We have imported some containers of tiles consignments from Foshan, China on C&F basis recently. Since the consignment was on C & F, the supplier has sent the goods through their own forwarder and informed us their Agent in Delivery port in India.

 Within 15 days after sailing, the original documents reached in our bank and we have made payment (very big amount!!). We have started follow-up for goods. However, the forwarder’s agent in India kept repeating that they have not received any information from their Chinese counterpart about this shipment, upto one month. Due to our vigorous follow-up we came to know the shipment struck at transshipment point (Singapore).

After that we have got too many extension of arrival goods from forwarder, shipping line and supplier. Finally they have delivered the goods at delivery port 91 days after, in three part (direct vessel take 12 to 18days only). Due to this callous attitude of shipping line, we have lost too many customers as we could not execute onward supply in time and encountered a huge loss. We felt a total helpless.

The above ordeal has happened to us a few months before. Dear friends, please suggest what are the actions normally we can take if the consignment (on C & F basis) not reaching in port in a reasonable time? When shipping line and forwarders are showing irresponsible behavior?

Replying to [SUNRISE]:It is very sad to hear this, Firstly, try to bring this in the notice of higher official of the shipping line.

Secondly do not forget the lesson to deal with further import consignment.

If regular imports are there then identify a shipping line who can provide you economical rates plus minimum delivery time and make a contract. deal with suppliers on FOB terms.

All the best.

Replying to [Anshu]: No other options/ rights in the hand of buyers to get timely delivery ? Lot of buyers are bringing goods C & F or CIF basis. All these buyers are at the kindness of shippingline ? For your informtion, we have taken up the matter with higher authorities, even sent legal notice.
But shipping line and forwarder has insisted that the contract was made at China with their Chinese counterpart and supplier. therefore any complaint, which sort out only their chinese counterpart.

Our lot of consignemnt are comming from China on FOB and exw terms. here we have good control over the selection of shipping line and vessel schedule. In this case, the supplier refused to quote on fob term and they insisted C & F term. Now the supplier is claiming they had also kept in dark by the shippingline given false information.

Replying to [SUNRISE]:

Find a good shipping forwarder in your country and ask your suppliers to quote base on FOB, you’ll have more control over it. The negative impact on CIF is that the seller will just find the cheapest way to ship to you and if they use the long route you cannot do anything.

Replying to [SUNRISE]:
i think that it's not taking so long time on the transportation time.
and also it's no need to transfer the vesseal ,it should be directly shipping line. maybe they are choosing the wrong shipping agent.
next time you can asking them to give u at FOB terms.
and you can asking your suppliers to quote the ocean freight for you.
when they give us the container no for the shipping line.
you can checking with them is it they are on board on the webstie .

Hope you can be careful on next time.

Replying to [SUNRISE]:Then you need to consult supplier to bear the burden of the delayed shipment, as it is all messed by him only. You can even ask him to deal with the agent regarding reimbursement of the delayed delivery charges, clearly indicating the cost of lost order due to the delay.

Quoting from [SUNRISE]:

We have imported some containers of tiles consignments from Foshan, China on C&F basis recently. Since the consignment was on C & F, the supplier has sent the goods through their own forwarder and informed us their Agent in Delivery port in India.

 Within 15 days after sailing, the original documents reached in our bank and we have made payment (very big amount!!). We have started follow-up for goods. However, the forwarder’s agent in India kept repeating that they have not received any information from their Chinese counterpart about this shipment, upto one month. Due to our vigorous follow-up we came to know the shipment struck at transshipment point (Singapore).

After that we have got too many extension of arrival goods from forwarder, shipping line and supplier. Finally they have delivered the goods at delivery port 91 days after, in three part (direct vessel take 12 to 18days only). Due to this callous attitude of shipping line, we have lost too many customers as we could not execute onward supply in time and encountered a huge loss. We felt a total helpless.


The above ordeal has happened to us a few months before. Dear friends, please suggest what are the actions normally we can take if the consignment (on C & F basis) not reaching in port in a reasonable time? When shipping line and forwarders are showing irresponsible behavior?

If the ship was held in Singapore for not paying fees then you have no recourse. Unless YOU insured the shipment as being time sensative there is not much you can do.

