Lost & Damaged Goods, Claims Info & Procedures
At ARC Logistics & cargo® we take lost and damaged parcels very seriously. We understand it can be an extremely distressing or frustrating experience when goods are lost or damaged so our commitment to secure delivery begins with prevention. That's why we only use the worlds' best courier services with the most trusted and reliable delivery networks.
Unfortunately in our industry, even with the best carriers, problems do occur. ARC Logistics & cargo® does everything we can to assist customers who wish to make a claim. The process of raising a claim with the delivery courier who transported the goods takes time as there are specific steps and processes we have to follow. To help us help you, it's really important that you follow the claims procedures outlined below.
Contents and Related Links:
Damaged Goods
Claims Information
You will be able to submit a compensation claim if the contents of your parcel have been damaged in transit, as long as you follow our claims procedure and fulfil our claims criteria as outlined below. When you submit a claimARC logistics & cargo® will pursue this claim with the delivery courier on your behalf.
ARC logistics & cargo claims procedures have been created to give us the best possible chance to successfully obtain compensation for you.
Claims Criteria
Every carrier has specific criteria and terms. Our claims criteria is legally binding and must be complied with in order for ARC Logistics & cargo® to process a claim:
- Your goods must be packaged in accordance with ARC Logistics & cargo's Packaging Criteria.
- All claims must be made in writing, and submitted by email or post, within 14 days of the delivery date.
- You must include photographic evidence of the damage caused, to both the packaging and goods inside, with your completed claim document. After reviewing your photographic evidence, we may need to arrange a damage inspection.
- The damaged goods must not be moved from the delivery address or removed from their packaging. You must always leave the damaged goods in their original packaging ready for the carrier to collect and conduct their damage inspection. If you transport the goods to any other location, unpack the contents or remove any part of the packaging, it may invalidate your claim as it becomes difficult for us to prove to the delivery courier that the damage occurred before the delivery was made.
Our Claim Liability for Damaged Goods
If you have purchased enhanced cover for your shipment, you will be entitled to claim up to the full value of the cover you requested. However you will still have to provide evidence that the repair or replacement cost of the goods is as per the value of the cover you purchased. If you have not purchased enhanced cover, you will be refunded in accordance with our Limits of Liability. This normally entitles you to £50 compensation per shipment.
Enhanced Cover Conditions & Exceptions
You will be able to claim for the full enhanced cover value of your parcel as long as you have complied with our claims criteria outlined above. You will not be able to claim up to the full enhanced cover value if:
Reasons a Damage Claim Can be Rejected
The primary cause of damage is insufficient packaging. You must always consider your parcel's pending journey when you prepare your shipment for transportation. All parcels, especially international parcels, are handled, loaded and offloaded several times during transit, including off vans, flights, conveyor belts, x-ray machines and customs inspection tables. In addition, your parcel will be stacked onto other parcels, and it will also have other parcels stacked on top of it. This is why it's important that you package your goods in accordance with our Packaging Criteria.
Your claim is likely to be rejected if:
Claims for Damaged Goods – Timeline and Summary
| Notify us of your damage claimDeadline – 14 calendar days |
You must notify us of any damage, and submit images and supporting documentation within 14 days of delivery. |
| Review of your damage claim evidenceLead time – 7 calendar days |
We will review your evidence within 7 days. |
| Arranging & conducting a damage inspectionLead time – 14 calendar days |
After reviewing your images, we may need to arrange a physical damage inspection. It will take no more than 14 days to arrange the collection, inspect the damage and return your goods. |
| Return the completed claim form Deadline – 7 calendar days |
Once we issue the claim form, you must return it to us within 5 days. |
| Processing your claim form and issuing paymentLead time – 14 calendar days |
Once we have completed the damage inspection and approved your claim, we will issue you a claim form. Once you return this form to us, we will process your claim and issue payment within 14 days. |
How to Make a Damage Claim
Submit supporting documentation to confirm the repair or replacement value of the damaged item(s), e.g. a purchase receipt. You should also submit any extra information that may be used to support your claim (for example if the goods were packaged in the original manufacturer's packaging). This type of information will be very useful to support your claim.
