Agree with the maker, in writing and before the balance is paid, which defects they will replace or credit, how long you have to report them, what evidence they will accept and how the credit is settled. Imitation jewellery makers rarely take goods back across borders, so the practical remedy is usually a credit against the next order or replacement pieces in the next shipment.
Clear terms keep a defect from turning into a dispute, and they give the maker a reason to check quality before shipping.
What the terms should cover
- Defects covered: plating faults, missing or loose stones, broken findings, wrong designs, colours or sizes, and short quantities.
- Exclusions: wear from use, damage from perfume or water, and damage caused by the buyer's own handling.
- Reporting window: for example 14 or 30 days from delivery, with photos and counts by design.
- Evidence: photos, the packing list, the inspection report and, if needed, the defective pieces themselves.
- Remedy: replacement pieces at the maker's cost, or a credit at the invoice price, plus the freight for replacements.
- Settlement: credit applied to the next order, or a refund if no further order is placed within an agreed time.
Plating durability
Plating faults are the hardest to settle because they may appear after weeks of wear. If durability matters, specify it: the base metal, plating thickness and any anti-tarnish coating, and test methods such as a salt-spray or sweat test on production samples. Then the terms can say that pieces failing the agreed test are replaced, which is far firmer than "good quality plating".
Returning goods to India
Sending jewellery back to India for repair is rarely worth it. Export, re-import and re-export paperwork, freight and duty usually cost more than the pieces. Agree that the buyer destroys or keeps defective pieces after sending evidence, unless the value is high enough that the maker asks for them back at the maker's cost.
Make the terms enforceable
Put the terms in the purchase order or a supply agreement signed by the maker, not only in a chat message. Keep counter-samples of each approved design, because a replacement claim needs something to compare against. And keep part of your leverage: a maker who wants your next order honours credits more readily than one who has been paid in full and has no further business with you.
What this means for a buyer
Settle the rules for defects before you need them. Creston & Co works for buyers only, for a fixed fee agreed in writing. We help you write these terms into your order, inspect against them before shipment and handle claims with the maker if something slips through. Start with a free sourcing review.