01These are trade sales, not consumer sales
We sell to business buyers only. There is no cooling-off period and no general right of return on the ground that goods are no longer wanted, that a market has moved, or that stock has not sold through. Goods correctly supplied to the confirmed specification are not returnable.
02What we accept a claim on
- Shortage — fewer cases delivered than the packing list records.
- Transit damage — where risk had not passed to you under the agreed Incoterm.
- Specification error — goods delivered that do not match the specification confirmed on the pro-forma.
- Product quality — a manufacturing defect, or shelf life materially below what the pro-forma stated.
03Notification deadlines
Deadlines are short because carriers and insurers impose their own.
| Claim type | Notify us within |
|---|---|
| Visible damage or shortage at delivery | Note it on the CMR or delivery receipt at the time, and notify us within 3 working days |
| Concealed shortage or damage found on devanning | 7 working days of container devanning |
| Specification discrepancy | 7 working days of devanning |
| Product quality or shelf life | 14 calendar days of devanning |
A claim raised after these periods, or after goods have been resold, repacked, relabelled or moved on to a third party, cannot be assessed and will not be accepted.
04Evidence we need
Send all of the following to the trade desk in one message, quoting the pro-forma and container or CMR number:
- Photographs of the sealed container and the seal number before devanning;
- Photographs of the affected pallets in position, before they are broken down;
- Close photographs of the affected cases showing batch codes and best-before dating;
- A count sheet reconciling what arrived against the packing list;
- The signed CMR or delivery receipt carrying any damage notation;
- For quality claims, the batch code and a description of the defect.
Claims cannot be assessed on a written description alone. Please do not destroy, return or dispose of affected stock before we have confirmed in writing what to do with it.
05How claims are settled
Where a claim is accepted we will, at our option: replace the affected goods on the next suitable consignment, issue a credit note against the affected lines, or refund the invoice value of those lines.
Settlement is limited to the invoice value of the affected goods. We do not compensate for onward loss, including lost resale margin, demurrage, detention, storage at destination, or the cost of local re-inspection.
06Where risk had already passed
Under EXW, FOB, CFR and CIF, risk passes to you before the goods reach your market. Loss or damage occurring after that point is a matter for the cargo insurance rather than for us, and we will support your insurer’s claim with the commercial and transport documents they require.
07Returns that are agreed
Where we agree in writing to accept goods back, they must be returned in the original sealed manufacturer packaging, with intact batch coding, on our written return authorisation and to the address stated on it. Unauthorised returns are refused at the buyer’s cost.