies and tracking section below.
Information from other sources
- If you sign up with Google or Facebook, we receive basic profile information from that service, such as your name and email address.
- Stripe tells us whether a payment, payout or identity check succeeded. It does not give us full card or bank numbers.
- Referral partners, dealers and suppliers may give us information about you when they refer you or complete an order with you.
- Advertising and analytics partners may give us reports about how people found and used the site.
3. How we use information
- Create and run your account, and show your listings and profile on the marketplace.
- Process orders, payments, seller plan subscriptions, payouts and refunds.
- Estimate delivery costs and arrange delivery with dealers and transportation providers.
- Review seller plan and Dealer Pro applications and confirm that dealers and suppliers meet our eligibility rules.
- Run the wholesale exchange, including masking identities between dealers and suppliers until a request moves forward.
- Credit referrals and pay partner commissions.
- Send order updates, account and security notices, message notifications and replies to your questions.
- Send marketing emails and show ads about Container Trader, where allowed and subject to your choices.
- Measure and improve the site, our ads and our services.
- Prevent fraud, spam and abuse, review messages for safety and policy compliance, enforce our Terms and meet legal, tax and accounting obligations.
4. What other marketplace users see
Some information is shared with other users so the marketplace can work:
- Your public profile, listings, business name and reviews can be seen by visitors.
- When you message, buy from or sell to someone, they receive the details needed to complete the transaction, such as your name, contact details and delivery address.
- On the wholesale exchange, dealers and suppliers see each other under masked identities. Request photos and files are visible only to the dealer and supplier on that request and to Container Trader admins.
- Referral partners see the status of referrals credited to them and the related commissions. They do not see your payment details.
5. Service providers we use
We share information with companies that help us run the Services. They may use it only to provide services to us or as described in their own privacy policies.
- Sharetribe: marketplace platform that stores accounts, listings, transactions and messages.
- Stripe: card payments, seller payouts, identity checks and seller plan payment links.
- Render: website hosting and the private database for the wholesale exchange and the referral program.
- Google: Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager and Google Ads for measurement and advertising; Google Maps Platform for route distances in delivery estimates (we send the delivery ZIP code, not your name); and Google sign-in.
- Meta: Meta Pixel for measuring and improving our Facebook and Instagram ads, and Facebook sign-in.
- Mapbox: maps and location search on listings and search pages.
- Resend: account, order, message and referral email notifications.
- Constant Contact: seller plan, Dealer Pro and consignment application forms, and marketing emails.
- Phone and answering services: help us answer calls and texts to our support line, which may include an automated assistant.
- Affirm and other financing providers: only if you choose to follow a link to apply. Your application is between you and that provider.
6. Other ways we share information
- With dealers, suppliers and transportation providers when needed to quote, fulfill or deliver an order.
- With professional advisers such as accountants, lawyers and insurers.
- When required by law, court order or a valid legal request, or to protect the rights, property or safety of Container Trader, our users or others.
- In connection with a merger, sale, financing or transfer of all or part of our business, in which case this policy will continue to apply to your information.
- With your consent or at your direction.
We do not sell your personal information
We do not sell personal information for money. Some state privacy laws treat the use of advertising cookies and pixels (such as Meta Pixel and Google Ads) as “sharing” for targeted advertising. You can opt out as described in the Your choices and rights section.
8. Payment information
Payments, payouts and seller plan subscriptions are processed by Stripe. Card and bank details are entered directly with Stripe and handled under Stripe’s privacy policy. Container Trader does not see or store full card numbers or bank account numbers. We receive limited details such as the card brand, the last four digits, the payment status and the amount.
9. Emails, messages and calls
We send service emails about your account, orders, messages, applications and referrals. These are part of the Services and you cannot opt out of them while you have an account.
With your permission or where allowed by law, we may also send marketing emails. You can unsubscribe at any time with the link in the email or by contacting us.
Messages sent through the marketplace are stored on our platform and may be reviewed to prevent fraud, spam and off-platform payment requests, and to enforce our Terms.
If you call or text our support line at 1-844-321-2876, the call or text may be answered by an answering service or automated assistant and may be recorded or transcribed so we can follow up and improve our service.
10. How long we keep information
We keep personal information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the Services. After that, we keep it only as long as reasonably needed for the purposes in this policy, for example:
- Order, payment, payout and commission records: as long as needed for tax, accounting and legal purposes, typically up to seven years.
- Messages and wholesale request records: for the life of the account and as needed to resolve disputes.
- Referral attribution: the referral cookie lasts 90 days; credited referrals are kept with the partner’s commission records.
- Analytics and advertising data: according to the retention settings of Google and Meta.
When information is no longer needed, we delete it or de-identify it.
11. How we protect information
We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), access controls, private storage for wholesale files and removal of location metadata from uploaded wholesale photos.
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please use a strong, unique password and tell us promptly if you think your account has been compromised.
12. Your choices and rights
- Account information: you can review and update most account and profile details in your account settings.
- Marketing emails: use the unsubscribe link in any marketing email.
- Cookies and ads: use your browser settings, Google’s Ad Settings and Meta’s ad preferences to limit analytics and ad tracking. Google also offers a Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
- Account deletion: ask us to close your account and delete your information. We may keep some records where required by law or for legitimate business purposes, such as completed transactions and tax records.
State privacy rights
Depending on where you live, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Virginia and other states with privacy laws, you may have the right to know what personal information we hold about you, to access, correct or delete it, to receive a copy, and to opt out of targeted advertising or the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.
To make a request, email support@thecontainertrader.com. We will verify your request using information connected to your account, and may ask an authorized agent for proof of authority. If we decline your request, you may appeal by replying to our decision.
13. Children
The Services are intended for adults. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under 16 where state law sets a higher age). If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.
14. Where information is processed
Container Trader is based in the United States, and our service providers mainly store and process information in the United States. If you use the Services from outside the United States, including from Canada, you understand that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those where you live.
15. Third-party sites and services
The Services link to sites we do not control, such as financing providers, transportation providers, social networks and dealer websites. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, and we are not responsible for them.
16. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the updated policy on this page and change the “Last updated” date. If we make material changes, we will give additional notice, such as an email or a notice on the site. This version replaces the policy dated July 31, 2026.
17. Contact us
Questions or requests about this policy or your personal information can be sent to Container Trader LLC at support@thecontainertrader.com or by phone at 1-844-321-2876.