COMPLAINTS and CLAIMS

PARTS OF A COMPLAINT

- Acknowledge receipt of the goods

- State the condition of the goods

- Enclose necessary documents

- State the reason to complain

- Suggest solutions

- Hope for the action

PARTS OF A REPLY

- Acknowledge receipt of complaint

- Explain the mistake

- Solve the problem

- Reject a complaint

- Repeat apologies

- Wait for the acceptance

PART I. Sample letters

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1. Complaint of wrong goods

a. Complaint

Dear Sirs
Our order No. TL 2643
We acknowledge receipt of full documents and the consignment under the above-mentioned
order on arrival of SS. White Queen at Saigon port on 5th December 20—.

On first account everything appeared to be correct and in good condition except case No. 13.
When we have this case opened, it has been found that it contained quite different articles; and
we can only presume that a mistake was made and the contents of this case were for another
order.

As we are in urgent need of the articles we ordered to complete our sales to our own
customers, we must ask you to arrange the dispatch of replacements as soon as possible.

We enclose the Survey Report issued by local Vinacontrol and the list of contents of case No.
13, and shall be glad if you will check this with our order and your copy of the invoice.

In the mean time, we are holding the above-mentioned case at your disposal. Please let us
know what you wish us to do with it.

Yours faithfully

Comprehension questions

1. What happened to the consignment?

2. What solution does the buyer suggest?

3. What documents are attached with this letter?

4. What is the buyer dealing with the case No. 13?

5. Find the word in the letter which means discretion?

b. Reply

Dear Mr.

Our order No. TL 2643

We thank you for your letter dated 6th August. We were glad to learn that the consignment was
delivered promptly, but it was to be regretted that case No. 13 did not contain the goods you

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ordered.

On going into the matter, we find that a mistake was indeed made in packing through a
confusion of numbers, and we have arranged for the right goods to be dispatched to you
without delay.

We shall be much obliged if you will keep case No. 13 and its contents until called for by the
local agents of the World Transport Ltd., our forwarding agents, whom we have instructed
accordingly.

Please accept our many apologies for the trouble caused to you by the error.

Yours sincerely

Comprehension questions

1. Does the supplier accept the complaint?

2. What have they done to deal with the complaint?

3. What does the supplier ask the buyer to deal with case No. 13?

4. What does the word confusion mean?

5. Find the word in the letter which means quickly?

2. Complaint concerning quality

a. Complaint

Dear Sir/ Madam

We have recently received several complaints from customers about your fountain pens. The
pens are clearly not giving satisfaction, and in some cases we have had to refund the purchase
price.

The pens complained about are part of the batch of 500 supplied against our order number
8562 dated 28 March. This order was placed on the basis of a sample pen left by your
representative. We have ourselves compared the performance of this sample with that of a
number of the pens from this batch, and there is little doubt that many of them are faulty - some
of them leak and others blot when writing.

The complaints we have received relate only to pens from the batch mentioned above. Pens
supplied before these have always been satisfactory.

We, therefore, wish you to accept return of the unsold balance, amounting to 377 pens, and
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replace them with pens of the quality our earlier dealings with you have led us to expect.
Please let us know what arrangements you wish us to make for their return.

Yours faithfully

Comprehension questions

1. What products are complained?

2. Do all the pens supplied contain the same faults?

3. What solution does the buyer suggest?

b. Reply (accepting complaint)

Dear Mr. ...

Thank you for your letter dated 10 May pointing out faults in the pens supplied to your order
number 8562. This has caused us a good deal of concern and we are glad that you brought this
matter to our notice.

We have now tested a number of pens from the production batch you mention, and agree that
they are not perfect. The defects have been traced to a fault in one of the machines, which has
now been rectified.

Please arrange to return to us your unsold balance of 377 pens, carriage forward. We have
already arranged for 400 pens to be sent to replace this unsold balance. The extra 23 pens are
sent without charge, and will enable you to provide free replacement of any further pens about
which you may receive complaints.

We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you.

