SHIPPING DAMAGE

Contents

  • General
  • Open shipping damage
    • Open shipping damage Carrier delivery
    • Open shipping damage DHL delivery
  • Concealed shipping damage
    • Concealed shipping damage Carrier delivery
    • Concealed shipping damage DHL delivery
  • Other information

General

All items from our shipping centre in Henstedt-Ulzburg are checked and carefully packed by our shipping department. Nevertheless, in very rare cases, items in a shipment may arrive damaged or even missing. Therefore, please check your delivery very carefully upon receipt:

  • A damaged or compressed box may already indicate possible damage to the goods.
  • Check the completeness of the order by looking at the enclosed papers; it may be a partial delivery.

If the goods are obviously missing or damaged, please inform our service team immediately on 04193 991820. Of course, you can also send us an e-mail to info@contra.de. We will then clarify the further steps with you. We will then clarify the further procedure with you. Please do not return damaged consignments or items without first contacting CONTRA, as you as the sender will then have to prove that the damage or missing quantities did not occur during the return. In particular, it is in your own interest to follow the procedures described below in the event of a

  • open shipping damage
  • concealed shipping damage

Open shipping damage

If there is visible damage to the item, open the item immediately in the presence of the delivery person. Make sure that there is no concealed shipping damage. In particular, check whether an item is damaged or missing.

Normally, your signature not only confirms that you have received the goods, but also that the packaging is in good condition without any visible defects. Therefore, have the delivery person record the damage immediately. Have all damage to the packaging and delivered items described in detail and have all missing items listed in detail. Photographs of the damaged shipment and the damaged items have proven useful for preserving evidence. Otherwise, claims for compensation due to shipping damage are excluded. Alternatively, you can of course refuse to accept the shipment because of damage. Attention: A reservation with regard to later claims concerning shipping damage or completeness in the case of externally damaged consignments is legally irrelevant.

Open shipping damage Carrier delivery

CONTRA has large appliances delivered by carriers. In case of an open shipping damage, please unpack the shipment in the presence of the delivering truck driver and have the damage noted and certified with date and time on the delivery receipt or delivery note. Photographs of the damaged consignment and the damaged goods have proved useful for preserving evidence. Please also note the registration number of the truck. Afterwards, please inform our service team immediately on 04193 991820 or by email to info@contra.de.

Open shipping damage DHL delivery

If you notice shipping damage after a DHL delivery, please use the damage report PDF form on the DHL website. You can usually fill out the PDF directly on your computer or with a suitable app on your smartphone. If you do not have access to the online damage report, you will be helped further at a post office or postal agency. Please send us a copy of the claim by email to info@contra.de or by post and we will take all further steps.

Concealed shipping damage

Concealed shipping damage is when, after acceptance of an externally undamaged package, damage to the goods is discovered which indicates that the damage occurred during shipping.

Concealed shipping damage Carrier delivery

Inspect the goods immediately upon receipt. You must report the damage to our service office on 04193 991820 or at info@contra.de within five working days of taking delivery of the goods. Defects discovered later that are due to improper handling during shipping will not be accepted and replaced by the insurance companies. Please describe the damage as precisely as possible and keep the goods, including the outer packaging and shipping packaging, for inspection of the shipping damage. Photographs of the damaged shipment and the damaged goods have proven useful for preserving evidence. CONTRA will then contact you immediately and take further steps.

Concealed shipping damage DHL delivery

Take the damaged parcel to the nearest post office or postal agency, including the shipping packaging, so that the damage can be recorded by an employee there. If you are unable to present the parcel to the post office or postal agency, you should wait for the parcel deliverer and hand over the parcel, including the shipping packaging, in exchange for a receipt and have the damage recorded by the freight mail centre. Photographs of the damaged item and the damaged goods have proven useful for preserving evidence.

Other information

Unfortunately, the procedures of the shipping service providers for recording and reporting damage are complicated and time-consuming. Experience has shown that shipping service providers often refuse to accept liability for damage that occurred during shipping. Please make sure that the procedures are followed correctly, that all forms are filled out correctly and that all evidence (photos) is saved. Please do not sign pre-filled forms or other correspondence after being asked to do so by the dispatcher unless you have carefully checked for correctness.

Tips:

  • If the parcel was visibly damaged and you accepted the parcel without complaint, any liability is subsequently excluded and you are solely responsible for the damage. In the event of visible external damage to the packaging, please open your item immediately in the presence of the delivery person and check the condition of the goods.
  • If the package was not clearly damaged on the outside, please look for any signs of external damage on the package. Record and photograph every detail, e.g. slight indentations, and record them in the damage report. Photographs of the damaged parcel and the damaged goods have proven useful for preserving evidence.
  • Our packaging is tried and tested and has proven itself many times over. Our logistics staff are qualified and experienced and our packaging error rate is very low. Shipping damage to goods is almost without exception due to improper handling during shipping. If there are any notes in the damage report that interfere with proper claims handling because CONTRA is assigned the shipping damage on the basis of improper packaging, you should have an additional note with a corresponding counterstatement or an amendment written down in the damage form or write it yourself before you sign the form.
  • Unfortunately, the procedure for reporting and recording damage is time-consuming and complicated; the claims handling rules and procedures of the shipping service providers demand this. Despite the existence of transport insurance, in the majority of cases carriers try to shift the blame onto the consignor or the consignee in order to avoid having to pay.

State: 01.02.2023