Introduction
Even though our product packaging is designed to withstand several high-velocity impacts and our shipping partners are selected with the highest care, accidents can happen and products can be damaged upon delivery or items can go missing. This article explains what you should do in case this happens.
Example of a box with 'forklift holes'
Scope of this article
This article is about products which are delivered with physical damage or shipments with missing boxes or pallets only. For products which are not functioning upon delivery but are not damaged, the Dead-On-Arrival policy applies.
Who is responsible?
It depends on who initiated the shipment (responsibility as per agreed Incoterm):
- If Barco arranged transport (e.g. Incoterm DAP), Barco is responsible for making any claims toward the transport company/forwarder in case of damages or lost goods.
- If the customer arranged transport (e.g. Incoterm FCA Kuurne), then the customer is responsible to file the claim with his transport company.
Example of a box with 'water damage'
What to do when goods arrive with shipping damage?
It is the responsibility of the receiving party to inspect all goods which are delivered, at the time of delivery and before signing off.
Inspect for:
- Visible damage to the packaging. Look for dents, tears, water damage etc.
- Missing boxes: The number of boxes or pallets is always mentioned on the paperwork -> If something is missing, please make sure to note down the pallet number which is missing (typically HU number) or serial number(s) of the unit(s) which is (are) missing.
- Damage on impact labels. These labels can be stuck to boxes which should be handled with caution. In case a shock watch or tilt watch is red, make sure to note it down (including HU number) and inspect the goods with extra caution the soonest possible. In case the packaging is intact, in our experience, the goods are typically ok as well so this is no reason to refuse the goods.
- Any other irregularities, e.g. boxes have been opened and re-sealed.
Example of forklift damage
When an irregularity has been discovered, you need to do the following:
- Take note of the damage or missing goods on the shipping papers of the driver. Be very clear in your description of what is wrong. Example of well-formulated remarks:
- ‘1 carton missing’
- ‘packaging wet’
- ‘packaging torn’
- ‘packaging bent at the bottom’
- ‘corner broken off’
- 'Forklift holes'
- Make sure the driver countersigns the document with the remark and make a paper copy. Just adding a note in the electronic device of the carrier is not sufficient!
- Take enough pictures from different angles, detail pictures, and overview pictures.
- A general notification as 'With reservation of further inspection' is not accepted by an insurance company when a claim is made. The problem needs to be clearly mentioned on the shipping papers when signing off. Take your time to do this carefully.
How to escalate to Barco
If the shipment was organized by Barco, contact Barco customer service immediately because we typically only have a few days to claim the transport damage to the transport company. You can find your regional customer service contact information here: https://www.barco.com/en/support
Make sure to provide all of the following information:
- location of the goods
- coordinates of the contact person at the location of the goods
- coordinates of the contact person of the local Barco organization
- short description of the discrepancy or damage including the article number and quantity
- copy of the invoice (e.g. export, commercial) and shipping documents (e.g.: packing list)
- clear pictures of the possible damage
This information is what the transport companies require us to provide them in case we want to make a claim for transport discrepancies. Without this information, we cannot make a valid claim.
Should you not include this information immediately, then we will waste valuable time because a customer service representative will have to collect this information from you anyway.
