How to claim compensation for damages goods?
Cuando importamos desde China, una de las cosas a la que estamos expuestos es que parte de la mercancía podría llegar dañada.
When we import from China, one of the things we are exposed to – especially when we do not order quality control – is that some of the goods may arrive damaged. That’s why we have to know how to handle this kind of situation and how to claim compensation for damages goods.
Establishing responsibilities
The first thing we need to keep in mind is which link in the chain failed and hold it responsible for our loss of time and money. This way we indicate that he must improve the production and the transport, thus avoiding that the problem happens again. To do this, we need to verify the following points:
- The responsibility was on the supplier: either because the container was badly loaded or because the boxes were not strong enough to withstand the weight.
- The responsibility was the carrier’s: It may be that, in the process of transporting the goods, the goods were either unnecessarily mishandled or dropped. Establishing these responsibilities is not a sympathetic process, as all parties try to get rid of the blame.
- The responsibility was the responsibility of the customs: it is not the most common thing; but, it can happen that the merchandise is intentionally damaged or stolen in customs.
How to avoid this problem?
To avoid this and many other problems, a quality control and a load control must be done. This not only reduces the chances that the problem occurs again but also obliges the quality control officer to document – with photos – the condition of the boxes and how the container was loaded. These images will be very useful when making a claim to the supplier or carrier; they will also serve as evidence to show the insurance company -if you have one-, or to the mediators, etc.
In case you go to court with the carrier, supplier, etc., apart from the above-mentioned images, you must have the commercial invoice, photos of the condition of the goods at the time of opening the container and an assessment by a qualified expert who, among other things, will verify what percentage of goods is faulty. If the amount of damaged merchandise warrants a lawsuit, you will most likely be able to get compensation for the losses.
Avoid getting to this point
To avoid this problem, require the supplier to protect the goods well and to load the container carefully. Above all, hire a responsible company to do quality control.