Yours sincerely

Comprehension questions

1. What is the reason for the defect?

2. What solution does the supplier make?

3. What does carriage forward mean?

3. Complaint of inferior quality

a. Complaint

Dear Sirs
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We are very sorry to have to inform that your last delivery is not up to your usual standard.

The material seems to be too loosely woven and is inclined to pull out of shape. By separate
mail we have sent you a cutting from this material, also one from cloth of an early
consignment, so that you can compare the two and see the difference in texture.

We have always been able to rely on the high quality of the materials you sent us and we are
all the more disappointed in this case because we supplied the cloth to new customers. As we
shall have to take it back we must ask you to let us know, without delay, what you can do to
help us in getting over this difficulty.

Yours faithfully

Comprehension questions

1. What problem occurred with the shipment?

2. Why has a cutting been sent to the supplier?

3. What is the problem with the buyer?

b. Reply

Dear Mr. ...

We have received your letter of 14 October and thank you for sending us the two samples of
cloth for examination. We have passed these onto the factory for comment and we quote the
following from their reply.

It was found that some short-staple yarn had, by accident, been woven into the material, and
this cloth was put on one side for disposal in a suitable market. Evidently through an oversight
some of the cloth was packed in your consignment. The factory manager was very grateful for
the samples, as it is possible other buyers may have received these imperfect goods, and
enquiries are being made accordingly.

We told the manufacturers how greatly concerned we were over your disappointment in the
quality, and the fact that you had supplied the cloth to new customers. They expressed their
very great regret, and we have arranged with them for the immediate despatch. Furthermore,
they guarantee the quality of the cloth now sent.

If you care to dispose of the inferior cloth at the best price obtainable for it, we will send you a
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credit note for the difference as soon as we hear from you.

We apologize sincerely for the trouble caused to you, and will take all possible steps to ensure
that such a mistake is not made again.

Yours sincerely

Comprehension questions

1. What has the supplier done with the two samples?

2. What does the supplier ask the buyer to do to deal with the inferior cloth?

3. What does the supplier promise to do?

4. Complaint concerning damaged goods

a. Complaint

Dear Sir or Madam

Our order No. R569

We ordered 350 compact discs on 3 January and they were delivered yesterday. Unfortunately,
we regret that 80 of them were badly scratched.

The package containing these goods appears to be in perfect condition and we accepted and
signed for it without question. It was on unpacking the compact discs when the damage was
discovered, and we can only assume that this was due to careless handling at some stage prior
to packing.

We are enclosing a list of the damaged goods and shall be glad if you will replace them. They
have been kept aside in case you need them to support a claim on your suppliers for
compensation.

We look forward to having your early reply.

Yours faithfully

Comprehension questions

1. What happened to the assignment?

2. When was the damage discovered?

3. What does the buyer enclose with this letter?

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b. Reply

Dear Ms. ...

YOUR ORDER No. R569

We were sorry to learn from your letter of 10 January that some of the compact discs supplied
to the above order were damaged when they reached you.

Replacements for the damaged goods have been sent by parcel post this morning. It will not be
necessary for you to return the damaged goods, and they may be destroyed.

Despite the care we take in packing goods sent by carrier, there have recently been several
reports of damage. To avoid further inconvenience and annoyance to customers, as well as
expense for ourselves, we are now seeking the advice of a packaging consultant in the hope of
improving our methods of handling.

We regret the need for you to write to us and hope the steps we are taking will ensure the safe
arrival of all your orders in future.

Yours sincerely

Comprehension questions

1. What remedy has been taken by the supplier?

2. What is the major reason for the damage?

3. What does the supplier promise to do?

5. Complaints concerning shortage of goods

a. Complaint

Dear Sir or Madam

Your consignment under our Order No. 123 carried by SS Song Huong arrived at our port
today. After careful inspection it has been found that against 24,000 tins of condensed milk
ordered and invoiced, the consignment contains only 23,460 tins. In fact, out of 500 cases
received, thirty cases bearing serial numbers CD48-CD 77 contained 30 tins each, thus making
a shortage of 540 tins.

Please examine the matter and arrange the shipment of missing tins as soon as possible as we
can accept them only if they arrive before the end of September.

