Two deadlines run on every order you place with us, and they do different jobs. Mixing them up is the most common reason a buyer ends up with less recourse than they actually had.
Window one: 7 calendar days — something is wrong with the lot
This is the claim window. It applies when the problem is on our side or the carrier’s:
- Shipping damage. The lot arrived damaged in transit.
- A shortage. Fewer pallets or fewer units than you bought.
- Not as described. The lot as a whole does not match its listing — wrong category, wrong grade, wrong lot.
- Manifest variance above tolerance. On a manifested lot, more than 5% of the manifested units missing or different from the manifest.
- Non-delivery. A shipment we arranged is lost.
Report it within 7 calendar days of delivery or pickup. On a valid claim we pay the return shipping and either refund in full, refund pro rata, or send a replacement lot. We acknowledge every request within 2 business days and decide claims within 5 business days of receiving complete information. The terms are in the Warranty Policy and the Returns & Refund Policy.
Window two: 30 calendar days — you simply do not want the lot
This is the return window, and it needs no fault at all. Any lot, any reason, within 30 calendar days of delivery or pickup, refunded at the lot price. No restocking fee.
Use it when the category turned out not to suit your channel, when sell-through was worse than you projected, when you misjudged the storage, or when you changed your mind. You do not need to justify it.
The practical difference
On a claim inside 7 days, we pay the return freight. On a change-of-mind return inside 30 days, you get the lot price back. If a lot arrived damaged and you let the 7-day window pass, you have not lost everything — the 30-day return is still there — but you have given up the stronger remedy. That is the whole reason to inspect and count immediately.
What good evidence looks like
- Photos of all four sides of each affected pallet, taken before the wrap came off.
- The delivery receipt with your notes on it, plus its number and date.
- Your unit count, and the specific manifest lines for a manifested lot.
- Your order number and a short, factual description of the problem.
What is not covered
Being clear about this up front is fairer than discovering it later. Liquidation merchandise is sold as-is and untested unless a listing says otherwise, so individual units that do not work are a normal feature of a graded lot, not a defect in the lot. Manufacturer warranties usually do not carry over to liquidation buyers. And a lot is not “not as described” because some share of a Customer Returns pallet turned out to be broken — that is what the grade means.
What is covered is the lot as a whole failing to be what the listing said it was, and that is a real protection.
How to raise either one
Email sales@directpalletoutlet.com or call (210) 268-5542, Monday to Friday. Send the evidence above in one message and the decision comes faster. Our Contact page has the full hours.
If you are still deciding on a first order, the Buyer’s Guide walks through grading, manifests, freight and claims in one place.