We will review all the evidence provided and respond within 7 working days and confirm whether a physical damage inspection will be required.
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If a damage inspection is required:
We'll arrange for the courier who delivered your shipment to collect the goods within 5 working days and conduct a damage inspection. The courier will hold your goods for no longer than 5 working days, before returning them to you.
The goods should not be moved from the delivery address or disturbed. They should always be left in their original packaging ready for the carrier to collect. If the goods are moved from their delivery location, or you discard any part of the packaging, then your claim will be void.
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If we reject your claim:
We will always provide a full explanation.
You always have the right to appeal. Please note, in order to appeal you need to provide additional evidence that has not already been provided, to support your appeal.
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If we accept your claim:
We will send you a claim form which you must return to us within 14 calendar days. When completing the claim form please ensure you include:
Lost Goods
At ARC Logistics & cargo® we take missing parcels very seriously and we understand it can be an extremely distressing time when goods are lost in transit.
Our commitment to secure delivery begins with prevention, to ensure we can minimize any issue with delivery, we only use the worlds' leading, most professional carriers with the most reliable delivery networks. Our highly trained customer service staff proactively work with our partner carriers to help locate every missing shipment as quickly as possible.
One of the most common reasons for goods getting lost is that the shipping label has become detached from the box during transit. To help us locate your goods as quickly as possible, you will need to provide us with a detailed description of the packaging and the goods inside, along with any serial numbers (in the case of electronic goods). The more information you can provide, the higher the chance we have of locating your goods and returning them to you.
It takes 14 days to complete a ARC Logistics & cargo® tracer investigation. If we are unable to locate your items, then we will declare the goods as lost and you will be able to submit a claim for the value of the lost items.
Claims Criteria
Claims must be made in writing within 30 calendar days of the collection date. You must provide an original purchase invoice, or if you're a business and claiming for products you sell, a cost of sale invoice will be required. Please note, a sales invoice will not be sufficient
Our Claim Liability for Lost Goods
If you have purchased enhanced cover for your shipment, you will be entitled to claim up to the full value of the cover you requested. However you will still have to provide evidence that the repair or replacement cost of the goods is as per the value of the cover you purchased. If you have not purchased enhanced cover, you will be refunded in accordance with our Limits of Liability. This normally entitles you to £50 compensation per shipment.
Enhanced Cover Conditions & Exceptions
You will not be able to claim up to the full enhanced cover value in the following circumstances:
- If the replacement cost of your goods is lower than the value of enhanced cover you purchased.
- If your lost item was part of a shipment containing multiple parcels. In this situation you will only be entitled to claim up to the total enhanced value cover taken, divided by the number of parcels in the consignment. E.g. if you sent two parcels, and one was lost, if you purchased enhanced cover for £1,000 for the full shipment, you will be entitled to claim up to £500.
Claims for Lost Goods – Timeline and Summary
| Notify us of your claim for lost goodsDeadline – 30 calendar days |
You must notify us of your claim for lost goods within 30 days of the collection date. |
| Our 'Tracer Investigation' to locate your shipmentLead time – 14 calendar days |
We will conduct a 'Tracer investigation' to locate your shipment which can take up to 14 days. |
| Return the completed claim form Lead time – 14 calendar days |
We will issue a claim form, which you need to complete and return to us within 14 days of issue |
| We will then process your claimLead time – 14 calendar days |
We will then process your claim and issue payment within 14 days. |
FAQs
If a package is damaged, why do I have to sign for the goods as damaged and what happens if I don't?
When a damage is reported we need to ascertain who damaged the goods. If the receiver does not sign for the package as damaged then the damage could have occurred after delivery. Our insurers look for proof that the damage occurred prior to delivery taking place and the best way to prove this is to make sure you inspect the goods prior to delivery and sign for them as damaged. If the receiver does not sign for the goods as damaged then it may invalidate your claim, however we consider all facts when assessing any case, so this is just one of multiple factors we assess when reviewing any claim.
