If you’re ordering steel products from China, it’s crucial to be very discerning when selecting your business partners. Many clients have approached our team for assistance after experiencing unpleasant dealings with Chinese suppliers. Here, I’d like to summarize the most common trade disputes we’ve encountered in relation to steel products. We hope that our experiences can assist you in mitigating potential losses. Here are some cases with which you might be familiar:
1. After confirming the order and paying the deposit, you might receive a message from their salesperson requesting changes like increasing the order quantity, raising prices, delaying the delivery time or altering the payment terms for various reasons, even though everything was agreed upon in the Proforma Invoice (PI). In this scenario, they completely disregard the agreed terms and create obstacles in fulfilling the order. Ultimately, their intentions might be to retain your deposits without any intention of shipping the goods.
2. Upon receiving the goods, you find that the invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and all related documents indicate that they’ve shipped the correct quantity you ordered. However, upon opening the container, you discover that while the quantity is accurate, the weight is only half of what you ordered. In this situation, it’s crucial to weigh the goods at the destination port before transporting them to your warehouse, even if it incurs additional costs.
3. Upon receiving the goods, you find that the quantity matches, but the quality is subpar; it’s not the material you requested, or it’s a combination of incorrect quantity and poor quality. In this case, a test report from a certified laboratory is essential to substantiate your claims in a Chinese court.
If you’ve come across other situations, please don’t hesitate to share your experiences below. You’re also welcome to contact us for a free consultation if you’re facing any challenges in this regard. We’re here to assist you.
