Damaged Delivery

Damaged materials are an unavoidable reality in building material logistics — cement bags tear, plywood delaminates from moisture, and rebar can deform during transit. Knowing what to do when damage occurs protects your rights under Egyptian law and ensures the fastest possible resolution.

When you discover damage at delivery, follow these steps:

1. Do not refuse the entire shipment. Accept all undamaged items normally. Refusing everything because 50 bags out of 500 are torn delays your project and complicates the resolution process.
2. Annotate the delivery note. Write the specific damage directly on the HyperQuote delivery note before signing: "50 bags torn/wet, rebar bundle #7 bent." These annotations are critical evidence.
3. Take photos. Document the damaged items, the packaging condition, the overall delivery, and your annotations on the delivery note. Send these to HyperQuote via WhatsApp immediately.
4. Report via WhatsApp or the portal. Send your photos and a brief description to the support number or file a damage claim in the portal. The system creates a claim record linked to your delivery and order.

Under Egyptian Commercial Code Article 101, you have 15 days from receipt to formally notify the seller of damage or shortage. Do not wait — report immediately for the fastest resolution.

Claims are classified into three tiers based on the damage value:

Minor damage (under 5% of delivery value) — You submit photos and a description through the portal or WhatsApp. For minor claims, the system can auto-approve a credit note without requiring a physical inspection. Resolution is typically within 48 hours.

Moderate damage (5-20% of delivery value) — HyperQuote sends a representative to inspect the damage at your site within 48 hours. The inspection verifies the extent and cause of damage before a resolution is proposed.

Major damage (over 20% or safety-critical materials) — A third-party inspector is dispatched within 24 hours. This applies to large-value deliveries and any damage to structural materials (load-bearing steel, structural concrete) where safety implications exist.

Six resolution paths are available, ordered by frequency in the Egyptian market:

1. Partial replacement — The damaged items are replaced on the next available delivery. This is the most common resolution. If your order included 500 cement bags and 50 arrived damaged, 50 replacement bags ship on the next delivery to your area.
2. Credit note — The invoice is reduced by the value of the damaged goods (including the 14% VAT adjustment). The credit note is submitted to the ETA as a compliant document.
3. Price reduction — You keep the damaged goods at a negotiated discount, if the materials are still usable for your project.
4. Full replacement — The entire delivery is replaced. This applies only to total-loss scenarios.
5. Full refund — The order is cancelled and payment returned. This is a last resort.
6. Return and reorder — You return the damaged goods and a new order is placed.

Different materials fail in different ways, and some damage is more severe than others:

• Cement — Moisture is total loss. Wet cement cannot be salvaged. Shelf life is 3-6 months under proper storage. Torn bags exposed to rain or humidity are rejected outright.
• Steel rebar — Minor surface rust is generally acceptable (surface only). Bending can sometimes be corrected on site. Structural deformation (kinks, severe bends) requires rejection.
• Plywood — Delamination from moisture exposure is total loss. Edge damage may be usable with trimming, depending on your application.
• Pipes — Cracks are always rejected (safety concern). Surface scratches are cosmetic and generally accepted.

HyperQuote is the seller of record on every transaction, regardless of whether materials shipped directly from a supplier (drop-ship) or from a HyperQuote facility. Under Egyptian Commercial Code Article 94, HyperQuote is always liable to you for damaged goods. You deal with HyperQuote for resolution — we handle supplier and carrier claims separately.

You have 15 days to notify us of damage, 60 days to file a legal action, and 6 months as the overall claim expiry window. In practice, reporting within 24 hours produces the best outcomes.

The target for customer-facing resolution — credit note issued or replacement scheduled — is 7 days. First-order damage (a new customer's very first delivery arriving damaged) is treated as highest priority with resolution targeted within 24 hours, including a personal call from your account manager.