Yours faithfully

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Comprehension questions

1. What happened to the consignment?

2. What solution does the buyer suggest?

b. Reply

Dear Mrs. ...

We regret to learn from your letter of 7 th August that in our last shipment forwarded to you on
SS Song Huong, 540 tins of condensed milk were missing.

From the enclosed documents and packing list, you will see that the number of cases and the
tins coincides with that invoiced by us.

We would, therefore, advise you to address your claim to the Insurer, as, in our opinion, this is
a case of pilferage.

We expect you will have no difficulty in obtaining full indemnity from them, and trust the matter
will be settled to your satisfaction.

Yours sincerely

Comprehension questions

1. Does the supplier accept the complaint?

2. What solution does the supplier suggest?

3. Find the word in the letter which means theft.

PART II. Exercises

I. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words or phrases

1. Complaint of frequent late deliveries

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Dear Mr. …

We ordered 6 filing (1)........................ from you on 2 July on the understanding that they would
be (2).................... within one week. However, these were not received until this morning.

Unfortunately, there have been similar (3).................... on several previous occasions, and their
(4).................... frequency in recent months compels us to say that business between us cannot
continue in conditions such as (5).....................

We have felt it necessary to make our (6).................... known since we cannot give reliable
(7).................... dates to our customers unless we can count on (8).................... given by our
suppliers.

We hope you will understand our (9).................... in this matter, and trust that from now on we
can rely on (10).................... delivery of our orders.

Yours sincerely

2. Reply

Dear Mr. ...

Your letter of 18 July (1).................... delays in delivery came as a surprise, as the absence of
any (2).................... complaints led us to believe that goods supplied to your orders were
(3).................... you promptly.

It is our usual practice to (4).................... goods well in advance of the promised (5)....................
dates, and the filing cabinets to which you refer (6).................... here on 5 July. We are very
concerned that our efforts to give punctual delivery should be (7).................... by delays in
transit. It is very possible that other customers are also (8)...................., and we are taking up
this whole question with our carriers.

We thank you for drawing our attention to a situation of (9).................... we had been quite
unaware until you wrote to us. Please accept our apologies for the (10).................... you have
been caused.

Yours sincerely

3. Complaint of non-delivery

Dear Mr. ...

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 Order No. VC 58391

We are writing to you with (1).................... to the above order and our letter of 22 May in
which we asked you when we could (2).................... delivery of the 60 dynamos (Artex model
55) you were to have supplied on 3 June for an (3).................... order.

We have tried to contact you by phone, but could not get anyone in your factory
(4).................... knew anything about this matter.

It is essential that we deliver this (5).................... to our Greek customers on time as this
was an initial (6).................... from them and would give us an opening in the Greek market.

Our deadline is 28 June, and the lorries have been completed (7).................... for the
dynamos that need to be fitted.

Unless we receive the components within the next five days, the order will be
(8).................... and placed elsewhere. We should warn you that we are holding you to your
delivery (9).................... and if any loss results because of this late delivery we will be
taking (10).................... action.

Yours sincerely

4. Reply
Dear Mr. …

Thank you for your letter of 20 June concerning your (1) .................... (No. VC 58391)
which should have been supplied to you on 3 June.

First let me (2) .................... for your order not being delivered on the due date and for the
problems you have (3) .................... in getting in touch with us about it. But as you may
have read in your newspapers we have experienced an industrial (4).................... which has
involved both administrative staff and employees on the shop floor, and as a (5)
...................., has held up all production over the past few weeks.

I can tell you that the dispute has been settled and we are back to normal production. There
is a backlog of orders to (6) .................... up on, but we are using associates of ours to

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help us fulfil all outstanding commitments: your order has been given priority, so we should
be able to deliver the dynamos before the end of this week.

May I point out with (7)...................., that your contract with us did have a standard clause
stating that delivery dates would be met unless (8) .................... circumstances arose, and
we think you will agree that a dispute is an exceptional circumstance. However, we quite
understand your problem and will allow you to cancel your contract if it will help you to
meet your own (9).................... with your Greek customers. But we will not accept any
responsibility for any action they may take against you.

