How to claim against a UK sourcing provider
Identify the contracting business, connect each complaint to an agreed obligation, and document the resulting loss. Send a clear pre-action letter, consider mediation and compare likely recovery with the cost of pursuing it. Check the agreed role in your quote, including when buying through Cambridge China Bridge.
Identify the defendant and the relevant contract
Start with the accepted quote, order confirmation and invoice. Compare the contracting name with the payment recipient and ask about any mismatch. For a company defendant, use its full registered name. Cross-check the company number and address rather than relying on a website brand. If the paperwork names an individual or different businesses, get advice before choosing the defendant.
Separate a goods complaint against a seller from a complaint about an agent's own work. Our seller or agent guide explains that distinction. Read the governing-law, court, arbitration and dispute clauses. The court procedure discussed here concerns England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland have different processes.
Build evidence around promises and failures
Keep the quote, terms supplied when ordering, purchase order, acceptance messages, invoices and payment records. Preserve complete email and chat exports, including attachments and later changes. Create a chronology identifying who agreed what, what happened and the document supporting each event. Keep originals separately from your annotated working copies.
For each complaint, identify the promised task, the evidence of failure and the loss you attribute to it. An inspection complaint needs the agreed inspection scope and report, not just photographs of faulty goods. Compare the approved sample and specification using our product specification guide. Our faulty goods guide covers rejection and goods remedies.
Prepare clear pre-action correspondence
The court expects parties to try to settle before starting a claim. Prepare a letter headed 'Letter before claim' identifying the contracting parties, order, relevant promises, alleged failures and remedy sought. Explain your loss calculation and attach the key documents. Ask for a substantive reply by a stated date and invite negotiation or mediation.
Keep the letter factual and request specific missing records, such as the inspection instructions or report. Save the letter, attachments, delivery record and response. Ask a solicitor to check the applicable pre-action requirements and an appropriate response period if you are unsure. Avoid copying a deadline from an unrelated dispute.
Go to mediation ready to negotiate
Prepare a short case summary, an indexed evidence file and a loss schedule. Decide your preferred outcome and acceptable alternatives: repayment, repair, replacement or a combination. Identify who can authorise a settlement for your business. Follow any court instruction to attend mediation.
For court-organised money-claim mediation, an agreement reached at the appointment is legally binding. Before agreeing, check the payment or delivery arrangements, treatment of disputed goods and what the settlement covers. Make sure your representative understands the proposed terms and has authority to accept them.
Keep the next step proportionate
Calculate losses from supporting records, separating money already spent from estimates. Record refunds, credits and any value retained in the goods to avoid double counting. Explain why each expense arose from the alleged failure. Ask a solicitor to assess disputed loss items, contract limitations and the evidence connecting the provider's conduct to your loss.
Compare realistic recovery with court fees, advice, technical evidence and staff time. A court claim requires a court fee. Consider whether the provider appears able to pay and whether a workable settlement would serve the business better. Before filing, get advice on the appropriate court route and any approaching claim deadline.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I sue if the sourcing provider has a trading name?
Start with the contracting party in the accepted quote and invoice. For a company, use its full registered name. Resolve mismatches before filing; do not choose a defendant from the website branding alone.
What evidence do I need against a sourcing agent?
Keep the agreed service scope, accepted terms, messages, inspection instructions and reports, payment records and evidence of loss. Connect the complaint to the agent's promised work.
What should a letter before claim include?
Identify the parties and order, explain the promise and alleged failure, state the remedy and loss calculation, attach key records and invite a reply and settlement discussion.
Is a mediation settlement legally binding?
An agreement reached at court-organised money-claim mediation is legally binding. Check the terms and your representative's authority before accepting.