How long does the warranty of the export freight forwarder's shipping space last? Do you know?
Solved#Freight forwarding#
I recently shipped a batch of export goods and booked the shipping space through a freight forwarder. Now there are some situations during the cargo transportation, involving issues related to the shipping space. I would like to ask how long the warranty of the export freight forwarder's shipping space lasts? Is it calculated according to the transportation time, or is there a fixed warranty period? If problems occur after the warranty time, can I still ask the freight forwarder to handle them? I hope friends who know can help answer these questions.
Professional consultant answers
David LiYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Senior customs declaration consultantConsult
Generally, there is no so - called "warranty" concept for the export freight forwarder's shipping space. It is not like a commodity with a fixed warranty period. Generally speaking, the liability period of the freight forwarder starts from the receipt of goods and ends when the goods are delivered to the consignee. During this period, the freight forwarder needs to properly handle matters related to cargo transportation as agreed, including the arrangement of shipping space, etc.
If within this liability period, problems such as damage or delay of goods occur due to mistakes in arranging the shipping space by the freight forwarder, the freight forwarder should bear the responsibility. However, if the goods have been delivered to the consignee and there are no abnormalities during the handover, the freight forwarder usually is not responsible for subsequent problems. However, if there are hidden problems related to the shipping space and it can be proven that they are related to the previous operations of the freight forwarder, it can be negotiated and resolved with the freight forwarder. For example, if there are errors in the shipping space document information and it is discovered after a period of time that it affects the customs clearance of the goods, etc., communication and handling can be attempted.
Sarah ZhangYears of service：8Customer Rating：5.0
Document expertConsult
I think it depends on the provisions in the contract signed with the freight forwarder. Some contracts will specify the handling time limit for issues related to the shipping space under specific circumstances. Carefully checking the contract terms may help find the answer.
Robert ChenYears of service：6Customer Rating：5.0
Customer service consultantConsult
As far as I know, if the goods are damaged during transportation due to an unsuitable shipping space, as long as it can be proven that it is a shipping space problem, the freight forwarder should be responsible, which has little to do with time.
James LiuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Foreign trade tax refund consultantConsult
I heard from the freight forwarder before that if the goods are backlogged due to unreasonable allocation of shipping space and it is discovered within a short time, the freight forwarder will still handle it. But if it is delayed for too long, it's hard to say.
Michelle ChenYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Business coordination consultantConsult
Generally, after the goods are delivered, the freight forwarder pays less attention to issues related to the shipping space, unless it is a serious mistake that can be discovered immediately.
Joseph ZhouYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Senior foreign trade managerConsult
Actually, the key is to see if the freight forwarder has fulfilled their duties. If they have, problems with the shipping space will be handled promptly and will not reach the "warranty" stage.
William YangYears of service：5Customer Rating：5.0
International logistics consultantConsult
If the shipping space found by the freight forwarder has potential safety hazards, even if it is discovered after the transportation period, they can still be held accountable, after all, safety issues cannot be ignored.
Andrew HuangYears of service：7Customer Rating：5.0
Supply chain optimization expertConsult
Sometimes the freight forwarder has a connection with the shipping company. For shipping space problems, it may be necessary to communicate with the shipping company together, which may solve the problem more quickly.
Emily LiuYears of service：10Customer Rating：5.0
Settlement and payment expertConsult
I feel that it is better to contact the freight forwarder as soon as the shipping space problem is discovered. Don't wait too long, otherwise the freight forwarder may shirk responsibility due to the long time elapsed.
Elizabeth LiYears of service：3Customer Rating：5.0
Compliance and risk managerConsult
You can first look at the industry practice. Although there is no mandatory "warranty", according to the practice, the freight forwarder is responsible to a certain extent for subsequent matters related to the shipping space.