Money Saving Tips when Renting a Dumpster

Post date: Jan 24, 2013 11:59:53 PM

When renting a dumpster, the first thing that increases your total cost is not shopping local, and instead using a toll-free number or a broker website commissions the work to a contractor in your area. We agree that you may save a little time by using one of these services, and that's what they are, just a service, but you will trade your money for the convenience.

There are multiple paradigms that these business use to attract you to contacting them. One is having only a website where you enter your needs like the size of the dumpster, dates of delivery, and type of debris. From there, they engage with a contractors, and then the hope is that one of them will service your needs without issues. For this effort, the broker will either increase the total fee of the rental, thus a higher price than what the local contractor would normally charge, or else the local contractor will RAISE their regular price to make up for service charge that the broker requires. Either way, as the renter, you'll end up paying more for the service than had you contacted the local dumpster rental company in the first place. Some companies will offer a multiple bin discount, whereas booking through a website will never catch that you are a repeat customer, and you'll miss the opportunity to take advantage of this discount.

If you've ever booked a plane ticket through an online travel agent, then you may have found out that when something goes wrong that you need to contact that agent to resolve the issue. This may never happen, but when you find yourself stranded in an exotic destination trying to reach a website that doesn't really have any humans to answer the phone, then you'll start to understand why renting a dumpster like this can be a bad idea.

If/when you have a problem, you may be required to contact the broker, or just their website,and if they do respond, they may tell you to speak to the local contractor. If they contractor doesn't feel it is their issue, then they may send you back to the broker. This round and round will negate any time savings you may have had. If you start with the local contractor, you can expect the level of customer service to be elevated, and issues will be resolved as immediately as possible, as that contractor wants your positive feedback and reviews.

It's sometimes difficult to know when you're using a local dumpster rental company, because every search engine (Google, Bing, Yahoo) will return ads for your search of "Dumpster Rental [Your City], [YourState]". If you try that, examine the ads returned at the top of the page. Click on them and determine who they are, where they are located, and what phone number reaches a human.

On other websites, the company displays multiple local dumpster rental companies, but the phone number doesn't directly reach the rental company. Instead, it routes it through a tracking service, and the dumpster company is charged for that call. Even if you call and hang up, they still get charged. Although it is a relatively small fee in comparison to the bin rental, it still increases the marketing costs to the company, and it may get passed onto you. If you see a website that shows competing companies, verify that the number is the dumpster rental company's phone number. A simple search will quickly give you the real phone number.

All dumpster rental companies have terms and conditions, and if you fail to follow these rules, then you may find your total rental cost increasing to compensate for it. Overloading a container, Mixing debris, keeping the bin longer than permitted, and exceeding tonnage allowances are just a few examples. Also, some companies will include a fuel surcharge. As a consumer, this is like the server charging you a Shoe Sole surcharge when delivering your food. Take note of what that cost is, and ensure that you're willing to pay it.

Some thoughts on saving money, consider the following concepts. First, you can always share a dumpster with a neighbor. Before you book one, ask around and see if there's anything they've been considering discarding. Besides, you probably need someone to help you carry an old couch, and they probably have an old mattress that needs to go. Avoid throwing away rocks, water, and dirt. These things are heavy, and don't really need to go into the landfill. If you think it will rain/snow, then take the time to cover the dumpster so that things like couches, books, and mattresses don't get soaked. Finally, donations to non-profit organization will net you a tax receipt, and you won't have to pay the price for dumping the items. So, have the yard sale, then donate, and whatever is left, pay to have discarded.