Key takeaways
- The line-by-line manifest is the most important document in the deal. Read it line by line before approving.
- Ask for photographs of the actual goods rather than catalogue images, plus photographs of loading and the seal number.
- Third-party inspection is available and costs a fraction of a container's value.
- Tie the final payment to evidence of loading, not to a promise to ship.
- What you do not ask about before paying, you cannot object to after arrival.
Start with the manifest
Before any photograph and any inspection, read the manifest. A good manifest states, for every line: product description, model number, quantity, condition and unit price. A bad one says "mixed household goods — 20 pallets" and expects you to pay.
Look for three things specifically. One: is the condition grade stated per line, or once at the top? Two: if these are returns, is a sellable rate stated? Three: do the quantities add up to the stated pallet count or container volume? A mismatch is not always bad faith, but it is always a question worth asking.
Photographs: what exactly to ask for
"Send me photos" is a weak request and gets answered with catalogue images. Be specific:
- Photographs of the goods as they sit on the pallets in the warehouse, not product shots from the manufacturer's website.
- A close-up of the rating plate or label on the product itself — it reveals voltage, origin and model number.
- A photograph of the retail packaging, so you can judge its condition yourself.
- If the lot is returns, one item from the returns opened and photographed.
A supplier who actually has the goods can photograph them within the hour. A supplier who takes a week over one photograph may not have the goods at all.
Ask for loading and seal photographs. At loading, request: the empty container before starting, shots during loading, the full container before the doors close, and a clear photograph of the seal number. Those four settle any later dispute about what was actually loaded. Tie your final payment to receiving them.
Third-party inspection
This is a tool professional importers use and many new buyers do not know about. International inspection companies operate almost everywhere, and you can instruct one to visit the warehouse before loading, verify the goods against the manifest, photograph them and issue an independent report.
The cost is typically a small fraction of a container's value, and trivial against losing a whole shipment. More importantly, you can tie payment to the inspection report — either through a letter of credit that requires it, or by simple agreement that the balance follows the report.
When to use it? On a first deal with a new supplier, on any deal large enough that losing it would hurt, or whenever the goods are returns and your margin depends on the sellable rate.
What to do if the goods arrive wrong
First step: document before you unload. Photograph the sealed container and the seal before breaking it, then photograph the unloading. An intact seal proves the container was not opened in transit — an important fact in deciding who is responsible.
Then compare against the approved manifest line by line and record differences in numbers, not impressions. "The goods are worse than expected" is not a claim. "One hundred and twenty units short on line four, here are the pallet photographs" is a claim.
Notify the supplier immediately and in writing. A serious supplier will deal with a documented problem; nobody can deal with a complaint that arrives two months later with no photographs.
We photograph the load on every shipment
A line-by-line manifest, photographs of the real goods, and loading and seal shots before departure. If you want a third-party inspection, we welcome it and coordinate with them.