Quick answer
Photograph the shipping label, outer packaging, affected product and product code, then count damaged and usable units separately. Keep the goods and packaging available until the supplier gives return or disposal instructions, where safe. Send an itemised claim through the agreed process. A close-up of a crack is useful only if the supplier can identify the shipment and quantity.
Stop the affected goods reaching customers
Create a clearly marked holding area away from sellable stock. Record who put the goods there and what still needs checking. For broken glass, leaking chemicals or another hazard, follow your safe-handling procedure before taking photographs. Nobody should handle a dangerous item merely to improve a claim.
Check whether damage affects appearance, function, packaging or safety. A dented display box and a cracked electrical product need different decisions. Do not relabel an unsafe item as a clearance bargain, and do not let a commercial dispute postpone any necessary product-safety response. Specialist or regulated goods may require additional action.
Show the relationship between the parcel and the defect
Take a wide photograph that shows the carton and its label, followed by clear images of the damaged item and identifying code. Photograph crushed corners or wet packaging before flattening the box. Where several items have the same defect, show enough evidence to support the count without pretending one photograph represents units you have not inspected.
Use neutral descriptions: “handle detached on opening” is stronger than “terrible quality again”. Keep images focused on the goods. Crop out customer addresses, unrelated paperwork and other information the supplier does not need. Retain originals in case a compressed messaging image loses detail.
- Order and delivery reference visible or recorded alongside the images.
- SKU, colour, size and batch where present.
- Total units received, number inspected and number affected.
- Outer and inner packaging condition.
- Date discovered, checker and storage location.
Make the claim add up
For an illustrative order of 24 ceramic bowls, suppose three are chipped and one is cracked. Record 24 received, four affected and 20 apparently usable; do not call it a four-unit shortage. At £5 wholesale each, the goods value in question is £20 before applicable tax. Extra courier or handling costs should be listed separately as amounts you are asking the supplier to consider.
Check the agreed notification period and returns process. The Small Business Commissioner’s contract guidance explains the value of recording the commercial agreement. Your rights and recoverable losses depend on the contract and applicable law; a template cannot promise reimbursement of every resulting cost.
Further reading: Small Business Commissioner: contract guide
Ask for handling instructions as well as money
Request a return authorisation, collection arrangement, replacement or credit decision. Avoid paying to send a large damaged parcel back without knowing who is arranging transport and which reference it needs. If the supplier asks you to dispose of it, retain that instruction and record what happened.
When a reply arrives, update the holding label and tell the person responsible for stock. Otherwise goods can stay in a back room after the claim is complete, or return to sale accidentally. Review repeated defects by product and shipment rather than treating every incident as unrelated.
Order [reference], received [date]: four of 24 bowls, SKU [code], were damaged on unpacking. Three have chipped rims and one has a cracked base. The affected goods are separated from sale; photographs and the delivery note are attached. Please confirm the proposed remedy and whether you require collection, return or another handling arrangement.
Unpickle supports delivery item notes and damage photos, so a colleague can follow up the same evidence instead of searching several phones. Keep item damage records together.