Samples, Inspection & Claims

Last updated: 9 August 2026

1. Sample price and size

• The tea itself is free.
• Available sample formats are 1 kg or 2.5 kg for each requested product or grade.
• We set no fixed maximum number of product samples. Availability, total weight, destination restrictions and a practical dispatch plan must still be confirmed before shipment.
• The buyer pays international freight, courier or air charges, destination customs charges, duties and taxes.
• Samples normally ship by air. A buyer may specify another carrier or transport method, subject to agreement, legality and service availability.

A freight account, prepaid freight payment or other agreed shipping arrangement may be required before dispatch.

2. What a sample represents

A sales or category sample helps the buyer compare style and commercial position. It represents a future shipment only when the quotation or contract identifies it as the approved reference and links it to a defined lot or production control. Agricultural products naturally vary, so the written specification should state acceptable ranges as well as sensory reference.

3. Retained and sealed samples

For a commercial order, the parties may seal equivalent buyer, seller and referee samples with product, lot, date and seal identification. A retained sample supports comparison but does not replace food-safety testing or destination-law requirements.

4. Pre-shipment inspection

We perform normal internal checks against the agreed sample, specification and packing plan. The buyer may appoint a recognised third-party inspection company or qualified laboratory before shipment. Unless the contract says otherwise, buyer-appointed inspection and testing costs are paid by the buyer. Inspection scope, sampling method, lot definition, decision rule, timing and access must be agreed before inspection.

Buyer approval or a passed pre-shipment inspection does not excuse deliberate substitution, fraud or a hidden non-conformity that the agreed inspection could not reasonably identify. It also does not make us responsible for deterioration caused after risk transfer by unsuitable transport, storage or handling.

5. Arrival inspection

The buyer should inspect container seal, package count, visible damage, wetting, odour, package marks and available documents promptly on arrival and before mixing, processing, repacking or resale. Where carrier loss or damage is suspected, preserve the container and packaging evidence and notify the carrier within its required time.

6. Claim notification windows

• Visible transit damage, broken seals or shortage: notify us and the carrier within 48 hours after delivery or container opening.
• Visible product, grade, packing or marking non-conformity: notify us in writing within 7 calendar days after receipt.
• Latent analytical or quality issue not reasonably visible on arrival: notify us within 30 calendar days after receipt and before the affected goods are processed, blended, repacked or sold.

A signed contract may set different periods and will control. A food-safety or regulatory concern should be reported immediately. Nothing in this policy removes a right or obligation that cannot legally be limited.

7. Evidence required

A claim should identify the contract and invoice, product and lot, container or waybill, package marks, affected quantity and requested remedy. Provide clear photos or video, seal and loading evidence, packing list, storage and handling records, sampling record, and laboratory report where relevant. Keep affected goods and packaging separated, protected and available for inspection; do not destroy, return or dispose of them without written agreement unless law or urgent safety action requires it.

8. Sampling and disputed tests

Testing must use a representative sample and an agreed or appropriate method. Where results conflict, the parties should first review lot identity, sampling, chain of custody, method, units, reporting limit and decision rule. A mutually agreed qualified laboratory may test a sealed referee sample. The contract should state how retest cost is allocated.

9. Matters normally excluded

A claim may be rejected to the extent the problem results from normal variation within the agreed tolerance, buyer-supplied specifications or artwork, improper storage, moisture, odour contamination, pest exposure, unauthorised processing or mixing, expired shelf life, carrier damage after risk transfer, or failure to follow agreed handling and inspection requirements.

10. Remedies

If a claim is verified, the practical remedy may be replacement in a later shipment, price adjustment, credit note, sorting or rework arrangement, or another written settlement appropriate to the affected quantity and seriousness. Cross-border food is not automatically returned, and this B2B policy does not provide consumer-style no-reason returns. No remedy is final until confirmed in writing, and the signed contract controls liability limits, insurance and dispute resolution.

11. Contact

Send an urgent claim notice to lzfur@foxmail.com and call +86 156 2316 4321. Put the contract number, product and word “CLAIM” in the subject line.