When a jewellery order arrives with damaged or defective pieces, record everything before you sort anything: the state of the cartons and seals on delivery, then a full count and a quality check against the packing list and approved samples. Send the evidence to the maker, and to the carrier and insurer if transit damage is involved, within a few days.
Whether you get a credit, replacement or insurance payment depends almost entirely on how quickly and clearly you document the problem.
On delivery
- Check carton count, seals and visible damage before signing; note any problem on the delivery receipt.
- Weigh cartons if you recorded weights at dispatch, since a light carton points to missing goods.
- Photograph the cartons, labels and seals before opening.
- Keep all packing until the claim is settled.
Sort the problem by cause
Transit damage, such as crushed boxes, bent pieces and stones knocked loose, is a carrier and insurance matter, though poor packing can make it the maker's too. Production defects, such as thin or patchy plating, wrong colours, missing stones, weak clasps or mixed-up designs, are the maker's responsibility. Short quantities can be either, so compare against the packing list and the inspection report.
Separate the defective pieces by design and defect type and count them. A claim that says "38 pieces of style NK-104 with plating worn through at the clasp, photos attached" is far easier to settle than "many pieces are bad".
Raising it with the maker
Send one clear message with the purchase order number, the counts by design and defect, photos with a ruler or scale in shot, and what you are asking for: a credit, replacement pieces in the next shipment, or repair. Most Rajkot makers will replace genuine production defects or credit them against the next order, especially if you have a continuing relationship. Getting cash back after the balance is paid is much harder.
This is why the return and replacement terms belong in the order before you pay; see what a jewellery purchase order should include.
Preventing the next one
Most defects found on arrival could have been found before shipment. A pre-shipment inspection with a sampling plan, and packing that holds each piece still, removes most of the problem. Use each claim to update the specification and the inspection checklist for the next order.
What this means for a buyer
Document first, sort by cause, and claim within days. Creston & Co works for buyers only, for a fixed fee agreed in writing. We inspect before your goods leave Rajkot, and if something still goes wrong we take your evidence to the maker and follow the claim through. Ask for a free sourcing review.