Damaged Freight

The driver's paperwork (delivery note, proof of delivery, or the screen on a handheld device) is the record of the condition your goods arrived in. Signing it without comment states that you received them in good order. Once that signature exists, the carrier is entitled to treat the shipment as delivered undamaged, and this is where almost every failed freight claim fails.

Inspect while the driver is still there. Count the pieces against the delivery note, and if any are missing, write the number you actually received before you sign. Walk around the pallet or crate. Look at the corners, the edges, the base and the top. You are looking for crushing, punctures, torn wrapping, water staining, a leaning or shifted load, broken banding, and any tilt or shock indicator that has been triggered.

A few minutes of inspection is reasonable and you are entitled to take them. If the driver refuses to wait, do not sign clean: write on the paperwork that the driver refused to allow inspection, then tell us the same day.

If anything is damaged, describe it on the delivery note before you sign, and keep a copy or a photograph of what you wrote. Be specific. The word "damaged" on its own is close to worthless. "Right rear corner of crate crushed, outer carton torn approximately 30cm, base of chair dented" is what a claim is built from.

If the paperwork is on the driver's handheld device, type the same wording into the signature or comments field. If the device will not accept it, write it on your own copy, photograph that copy with the driver present, and tell us immediately.

Where the damage is severe you may refuse the whole delivery, or refuse the damaged pieces and accept the rest. Note the reason on the paperwork. Call us on +971 56 494 7977 before the vehicle leaves if you can, and we will tell you which option is better for that particular item.

Signing clean and reporting the damage afterwards is the hardest position to recover from. It is not automatically hopeless, but expect it to be treated as concealed damage (see below) and expect a lower chance of recovery.

Photographs taken at the point of delivery are the most useful thing you can give us. Take them before you cut any more wrapping away.

Photograph, at minimum: the shipment as it stands, still wrapped, on the vehicle or where it was set down; each side of the pallet or crate; the damage close up and again from far enough back to show where on the item it is; every shipping label, barcode and reference number; the annotated delivery note; and the vehicle or trailer if the damage relates to how the load was carried.

Then continue unpacking slowly, photographing each layer as it comes off, until you can see the item itself. Keep the images at full resolution and send the originals, not screenshots.

Report in writing to wbwarehouses@gmail.com with your order number in the subject line. Call +971 56 494 7977 if it is urgent, then follow up in writing so there is a record.

Tell us the same day where you can. Carriers and suppliers run their own claim deadlines, and they are short: a report that arrives after theirs has expired can leave us with nobody to claim against, however good the case.

Include the order number, the delivery date, the photographs, a copy of the annotated delivery note, which items are affected and how many, and whether the equipment is unusable or usable with cosmetic damage. That last point matters, because it changes what the sensible remedy is.

Keep everything: the pallet, the crate, the outer carton, the inner foam, the wrapping, the banding and the labels. Keep it until the claim is closed and we have confirmed in writing that you can dispose of it.

Carriers and insurers routinely ask to inspect packaging, because it shows whether the item was damaged in transit or was inadequately packed at origin. If the packaging has gone, that question cannot be answered and the claim usually ends there.

We know it takes up space in a salon. Photograph it thoroughly and stack it flat against a wall if you have to, but do not put it out with the rubbish while a claim is open.

We will acknowledge your report and tell you what we need from you. If the file is incomplete (usually an unannotated delivery note, or photographs taken after unpacking), we will say so straight away rather than at the end.

We raise the matter with the carrier, and with the supplier where the damage points to packing or a manufacturing fault. That process runs on their timetable, not ours. We will tell you where it stands rather than leave you waiting in silence.

The outcome is normally one of three: replacement of the damaged item or part, repair, or a refund of the affected item. Which one applies depends on what is damaged, what is available, and what the carrier or supplier accepts. We cannot promise a particular outcome before they respond, and we will put the proposed outcome to you before we act on it.

Our website has no returns or refunds function. Nothing happens automatically in your account: you can cancel an order yourself only while it is pending or confirmed, and a delivered order cannot be cancelled. Everything is arranged directly with us by email or phone. A refund is processed manually, in US dollars, and covers the price of the affected item as shown on your order.

Concealed damage is damage the outer packaging did not show. It is real and it happens, particularly with heavy furniture where the frame absorbs an impact instead of the crate.

Unpack and inspect as soon as the shipment arrives, even if you are not installing the equipment yet. Do not leave a crated salon bed in a store room for weeks and then open it. The longer the gap between delivery and inspection, the less any carrier will accept that the damage happened in transit.

If you find concealed damage, stop. Do not install it, do not power it up, do not use it, and do not attempt a repair. Photograph the item where it stands, together with the packaging it came out of, then report it to us as above.

A concealed damage claim is harder than one noted on the delivery note, and we cannot promise it will succeed. Complete packaging, prompt inspection and good photographs are what give it a chance.

Damage that happens after you have taken delivery is not freight damage. Moving the equipment inside your premises, installation, electrical or plumbing connection, and ordinary use all fall outside this policy. If you plan to move a heavy item into position yourself, inspect it fully first, so that transit damage stays distinguishable from handling damage.

This page is about physical damage in transit. It is not a warranty, and it does not set a delivery date: we state neither on this site. If a fault appears later in normal use, contact us and we will tell you honestly what can and cannot be done.

We are in Sharjah Free Zone, United Arab Emirates. Send claims to wbwarehouses@gmail.com or call +971 56 494 7977, quoting your order number.