Once again let me say how much I regret the inconvenience this delay has caused, and
emphasize that it was due to factors we could not have known about when we accepted your
delivery dates.

Please phone or fax me letting me know if you wish us to (10) .................... your order or
whether you would prefer to make other arrangements.

I look forward to hearing from you within the next day or so.

Yours sincerely

5. Reply
Dear Mr. …

Thank you for informing us about the (1).................... to our consignment (Inv. No. 18871).

From our previous (2).................... you will realize that this sort of problem is quite
(3)..................... Nevertheless, we are sorry about the (4).................... it has caused you.

Please would you return the (5).................... consignment to us, postage and packing
(6)...................., and we will ask the shipping company to come and inspect the damage so
that they can arrange (7)..................... It is unlikely that our insurance company needs to be
(8).................... with this case.

If you wish us to send you another (9).................... as per your order No. 14478, please let
us know. We have the garments in (10).................... and it would be no trouble to send them
within the next fortnight.

Yours sincerely

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II. Matching

A. Match the word in column A with the definition in column B

A B

1. It's not our fault a. we are sending the consignment

to you carriage forward

2. You should make it right b. we are not responsible for the

error

3. We want our money back c. we would like to complain about

4. You have to pay when the d. we will have to take legal action
goods are returned to you

5. We will sue you e. you seem to have made an error

6. You made a mistake f. the products are not

satisfactory

7. We won't buy anything from g. we will not re-order

you again

8. The goods are rubbish h. you have not followed our

instructions

9. We're complaining about ... i. please correct the error

10. Why don't you pay j. we would like a refund

attention?

III. Rewrite the following sentences so that they have a similar meaning to the one
above, but are more suitable for formal business correspondence.

1. If we had known they were going out of business, we would not have given them credit.

=> Had we ......................................................................................................

2. We wrote to you on 5 January: Our letter complained about poor workmanship.

=> In our letter..................................................................................................................

3. 'Please contact our accounts department,' the secretary said.

=> The secretary told me..............................................................................................

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4. We want the consignment returned before we give you a refund.

=> Could .....................................................................................................

5. You have made an error on your September statement.

=> An error ....................................................................................................

6. We will deal with the problem as soon as we have the details.

=> The problem .....................................................................................

7. The credit is too large for us to allow.

=> The credit is so .................................................................................

8. They offered to exchange the goods and give us a discount.

=> Not only ...........................................................................................

9. Fill out the details on the credit application form and return it to us.

=> After you...........................................................................................

IV. Translation

A. English-Vietnamese Translation

1. We have received the documents and taken delivery of the goods under the order No.123,
which arrived at Saigon port on the SS White Queen yesterday.

2. When we have this case opened, we found that it contained quite different articles.

3. After careful examination, it has been found that against 100 drums ordered and invoiced
the consignment contains only 98 drums.

4. On checking the goods received we find that some items on your invoice have not been
included.

5. I am enclosing the survey report issued by Vinacontrol to the effect that the damage was
noticed when they were discharged at the port.

6. In the mean time, we are holding the above- mentioned case at your disposal, please let us
know what you wish us to do with it.

7. We hope that this will not occur in the future and that our next orders will be dispatched
strictly according to our wishes.

8. We were sorry to learn from your letter of 10 January that some of the compact discs
supplied to the above order were damaged when they reached you.
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9. Despite the care we take in packing goods sent by carrier, there have recently been
several reports of damage.

