What if my coffee arrives damaged or underweight?
Millions of pounds of green coffee move across the face of the planet every day and it doesn’t always go as planned.
Coffee is an agricultural product and subject to an array of conditions unfavorable to its “best life” at almost every point along the supply chain, but is particularly vulnerable on the road to your roastery.
If your coffee shipment arrives damaged, underweight, or the coffee itself is in some way unsound, take these steps:
Write It All Down
The trucker wants you to sign the Bill of Lading. Before you do that, write down the damage and/or condition of the coffee on the shipping documents. Include the type of damage and the number of bags damaged.
Take Pictures
Take pictures of all damage and/or the condition of the coffee. Photographic documentation is extremely helpful in filing claims for compensation.
Weigh In
A damaged or underweight bag doesn’t mean the entire bag can be rejected. This is not only wasteful; it is contrary to your contractual obligations as a green coffee buyer. You need to weigh the remaining sound coffee to determine how much coffee was lost so we can make a claim on your behalf. In most cases, we will not make you wait for the shipper to act on the claim before making things right, but if you have accurate records of the coffee lost the process will move quicker. Photographic documentation is again extremely helpful here.
Tell Us About It
When your coffee is damaged during shipping, we are as disappointed as you are, and we are on your side as an advocate and partner in the solution. Contact us at info-osceurope@olamnet.com as soon as possible so we can begin working with you to make everything right.
Finally, Know Your Contract
The European Standard Coffee Contract defines the terms of buying and selling green coffee and includes provisions for coffee that is damaged, underweight, or unsound. This is the contract under which you buy coffee from Olam and like all good contracts it seeks to protect both parties. The more familiar you are with the green coffee contract that governs our seller/buyer relationship, the easier it will be for us to work together when things don’t go as planned.