To make a tile complaint to a supplier in India, send one written claim within the days your contract allows, with photographs, box markings, a count of affected cartons and the shipping documents attached. Suppliers settle claims they can verify and ignore claims they cannot.
Most failed complaints fail for the same reason: the buyer opened the container, laid some tiles, and only then wrote to the factory. By that point nobody can prove what arrived. The steps below keep the evidence intact.
What evidence does the supplier need?
Build the pack before you write a single angry line. A factory's sales team will pass it to production and the quality manager, who need facts they can check against their own records.
- Photographs of the container as opened, including the seal number and the door-end stowage before anything is moved.
- Photographs of the carton labels showing design name, size, shade, calibre and batch or lot code for the affected boxes.
- A count of boxes affected out of boxes received, split by defect type, such as breakage, shade mismatch or size variation.
- Close photographs of the defect with a tape measure or coin for scale, and a straightedge across the tile for warpage.
- The bill of lading, packing list, commercial invoice and, if one exists, the pre-shipment inspection report.
Which defects can you claim for?
Separate defects the factory caused from damage that happened in transit. A claim for broken tiles from rough handling belongs mainly with the insurer and carrier, as covered in how tile breakage claims work. A claim for mixed shades, wrong calibre, wrong grade or short quantity belongs with the supplier.
Check your purchase order and proforma invoice first. If they state the grade, the sorting standard and the acceptable limits, your claim is simple. If they say only 'first quality', you have a weaker case. Common complaints from tile importers lists the defects that come up most and which are usually claimable.
Do not lay tiles from the affected lot before you report. Laid tiles are usually treated as accepted, and most contracts and tile standards expect you to inspect before installation.
How quickly must you complain?
Check the claim window in your contract. Many buyers agree a short period after the container is opened, often counted in days, and a supplier who receives a claim outside it can refuse without discussion. If no window was agreed, report as soon as you open the container and write down the date and time.
Send the first notice the same week even if your count is incomplete. Say that a full report follows. This protects your position while you finish documenting.
How should you word the claim?
Keep the message short and factual. State the order number, container number and what you found. State the remedy you want: a credit note, replacement boxes from the same shade, a return of part of the goods, or an inspection by an independent party. Give a date by which you need an answer.
Avoid accusations. Suppliers in Morbi and elsewhere respond better to a measured email than a threat, and you keep room for the next order. If the supplier denies the claim, propose an independent inspection or a lab test of retained samples, and agree in advance who pays for it.
Retained samples matter. A sealed counter-sample from before shipment gives both sides something to compare against, which is why who handles claims on arrival is worth settling before you place the order.
Next step
The cheapest complaint is the one you never need to make. We find and audit manufacturers, supervise production and loading, and keep the evidence that makes a claim straightforward if something still goes wrong. To see how this would work for your next order, book a free sourcing review.