10. Please examine the matter and arrange the shipment of missing tins as soon as possible
as we can accept them only if they arrive before the end of September.
B. Vietnamese-English Translation
1. Để tỏ thiện chí, chúng tôi xin bồi thường 1000 đô la để giải quyết dứt điểm khiếu nại của
quý ngài.
2. Bộ phận đóng gói không đồng ý rằng loại vải sử dụng kém chất lượng. Họ cho rằng chắc
chắn các thùng hàng đã bị bốc dỡ cẩu thả.
3. Một lần nữa, chúng tôi thành thực xin lỗi về những phiền hà đã gây ra cho quý ngài và sẽ
thực hiện mọi biện pháp để đảm bảo rằng sơ xuất kiểu này sẽ không tái diễn.
4. Bức thư này là để thông báo với các ngài rằng chúng tôi không nhận được tin gì của các
ngài về chuyến hàng theo đơn đặt hàng nói trên, lẽ ra chuyến hàng này phải đến chỗ
chúng tôi cách đây một tuần rồi.
5. Khi chúng tôi đặt đơn hàng này với các ngài, chúng tôi nhấn mạnh rằng việc giao hàng
ngay là rất quan trọng
6. Điều cực kỳ cần thiết là hàng phải giao đúng thời gian; nếu không chúng tôi không thể
thực hiện được việc bán hàng của mình.
7. Chúng tôi lấy làm tiếc rằng nếu chúng tôi không nhận được tin của quí ngài trong thư về,
chúng tôi sẽ buộc phải hủy bỏ đơn hàng này.
8. Chúng tôi tin rằng các ngài sẽ không để đến mức chúng tôi phải kiện quí ngài.
9. Bên nhà máy đã thông báo cho chúng tôi rằng do nhu cầu trong nước tăng ngoài mức dự
tính, họ đã không thể thực hiện được các đơn hàng và chậm giao đối với một số chuyến
hàng.
10. Chúng tôi sẽ làm tất cả những gì có thể được để ngăn chặn tình trạng này tái diễn và sẽ
gửi các đơn hàng sau này của quý ngài theo đúng yêu cầu của quý ngài.

V. Writing

1. Gap-filling

Use the a, or the, or leave the spaces blank in this letter of complaint

Dear Mr Toda

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 AWB 4156/82

We are writing to point out that (1)...................... -above delivery, which arrived yesterday,
was (2)...................... week late. This is (3)...................... second time we have had to write to
you on this subject, and we cannot allow (4)...................... situation to continue.

We have already explained that it is essential for (5)...................... medical equipment to

arrive on (6)...................... due date as (7)...................... late delivery could create
(8)...................... very serious problem.

Unless we have (9)...................... absolute assurance that you can guarantee

(10)...................... promptness of all future deliveries, we will have to look for another
supplier. We will want your confirmation before we place our next order.

Yours sincerely

Carlo Lotti

Head of Administration

2. Letter – Writing Practice

Theo đơn hàng số SM 493/ht, công ty anh chị đã nhận được lô hàng máy may công
nghiệp vào ngày 28/3/20-- tại cảng Sài Gòn. Hàng được chở trên con tàu Song Hang. Tuy
nhiên, lô hàng cập cảng đến trong tình trạng bị tổn thất và mất mát nghiêm trọng. Cụ thể: có
6 thùng hàng trống rỗng, 7 thùng hàng chứa loại máy may mang mã số XM 27 thay vì loại
máy mã số SM 27, 4 thùng hàng bị vỡ và máy may không thể sửa chửa để sử dụng lại được.
Anh chị hãy đính kèm các chứng từ sau đây để minh chứng cho vụ việc: Biên bản
giám định hàng hóa phát hành bởi Vinacontrol Tp. HCM, một bản sao của hợp đồng, Biên
bản xác nhận tình trạng hàng hóa, Biên bản xác nhận việc nhận hàng và Phiếu đóng gói.
Anh chị hãy giải thích thêm rằng theo kết luận của các giám định viên, nguyên nhân
là do việc đóng gói không phù hợp và có sơ suất trong quá trình vận chuyển hàng vào
container.
Anh chị đề nghị bên bán giao 17 máy còn thiếu trước ngày 15/4/20--. Nếu bên bán
không giao số hàng còn thiếu trước thời gian trên, công ty anh chị sẽ mua hàng từ nhà cung
ứng khác để việc sản xuất đảm bảo đúng tiến độ. Như vậy, các chi phí phát sinh sẽ do bên
bán chịu. Đối với 7 máy may bị giao nhầm, anh chị đề nghị rằng công ty sẽ tiêu thụ với giá
cao nhất có thể hoặc sẽ lưu kho nếu bên bán ưu đãi mức chiết khấu 15%.
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Thư bắt đầu bằng Dear Sirs.

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