If you often have to do time sensitive shipping you need to have a shippinng agent on your end who can set up the insurance correctly for you so that you don;t lose out.

Replying to [SUNRISE]:
really so sorry to hear that.
for c&f, pls note that suppliers will try their best to find the cheapest shipping company, different shipping companies have the great price gaps, so you have to check the forwarder by yourself to check which is good for you to clear the customs, then you can offer 2-3 shipping companies to them and ask your supplier to choose one.

Replying to [SUNRISE]:

Hello there,

Wow, your story matches with pretty much what has already happend to me. Since I deal in scraps, its essential that the goods arrive on time, due to the market fluctuation in prices.

Here is what usually happens if the shipment gets delayed.

As you already mentioned that the Supplier had his own shipping agent, and quoted you the CNF rates, the problem with that is, if the supplier doesn´t pay the shipping guy on time, the tend to delay things. So in future you should put direct pressure on the supplier. the mistake that you made is that you already paid the whole amount in, so you had no leverage to control the happening.

Another problem that happens is most of the Chinese agents don´t have agents in India, and if they do then mostlikely they are rookies, since its more or less a bidders market when a Forwarding agent seeks to establish a connection with another Agent in another country for a specific shipment. What that means, if the offer is low you will obviously have a bad shipping agent on both sides, since the one trying to connect is offering low money, and to that low ammount only rookies hook up.

The way you described it, that the indian agents didn´t receive anything from the Chinese, goes to say that they are careless, no one side is showing initiative to help you, simple reason is if none of them have received the payments from the Supplier, why should they even care, since their only security of receiving the money is to hold back the goods.

As usual the customer or the buyer is the victim. But at times if there is a unexperienced forwarder, who tends to do mistakes, is also a reason if the supplier was a little greedy on the money to safe more money.

Here is WHAT YOU CAN DO?

In deal were big amounts come up, its common to have some sort of security ready for
- Goods get damaged
- Delayed shipments for time sensitive goods
- Wrong goods (wrong sizes, material, color)
- Quality doesn´t match the sample

Usually the security is quiet simple, you don´t need any contract or anything else. The simplest way to control all of this is Money, if you lets say pay 70% upfront and keep the 30% after the shipment arrives, then you have leverage and you will be amazed how fast your shipments arrive. Especially since now that the supplier will put all of his efforts in getting your goods to you as quick as possible, and in orderly fashion, since now his money is stuck in your hands.

As for the Shipping agents, its very hard to get them at all. They can easily put the fault on someone elses head, not bother about it. The only way they will submit to you is if you have made an aggreement with them, or hold on to their money (but even then they can win, its like chess, you will have to find the right timing with them, even I am still figuring out how to perfect that)

Hope that helps you.

Good Luck
Namaste

Replying to [SUNRISE]:
Sad to hear your story but good to know so many willing to help.
I wish to be helped as well. I have the opposite story to tell. A few months ago. I struck a deal with a HK buyer. The term is C & F via sea freight. We have done everything accordingly to the contract. Our forwarder has faxed us the B/L and advised the arrival of vessel.... Subsequently we have faxed all the shipping documents to HK buyer. So to me as the sales guy. this deal is finished. But 2 weeks later I got a call from our freight forwarder to tell me the shipping line made a mistake. They did not actually put our consigned goods on board. My god ! how can that happened ? I could not believe this but it happened. My HK buyer was so furious about this . Because they ended up paying a huge loss due to this delay. I checked with my freight forwarder for the compensation, it seemed to me they do not wish to put the case forward. their argument is you need to have insurance cover. But to me this is beside the point. B/L was issued. It is an obvious mistake by shipping line. but my hand is tied up, if I press this issue to my freight forwarder, I could risk the relationship with my colleagues and freight forwarder but if I don't, as a sales manager I could lose my valued client. Dear friends any suggestion for me ? I think I owe to my client morally and need to help them to get over this drama. please...

Replying to [SUNRISE]:We are importing fabrics from china to europe a we have faced the same problems. Urge your supplier (and state in your PO) that only COSCO is accepted as shipping agent.
We have done so and the last 10 supplies have been in time, some of them 1-2days early. Cause we are contracted as "deliverer in time" it was a big problem befor with other shippers, so we changed to COSCO and we are highly satisfied.
regards
Johannes M.Pospisil
marketing manager