Damage, Claims & Credits

This page discusses damage, claims and vendor credits should this occur. PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE STRICT PROCEDURES FOR HANDLING AND DAMAGE OR CLAIMS RELATED ISSUES WHICH MUST BE FOLLOWED IN ORDER TO PROCESS YOUR CLAIM EFFECTIVELY.

Steps to follow if you are unable to locate an item you believed should have been in your shipment?

1. Paperwork: Please make sure to check both your on-line container report from ACF and not just your packing list. Packing list are usually prepared in conjunction with the warehouse managers and mistakes are common. You online order however in most cases will be correct.
   • More info on understanding your documents and packing lists can be found under the logistics section.
   • click here for samples images of these documents

1. Check Warehouse: If you have checked the order form and still cannot find the item, please double-check your warehouse. We have had instances where an item was set to one side or inside another and found after the check-in was complete. This is especially common with smaller items where it is important to check the insides of cabinets as well as drawers and other compartments.
2. Online Order: You online order in most cases will be accurate. Note that an item in your online order may not have shipped. Shipped items are in your containers report.
3. Order Confirmation: Did you actually confirm the item? Is that confirmation for that item in your online order and printed sales orders? If not the order may never have been formally placed.
4. Inform Us: If the item is still missing, please let us know. We will trace it back through our system to find where it went missing. If found, we can put it into your next shipment. If not, we’ll follow-up with the party at fault.

“A couple of items in our shipment were damaged during transit. What can we do?”

Our packing is done by professionals who specialize in furniture and decoration items. You will notice that our packing is noticeably superior to the packing you may have received from previous orders from China. However, there are limitations on what we can prevent and damage does occur on occasion. A significant amount of handling will occur and be it a small scratch or a larger crack or break, this is something to prepare for in advance in order to minimize cost and or downtime. The more handling of the item, the more chance of damage. This is especially true if you are in a harder to reach geographical location as customs may inspect you container on multiple occasions and/or loading unloading of the container occurs more then a few times. Smaller ports in unusual locations are particularly susceptible to this.

For the larger problems, where significant damage has occurred in several or more pieces, it is imperative that you follow the following steps:

1. Check the seal number: Compare the seal number on the container to the seal number on your bill or lading. If the customs department in your home country has checked the order, they will often unpack and repack the container. They will then put a new seal on the container. Comparing seal numbers will verify if this has occurred.

1. Document the damage: Document the problem immediately with clear photos and a detailed written description of the damage. Without photographs, there is very little anyone can do to assist you. If an item is damaged beyond repair, DO NOT discard the item until all claims have been resolved. SAVE ALL PACKING MATERIALS.

1. File an insurance claim: You will have a set period of time to file your claim. If you delay, you may miss your chance to get reimbursed. Let us know if we can help you with this process.

1. Create a Support Ticket: Depending on the nature of the problem, we may be able to help you which is why you must open a support ticket with us In some cases, it may be possible for us to have the vendor or craftsman produce a replacement part that can be fitted at your location. In other cases, we may be able to get the vendor to replace the item or give you a refund. Regardless, the feedback is extemely important.

• click here to see sample images of damage

• If requested, we can put a bottle of touch-up finish in with the order to help with the small scratches. This is often useful though you must request this in advance.
• Many customers have found it extremely useful to develop a relationship with a woodworker or carpenter on your end who can inexpensively assist with small nicks and scratches. Minor nicks and scratches seem unpreventable when transporting fragile cargo over such extreme distances and having a professional to assist with touchups can be invaluable.
• be extra careful when unloading on your end.
• Avoid excessively cheap products with poor craftsmanship. We find these items seem to damage the easiest.

Though under perfect conditions preventable, under normal conditions minor nicks and scratches are a common occurrence.

Since each and every product and situation is different, each claim is handled on a case-by-case basis.

You must provide the following information to us before we can address your claim:

1. Item Numbers. specify the exact items you are referring to using model and/or serial numbers.
2. Description: Send a clear description of the issues you are referring to specifying the exact nature of the problem.
3. Photos: Document the damage with photos right away. Document the problem immediately with clear photos and a detailed written description of the damage. Without photographs, there is very little anyone can do to assist you. If an item is damaged beyond repair, DO NOT discard the item until all claims have been resolved.

These products are hand-made items unique pieces which are sourced from a wide variety of workshops, craftsmen, suppliers and geographical locations and therefore would be foolish to assume they come with factory guarantees nor world wide warranties. We will work with you to follow-up with the party at fault (if there is indeed one) and though it may be possible to get you a refund for the value of your item this is not something we can guarantee. Some general suggestions and guidelines

• Vendors will generally not credit the full value of the goods. They MAY offer discounts.
• Resolving claims or complaints may take time (even months) especially during peak periods when vendors may be slow to get to us with replies.
• If you purchase an item from a vendor outside of our network there is little we can do to negotiate claims with them and we therefore recommend you work with ACF network vendors only.
• WE CANNOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR MERCHANDISE WHICH IS DAMAGED BY CUSTOMS OR THE CARRIER.

Note that damaged related claims or requests must be submitted within three weeks of receiving your container. Any requests submitted after this time period, will be handled on a case by case basis.

Some items require special packing in order to minimize damage. Examples of items which require special packing situations include:

• Stone
• Ceramics
• Custom built items
• Fragile items

Without special packing these items will become damaged. See here for detailed information about special packing

• Please understand the difference between quality control and quality assurance. We do perform limited QA on all items. We do NOT perform formal QC unless specifically requested in advance. For detailed info on QC/QA read more here. If you need products which adhere to a strict quality standard we reccomend you allow us to perform formal QC.

Many of the products we work with NOT machine produced and because they are hand-made a higher number of minor defects may occur. In many cases these are simply characteristics of “hand-made” process and NOT defects. Before submitting a claim, you must be sure you determine if there is an actual problem. Almost all ACF items are handcrafted they will probably vary in finish, staining, coloration and size from others you may have seen or received.

Also wood is a living material. All solid wood products are subject to shrinkage, warping and seasonal cracks over time and will experience normal seasoning (remember, these were once living trees). When transferring products between climates, this is particularly true. It must be remembered, however, that these occurrences are usually non-structural and will not affect the durability of the piece. In many cases these variances will enhance the beauty of the piece giving it a cherished, heirloom appearance. Variances in wooden finishes, including worn edges, uneven planks, dents, scratches and nicks are considered a natural characteristic of the item's unique Handcrafted charm and beauty.

Although reclaimed aged wood may be used in the restoration or manufacture of the Products in order to minimise cracking, some cracking or splitting over time is inherent to the nature of the traditional materials used and does not constitute a defect in the product of any kind.

an uncontrolled wood crack vs a controlled wood crack using a floating panel which allows for shrinkage.