For Merchants
The easiest way to solve your transit damage problems...
...is to let us solve them for you.
In preparing shipments, International Paper uses standard packaging, loading and bracing methods developed through years of experience. If you receive damaged product, attributable to carrier mishandling or negligence during transit, there is no reason you should have to waste your valuable time and resources trying to resolve these problems.
Take two aspirin and call Delivery Plus
Delivery Plus is a unique service to help speed up claim resolution for damage to truck, rail, and piggyback shipments which are handled by International Paper selected carriers. This innovative service is handled by the shipping experts at International Paper who work closely with truck and rail carriers and deal with thousands of shipments every year. Our claims administrators are trained to answer your questions and follow through on all claim requests. Your claim will be processed within 7-10 days after receipt of your claim form and supporting documentation, provided your claim is received within 30 days. Just follow the simple procedures and International Paper will issue credit for product loss (minimum amount $100), plus, with your permission, assume responsibility for filing loss and damage claims with IP selected carriers. Credits may also cover reworking or mitigation costs, photography and inspection costs when work is supported by adequate documentation.
Follow these simple instructions...
- Inspect and document transit damage upon delivery.
- File a claim with International Paper on a Delivery Plus claim form within 30 days.
- Make sure that you follow the procedures and provide necessary supporting documents as stated below.
- Call 1-800-236-8412 (or fax 1-800-236-8472)
...and let Delivery Plus take it from there.
Ordering paper shouldn't get you buried in paperwork. At International Paper, we believe you deserve the highest quality service as well as the highest quality paper. Delivery Plus is just one of the ways we're trying to prove it.
Conditions for Credit
Report visible damage upon delivery and concealed damage upon discovery to a carrier representative such as a driver, dispatcher, or a carrier agent at their pre-assigned 800 phone number. Record seal numbers and condition (intact, broken, missing) for losses due to shortages. Record dates, times and the name of the carrier representative to whom an inspection was requested, then waived by the carrier. Record dates, times and the name of the carrier representative to whom the concealed damages were reported. To ensure timely and accurate documentation, please file Delivery Plus claims upon receipt of damage (not later than 30 days of delivery), or upon discovery of concealed water damage or crushed cores (not later than 60 days of delivery). After this period, you can file claims direct with the carriers up to 9 months of the delivery date. Concealed damage, limited to water and crushed cores, must be reported using a Concealed Damage Claim form (see enclosed with this packet).
Supporting Documents
A receiving report stating the type and extent of damage, location of the damage in the vehicle, and the position of the damage on the damaged unit is necessary information. We need diagrams or pictures that show the door- way of the car before any blocking/bracing or product is taken from the vehicle. Claims lacking proper documentation are held for 30 days pending receipt of same. Credit cannot be made until this documentation is provided. Our Claims Administrator will give you written verification of the missing documentation, along with the date it must be received by.
Rail Supporting Documents
Include with the Delivery Plus claim form a rail inspection report or waived inspection report, customer damage report, pictures/diagrams, and a shipping tally with the unit numbers of the damaged goods highlighted. If damage was concealed, please fill out the Concealed Damage Claim form provided.
Reporting Loss and Damage - Rail Shipments
Inspect the lading and securement devices for condition, reporting product damage and/or securement device failure/displacement to the railroad, halting the unloading process until authorized by the carrier to begin unloading. If you cannot delay unloading, take pictures of the damage before and during unloading, segregate the damaged goods and preserve as much evidence as practical for the carrier inspection. Concealed rail damage, limited to crushed cores or water damage, must be reported to the carrier immediately upon discovery. Packaging on product with concealed damage must be retained until the carrier inspects or waives the inspection.
Truck Supporting Documents
Include with the claim form a signed delivery receipt, a truck inspection report, customer damage report, pictures/diagrams and a shipping tally with the unit numbers of the damaged goods highlighted. If the damage was concealed, please fill out the Concealed Damage Claim form included with this packet. Inspection waivers are not accepted from motor carriers. Drivers must observe the unloading and record the facts involved with the damage. The Delivery Receipt must be noted with the type and extent of damage and the drivers name, including a statement that the driver did inspect the lading and trailer.
Reporting Loss and Damage - Truck Shipments
Visible damage or shortages found upon delivery must be noted on the delivery receipt and reported to the driver. The driver must personally observe the damage and sign the delivery receipt to indicate the visual inspection of the damage. Concealed truck damage, limited to crushed cores or water damage, must be reported to the carrier upon discovery. Packaging on product with concealed damage must be retained until the carrier inspects or waives the inspection.
Inspection Reports and Deliver Receipts
Customers must ensure that inspection reports and/or delivery receipts are factual, do not contain self serving statements, opinions or conclusions, signed by the carrier representative making the inspection, and include data on the type and extent of damage. Customers may disagree with statements made on the inspection report or the delivery receipt and shall record their comments on the documents indicating they do not agree with the carrier statements. Carrier representatives found uncooperative during the delivery and inspection should be reported to our Claims Administrator via FAX.
Acceptance
The fact that a shipment contains damage is not sufficient reason to refuse the entire shipment nor refuse the damaged goods themselves. Receivers are legally bound to accept goods when not rendered useless as originally intended. If a short- age exists in a shipment, that portion which is delivered must be accepted. Failure to comply with this legal obligation jeopardizes customer credit. If a shipment or portion thereof is rejected and abandoned to the carrier and subsequent investigation establishes that the carrier was not liable for the damage, the claimant is only entitled to the salvage amount the carrier realized.
Mitigation
Customers must take all reasonable steps necessary to mitigate (minimize and prevent further) claim losses. Reasonable rework costs are fully recoverable. Mitigation on boxed items is required down to the carton level. The costs for mitigation shall be included in the request for credit. Water damage and perimeter damage to rolls and skids do not render the product useless, unless more than an excessive amount of the unit must be removed to mitigate the loss. When extra labor is needed to mitigate the loss the cost shall be included in the request for credit.
Salvage
Customer requests for credit must be reduced by a fair market value for salvage disposed of by the customer. The customer must retain the damaged goods for 21 days after the date of International Paper's credit/Delivery Plus's claim filed with the carrier, to ensure the carrier has ample time to review the customer's salvage offer. The carrier has up to 15 days from the date of the Delivery Plus claim to discuss salvage value with the customer or to arrange for pickup of the dam- aged goods. If the salvage offer is NOT acceptable to the carrier, the carrier has a maximum of 5 days from its date of salvage offer declination to physically remove the goods from the customer's facility. Customers should maintain a log of information recording the time, dates and contact names for these situations.
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