Silk Fan B2B Defect Claims and Returns FAQ

Data: ISO standards on quality and nonconformity describe how a product that fails to meet a stated requirement is identified and handled, and the requirement is the specification the parties agreed.

Judgment: Attach the approved specification and sample to the claim clause, because a defect can only be asserted against a written requirement rather than against a personal expectation.

Source: ISO — Standards Catalogue: Quality and Nonconformity (2024)

Data: ASTM test methods and specifications provide standardized ways to measure and compare a product against a requirement, which allows a fault to be described in terms both parties can check.

Judgment: Describe each fault with a measurable term — warp in millimetres, pivot force, print versus brush — because a claim phrased as an opinion invites a negotiation instead of a remedy.

Source: ASTM International — ASTM Test Methods and Specifications (2024)

Data: U.S. CBP importer guidance covers entry and the records associated with imported goods, which is the documentation that supports a claim when a shipment's condition is disputed.

Judgment: Record the delivery date and the inspection date together, because the notice window is measured from receipt and a claim that cannot be dated cannot be enforced.

Source: U.S. CBP — Importer Guidance and Compliance Resources (2024)

What counts as a defect in a silk fan order?

A defect is a failure to meet the approved specification: a material substitution, a frame that is warped or split, a pivot that does not hold, a print where hand-painting was agreed, or packing that allowed transit damage. Natural variation between hand-painted pieces, such as a small difference in brushwork, is not a defect unless it falls outside the range shown in the approved sample. Define both sides in the specification.

How quickly must a wholesale silk fan claim be raised?

Within the notice window written into the purchase order, which is usually short and counted from delivery, with hidden defects allowed a longer period once they are discovered. Inspect on arrival and log the date, the carton numbers, and the fault. A claim raised after the window may be refused even when the fault is real, so the window and the inspection date should be tracked as part of the order.

What evidence should a defect claim include?

Five items: an arrival inspection note that starts the clock, photographs that show the fault with the carton number, a count by defect type, the approved sample as a comparison baseline, and any inspection report from origin. Photograph the carton label with the fault so the batch can be traced at the factory, and describe each fault in a measurable term so the claim can be checked rather than argued.

What remedies should a claim offer?

Use a ladder rather than a single outcome: replacement of the faulty units, a credit against the invoice, a price adjustment for the affected portion, or return and refund for a total failure. The remedy should fit the loss, and a partial credit is often faster and cheaper than a return shipment. Write the ladder and the response time into the purchase order so the response is predictable.

How do hidden defects differ from visible ones?

Visible defects are counted from delivery and should be found at the arrival inspection. Hidden defects, such as moisture damage that appears after storage, run from the date of discovery rather than receipt, but only if the specification allows for them and the storage conditions are documented. Record the storage conditions so a hidden-defect claim is not defeated by a question about how the goods were kept.

What policy wording should a buyer reuse?

Six clauses: the defect definition anchored to the specification, the variation carve-out for natural handcraft range, the notice window from delivery, the evidence required including photographs and counts, the remedy ladder with response times, and the allocation of freight responsibility on a return. Agree the clause set before the deposit, not after the goods arrive.