外贸英语函电
Business English Correspondence
上海交通大学出版社
Module 4 Execution of a Contract
Project 9
Project 10
Project 11
Project 12
Project 13
Project 13 Complaints and Claims
PART
01
Task 1
PART
02
Task 2
PART
03
Practice
Project 13 Complaints and Claims
Learning Objectives
By the end of this project, you will be able to:
☆ make complaints and express your dissatisfaction
☆ make claim against your customer and state the reasons
☆ reply the letters of making complaints and claim
Background
If a complaint has to be made by buyers, the matter should be investigated in detail,
and these details should be laid before the party charged. When making a complaint,
plan your letter as follows:
a. begin by regretting the need to complain
b. mention the date of the order, the date of delivery and the goods complained
about
c. state your reasons for being dissatisfied and ask for an explanation
d. refer to the inconvenience caused
e. suggest how the matter should be put right
Claim can be defined as a demand made upon a person or persons for payment on
account of a loss sustained through his/her negligence. The claim made by buyers or
customers may be the genuine complaints, or the false complaints as an excuse to
escape from the contract. In import and export business, claims regarding quality and
quantity or weight are common, even though proper inspection of the goods has
been conducted by designated surveyors or public inspection bureaus.
The goods may have been damaged or lost during transit.
If a claim is justified, prompt and well-supported, it can be settled in the following
ways: making refund and compensating for other direct losses or expenses; selling the
goods at lower prices; or replacing the faulty goods with perfect ones.
So, whatever complaints or claims may be, we must handle them quickly, amicably
to satisfaction of all parties concerned without referring them to arbitration or court.
Letters concerning the claims should always be courteous. Even if the complaint is
unfounded, the sellers should not say so until they have sufficient and reliable
grounds on why to repudiate the claim.
Task 1 Complain About the Late Delivery
Task
You are Leon, the purchase representative of Sunny Trading Co., Ltd. who has
suffered a lot from the late delivery by Guangdong Homestar Electric Appliances Co.,
Ltd. You’ve written a letter to urge the shipment but the delay goes on. So you’re
annoyed by the situation and intend to write a letter to complain about that.
Writing Skills
When you write a complaint letter, you should pay attention to the following parts:
Useful Expressions
1. The articles have just been received after a delay of a fortnight, for which no
explanation has yet been given to us.
2. You have confirmed our order, but to our surprise, we have not yet received the
goods or any advice from you when we may expect delivery.
3. We wish to draw your attention to the fact that shipment should be effected in
September. However, up to the present moment we have not yet received any
information from you.
4. In case you fail to ship the goods according to the stipulations of the L/C, we will
have to lodge a claim against you for the losses sustained by us.
Specimen Letters
Letter 1
Task 2 Asking for Compensation
Task
Suppose you are the importer and have received the goods (Sewing Machines) on
CIF in due time. However, some of them have been found damaged by rough
handling during transit. Now write a letter to ask the exporter to lodge the claim
against the insurer on behalf of you.
Writing Skills
Common ways to organize your information:
Useful Expressions
1. For some time past we have been urging you for an immediate dispatch of these
goods, and unless this order is already on the way, it will arrive too late for the
season, and so be of no use to us.
2. On unwrapping the cases, we find the goods partly soaked by rain.
3. The seams of the gunny bags do not appear to have been strong enough, with the
result that they have given way, thus allowing the contents to run out.
4. With reference to your telex of 19 June, we are surprised to learn that the tea sets
reached you in a damaged condition, as they were very carefully packed as usual
before dispatched. We have had no previous occasion for complaint that our goods
have been damaged in transit.
5. We regret to point out that a shortage in weight of 210 lbs. was noticed when the
goods arrived.
6. Two cases of the shipment were badly damaged when delivered on 8th.
7. After checking the goods against your invoice, we discovered a considerate
shortage in number.
8. After re-inspection we found that the quality of the goods was not in conformity
with the contract stipulations.
9. The delay in the past was due to circumstances beyond our control.
Specimen Letters
Letter 2 An importer complains about the wrong-delivered goods.
Letter 3 The exporter replies to the above letter.
Letter 4 An exporter replies to the claim made by an importer.
Practice
I. Translate the following terms.
交货延迟 _________________________ 短量 ___________________________
包装不善 _________________________ 货物错发 _______________________
投诉 _____________________________ 索赔 ___________________________
公证机构 _________________________ 检验报告________________________
II. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. 很遗憾我们不得不就12月30日所定货物迟交一事进行投诉。
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2. 检验报告证明，箱子及货物受损是运输途中粗鲁搬运所致，而不是你们所说的
因包装不
当引起的。
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. 感谢你方愿意接受错发货物，我们可按发票价打九折。
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. 遗憾地通知你方，来货中有一箱损坏严重。其箱号是RK/562，内有零件。
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
III. Write two letters with the following particulars.
a. A complaint letter for shortage.
1) Referring to the previous letters, cables or documents about the weight of goods;
2) Stating that the goods have been received, but there are 300 kilograms shorter;
3) Stating that the shortage makes you suffer some loss and lodging a claim for the
loss.
b. A reply to the above letter.
1) Informing the customer of receiving the letter or cable and express regret for the
shortage;
2) Stating the reason of shortage;
3) Promising to make compensation for the customer’s loss.
Thanks
For your attention