Freight claims are won or lost at the kerb. Once you have signed a clean delivery receipt, you have told the carrier in writing that the shipment arrived in good order — and that makes damage much harder to pursue afterwards.
The inspection takes five minutes. Do it every time.
Before the truck arrives
- Know your lot. Have the pallet count and, if you bought manifested, the manifest open on your phone.
- Clear the space. Decide where the pallets are going before they come off the truck. A driver waiting while you shuffle stock is a driver in a hurry.
- Be there, or send someone who can refuse a delivery. Whoever signs is making a decision on your behalf.
At the kerb, before you sign
1. Count the pallets. Against what you bought, not against what the driver says. If the count is short, write the actual count on the delivery receipt before signing.
2. Walk all four sides of every pallet. You are looking for crushed corners, torn or re-applied stretch wrap, a leaning stack, water staining, cartons that have clearly been opened, and any gap where boxes should be.
3. Photograph all four sides of each pallet, still on the truck or still wrapped. This is the evidence that matters. Photos taken after you have broken the wrap and moved things inside are much weaker, because nobody can tell what happened before or after the handoff.
4. Note anything you see on the delivery receipt itself. Specific beats vague. “Pallet 2 of 3, top two cartons crushed, wrap torn on north face” is worth far more than “damaged”. Get the driver to acknowledge it.
5. Keep your copy with the receipt number and the date.
When damage is obvious and extensive
You can refuse the shipment, or refuse part of it. Note the reason on the delivery receipt, photograph it, and contact us the same day on (210) 268-5542 or sales@directpalletoutlet.com. Do not accept a visibly destroyed pallet to “sort out later” — that is the hardest position to claim from.
After you unload
Open and count before you list anything for sale. If you bought manifested, count against the manifest; up to 5% of manifested units may be missing or different, and above that it becomes a claim.
The window you must not miss
- 7 calendar days from delivery or pickup to report shipping damage, a shortage, or a lot that is not as described. That is the claim window in our Warranty Policy.
- 30 calendar days from delivery or pickup to return any lot for a refund of the lot price, for any reason, with no restocking fee — see the Returns & Refund Policy.
- We acknowledge every request within 2 business days and decide claims within 5 business days of receiving complete information.
What to send us when you claim
Give us everything at once and the claim moves faster:
- Your order number.
- The delivery receipt number and date, and a photo of the receipt with your notes on it.
- Photos of all four sides of the affected pallets, plus close-ups of the damage.
- Your count, and for manifested lots the manifest lines affected.
- A one-paragraph description of the problem.
Full detail on handling times, transit times, pickup and freight terms is in the Shipping Policy.
