Faulty China goods overseas: who do I contact?
Contact the seller named in your goods contract; if the UK company acted as your agent, also report any concerns about its agreed work to it. Link the fault to the specification, batch, inspection and arrival records, and flag possible transit damage separately. Confirm the order role with Cambridge China Bridge.
Find the contracting party before sending the report
Put the accepted quote, purchase order, goods invoice and agreed terms together. Check the legal company name and whether the UK sourcing company sold you the goods or arranged a factory purchase as your agent. Report product faults to the contractual seller. Send concerns about the agent’s inspection or sourcing work to the agent against its agreed scope. Read seller or agent: who you contract with if the documents are unclear.
Ask for written clarification if the names or roles conflict. A UK counterparty does not by itself mean UK law governs an overseas order. Check the governing-law, dispute and delivery clauses. For the purchase route, see buying through a UK company.
Build an evidence pack that follows the goods
Use the order reference throughout the report and label each attachment. Connect each faulty item to its batch, carton or serial identifier and the specification revision agreed for production. Keep original photographs, messages and reports; add translations alongside originals where needed.
Distinguish what you observed from what you suspect. Record quantities received, quantities examined and faults found without treating the examined goods as proof of the whole shipment’s condition. Ask for missing inspection or release records rather than filling gaps with assumptions.
| Stage | Records to keep | Connection to establish |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | Accepted quote, purchase order, terms, invoice and payment record | Which company agreed to supply which goods and services |
| Specification | Approved sample record, drawings, tolerances and agreed changes | Which requirement the observed fault differs from |
| Inspection | Report, issuer, checked batch, photographs and release correspondence | Whether the check covered the affected goods and fault |
| Shipment | Packing list, transport document, loading photographs and seal record | How the inspected batch connects to the shipment received |
| Receipt | Delivery receipt, unpacking photographs, counts and storage notes | When and where the fault was discovered and what happened afterwards |
Separate product faults from possible transit damage
Record specification failures separately from crushed packaging, wet cartons or impact marks. Intact packaging does not prove a manufacturing defect, and damaged packaging does not establish the cause of every fault. Compare inspection and loading photographs with arrival evidence. Include handling, storage and use details if the fault appeared later.
Where transit damage is possible, notify the seller and the relevant freight or insurance contact promptly. Ask them to confirm the reporting procedure, deadlines and whether a survey is needed under the transport arrangements or policy. Keep packaging and suspect goods available for examination. Use the damaged shipment arrival checklist for the receiving checks.
Send a factual notice and preserve the goods
Follow any notice instructions in the agreed terms. State the order and shipment references, destination port, receipt date, discovery date, affected identifiers and observed fault. Attach the evidence index and explain what remains unexamined. Describe any suspected cause as provisional.
Ask for acknowledgement, a named person handling the report and a proposed investigation plan. Separate and label suspect stock; pause its sale or use if safety is uncertain. Record any testing, movement or repair. Before returning, altering or disposing of goods, agree how evidence will be preserved and ask your own customs broker to confirm destination rules.
Request an independent inspection where the cause remains disputed, agreeing its scope and sample handling beforehand. For help organising the factory-side response, see supplier problems. Coordination with a factory does not replace reporting to your contracting party.
Discuss remedies after checking the contract and evidence
Set out the outcome you want, such as investigation, repair, replacement or a price adjustment, as a proposal. Record any agreement on the affected batch, costs, transport, further checks and completion arrangements. Do not assume the initial fault report establishes entitlement to a particular remedy.
If responsibility or remedies remain disputed, give a solicitor the contract and indexed evidence pack. Ask them to assess applicable law, the dispute clause, available remedies and cross-border action. Before legal action, procedural steps such as writing to the other side may be needed. See instructing a solicitor for a sourcing seller dispute.
Frequently asked questions
Do I contact the UK sourcing company or the Chinese factory?
Check who sold you the goods. Report product faults to that seller. If the UK company acted as your agent, also send it any concerns about its agreed sourcing or inspection work.
What evidence should I send with a faulty goods report?
Send the contract, agreed specification, inspection report, shipment records and receipt evidence. Connect them using the order, batch and carton identifiers, and distinguish confirmed faults from suspected causes.
Does a passed inspection prove the goods were fine?
Check the report’s batch, scope, sample and test method. A pass records the checks performed; compare those checks with the fault found overseas and ask about any gap in coverage.
Should I return faulty goods straight away?
Preserve the goods and packaging first. Agree evidence, return instructions and costs with the relevant party, and ask your own customs broker to confirm destination rules before arranging movement.