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What to do in the event of damage?
What to do in the event of damage?

Below is a summary of the unfortunate situation when a parcel arrives damaged

Ferenc Horvath avatar
Written by Ferenc Horvath
Updated over a week ago

What should I do if the package arrives damaged?

As part of our strategic partnership with courier companies, we have introduced a special procedure for damaged parcels to make it easier to report damage. It also provides the legal framework to ensure that customers experience the least inconvenience from the incident. However, to ensure that everything runs smoothly, you need to communicate the procedures properly with your customers, avoiding misunderstandings and speeding up the process.

Claims handling process

The most important task when investigating a claim is to find out where the damage occurred and who is responsible. Therefore, it is very important to report the damage as soon as it is discovered. It is also important that the report contains all the necessary information: the order number, the package ID (tracking code), a precise description of the damage, photos of the damage, etc.

Since the customer has a contractual relationship with the webshop for his order and Webshippy has a contractual relationship with the delivery subcontractors, the claims handling is a four-part process: the customer reports the damage to the webshop, the webshop forwards it to Webshippy, which handles the customer's problem, and we investigate the case with the subcontractors. (As a consequence, Webshippy will not contact the customer directly and any compensation will be transferred to the webshop.) At the end, we will inform the webshop of the outcome of the investigation - this can take up to a few weeks depending on the complexity of the case.

To resolve claims quickly and in a way that is acceptable to the online store, it is important to meet deadlines. The customer should, if possible, inspect the parcel and its contents on receipt and record any comments in a damage report with the courier at that time. This is when the claim is most likely to be accepted.

If the customer does not have the opportunity to inspect the parcel on receipt, they have a maximum of 48 hours after receipt to make a claim on their parcel. It is therefore recommended that you report the problem as soon as you notice it.

What should I communicate to my customers?

It is a good idea to indicate in the "Warranty and withdrawal" section of the webshop what to do if you receive a damaged package. The safest thing is for everyone to inspect the parcel carefully when they receive it from the courier. In many cases, it is already obvious from the packaging that damage has occurred, so it is a good idea to ask for a damage report to be made on the spot. The courier will be happy to fill in the details so that an investigation can begin immediately. In such cases, it is important that the customer also reports the damage to the online store, enclosing a detailed description of the damage, photos of the damage, damaged products and the damage report.

If it is not possible to draw up an immediate damage report or if no external damage is visible on the packaging at first sight, the customer may report the damage immediately after the damage is discovered, but within a maximum of 2 days. Unfortunately, Webshippy is not able to enforce claims received after 2 days with its subcontractors.

Please include photos (showing packaging and contents) and as detailed a description as possible with your e-mail claim. If a damage report was made on receipt, please include a photograph of it with your letter.

If the customer wishes to return a product in connection with the case, you can use the Webshippy Returns form, which can be downloaded from the Webshippy website under "Submissions - Shipping and parcel handling options":

How can I notify Webshippy if there has been a damage event?

In the Webshippy interface, you can report to us by creating a customer service ticket if your customers have received a damaged parcel by clicking on the envelope icon in the top right corner.

Which fields to fill in on the claim report

Package identifier of the courier service

Please enter the parcel identifier, tracking code that the customer will receive via email and SMS. You can find this by going to Order Management - Orders and clicking on the barcode in the top right hand corner of the order.

Description of the damage

Please describe the damage in as much detail as possible: what, how, to what extent you think it was damaged.

When reporting the damage, please be sure to specify the exact product (SKU or barcode) and the number of the damaged items.

Invoice

Please upload the invoice that you sent to the customer (if the invoice was sent via Webshippy and the invoice is in our system, this is not necessary).
If the invoice was not sent with the package or if the value of the invoice is HUF 0, a copy of the invoice proving the purchase value of the damaged product is required. If you do not have one, please indicate this in the description of the damage.

Pictures of the damaged product*

Upload pictures of the damaged products here. This will help you determine the extent of the damage.

Pictures of the inside/outside packaging of the package*

Please upload pictures of the packaging: outer packaging (if there is any external damage), inner packaging (clearly showing the packaging materials: e.g. bubble wrap, space-fill pads, to prove that the packaging was professionally done)

This helps to identify where, how and what caused the damage.

Photo of the damage certificate issued by the courier service (optional)

If a report of the claim has been drawn up with the courier's assistance, please upload it, as this document can significantly speed up the procedure.

*We cannot verify the damage without the appropriate pictures!

If our transport partner has accepted our claim, the amount of the agreed compensation will be transferred to us. We will transfer this amount to you monthly at the end of the month or in the first week of the following month.

How to resend the product to your customer

The easiest way to replace the product to your customer is to place another order. The easiest way to do this is to use the copy order function - this creates a copy with exactly the same data as the original, which you can easily edit.

At Webshippy we do our best to ensure that your parcels suffer as little damage as possible during transit, but unfortunately only our subcontracting partners can be held responsible for any damage caused by them. What we can provide is smooth communication and support to ensure that the damage is resolved as quickly as possible.

Detailed information about the post-claim procedure can be found on the following page:

With GLS Exchange, you can easily send your customers a parcel so that the delivery courier brings the previously delivered product back to Webshippy's warehouse. And for packages delivered to FoxPost parcel machines, you have the option to offer your customers free parcel delivery within a few days of delivery. You can find more information about these services on the courier companies' websites:

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