What's covered by Trade Assurance?
Types of Coverage for Buyers
Requirements for Acceptance of Complaints
What's not covered by Trade Assurance
1. Seller fails to ship products as scheduled
1.1 Seller refuses to ship the products: Seller expressly refuses to ship products for reasons that do not fall within the causes for exemption of liability as agreed under the contract;
1.2 Seller ships the products after the agreed date: Seller has shipped the products but on a date later than the agreed shipment date.
Unless otherwise agreed by Buyer and Seller, “Shipment Date” specifically refers to the date on which exportation customs clearance is completed at the port/place of loading or the date of pickup of the express delivery of the products (Beijing time).
2.Evident inconformity with the product's descriptions
In the event that the products delivered by Seller have quality issues, are damaged in packaging, short in quantity or otherwise in breach of the contract, resulting in material losses to the product value or rendering it impossible to achieve the primary business targets of transactions as known or should have been known by the parties. The inspection report issued by the inspection company designated by Alibaba or other evidence recognized by Alibaba shall serve as the criteria for determining the foregoing.
2.1 In the case of “Trade Assurance up to Shipment Date”, you have found evident differences between the products to be shipped by Seller and those as provided in the contract before the shipment by the seller;
2.2 In the case of “Extended Trade Assurance until Arrival at Port/Place of Destination”, you have found evident differences between the products to be shipped by the Seller and those as provided in the contract before the shipment, or you have received the products only to find that the products have evident differences with those as provided in the contract.
For instance:
1)In the case of “Trade Assurance up to Shipment Date”, you purchase 1,000 pairs of shoes, Seller sends you photos of shoes for confirmation before shipment, and you find that the design of the shoes to be shipped by the seller is not in conformity with that agreed in the contract.
2)In the case of “Trade Assurance up to Shipment Date”, you purchase a large machine and engage a third party inspection company to inspect the products at the seller's premises before shipment, and the inspection results show that the machine to be shipped by the seller does not operate normally.
3)In the case of “Trade Assurance up to Shipment Date”, you purchase a ton of chemicals and engage a third party inspection company to inspect the products at the seller's premises before shipment, and the inspection results show that the product components to be shipped by the seller are not in conformity with those agreed in the contract .
4)In the case of “Extended Trade Assurance until Arrival at Port/Place of Destination”, you purchase 1,000 sweaters in size L, and you have received the products only to find that they are all in size M.
5)In the case of “Extended Trade Assurance until Arrival at Port/Place of Destination”, you purchase 1,000 self-balancing vehicles, and you have received the products only to find that 300 of them do not operate normally.
6)In the case of “Extended Trade Assurance until Arrival at Port/Place of Destination”, where the maritime transport by DDU or DDP is used, you have received the products only to find that the products are seriously damaged.
7)In the case of “Extended Trade Assurance until Arrival at Port/Place of Destination”, if you purchase 1,000 DVDs, you have received the products only to find that there are only 900 in total.
3. Other situations where Trade Assurance Is available:
3.1 In the case of “Extended Trade Assurance until Arrival at Port/Place of Destination”, Seller has shipped the products, but the products are detained or otherwise seized by the customs at the port of destination or transshipment owing to any breach by Seller, rendering it impossible to achieve the primary business targets of the products.
3.2 In the case of “Extended Trade Assurance until Arrival at Port/Place of Destination”, Seller is responsible for transport of products, but Seller or the carrier designated thereby transports your products to a wrong location, rendering it impossible to achieve the primary business targets of the products.
3.3 In the case of “Extended Trade Assurance until Arrival at Port/Place of Destination”, Seller fails to provide the certificate as agreed in the contract, rendering it impossible to achieve the primary business targets of the products.
3.4 Other breaches by Seller, rendering it impossible to achieve the primary business targets of the products.
Note: You should submit any disputes during the Claim Period, during which disputes are mediated according to the Trade Assurance Service Rules.
Amount Refundable under Trade Assurance
1.In the case of problems other than shortage in quantity, if you satisfy the conditions of Trade Assurance, you may apply for refund of the amount actually paid under the purchase order covered under Trade Assurance.
2.In the case of shortage in quantity, if you satisfy the conditions of Trade Assurance, you may apply for a refund of the amount equivalent to the actual value of the under-shipped products in the transaction, which shall not exceed the amount paid by you under the purchase order protected by Trade Assurance in the transaction.
3.In each case, the precondition is that you have not been refunded by the seller or any other third party through any other channels.
The above information is for reference only. In case of any conflict with the Trade Assurance Service Rules, terms in the Trade Assurance Service Rules shall prevail. For the Trade Assurance Service Rules, please visit: https://rule.alibaba.com/rule/detail/4709.htm
Requirements for acceptance of complaints
1. In the event that Seller fails to ship products
1.1 You are required to submit any disputes after the Shipment Date as agreed in the contract, and in no event later than 15 calendar days (inclusive) after the actual shipment date of Seller;
1.2 If you submit the dispute after the products are delivered, you are required to return such products.
2. In the event that there is evident inconformity with the product's descriptions
2.1 If “Trade Assurance up to Shipment Date” is agreed in your contract, you are required to submit the dispute in respect of the evident inconformity together with the product’s description before shipment by Seller.
2.2 If “Extended Trade Assurance until Arrival at Port/Place of Destination” is agreed in your contract, you may submit the dispute in respect of the evident inconformity with the product’s description before shipment by Seller or within 15 calendar days after the actual customs clearance at the port/place of destination, and in any event no later than the 90th calendar day after the actual Shipment Date.
2.3 In the event that the products purchased by you are evidently inconsistent with Seller’s descriptions in the contract, and such inconsistency is clearly visible from photos or videos, you are required to provide the photos and/or videos as required by Alibaba as evidence within the specified period.
For instance:
a)The batch of products received by you is completely difference from those in the description. For instance, you purchase 1,000 sweaters in size L, and you have received the products only to find that they are all in size M, then you are required to provide the photos of the sweaters actually delivered to you within 3 calendar days after an email is received from Alibaba.
b)The products delivered to you lack key parts or functions which are expressly specified in the purchase contract. For instance, you purchase 1,000 mobile phones, and the contract specifies that GPS function shall be included, but you have received the products only to find that they have no GPS function. In this case, you are required to provide the photos of the mobile phones actually delivered to you and the videos showing the lack of GPS function in the mobile phone within 3 calendar days after an email is received from Alibaba.
c)The products delivered to you are short in quantity. For instance, you purchase 100 pairs of shoes from the seller, but you have only received 90 pairs. In this case, you are required to provide the photos showing the weight of each pair of shoes and of the entire package to prove that 10 pairs of shoes were not shipped in the package delivered by the seller within 3 calendar days after an email is received from Alibaba.
ØProducts are seriously damaged in the transport. In this case, you are required to provide the photos of the products actually delivered to you within 3 calendar days after an email is received from Alibaba.
ØThe products are promoted as authentic, while they are actually not. In this case, you are required to provide the photos of the products actually delivered to you within 3 calendar days after an email is received from Alibaba.
2.4 If it is impossible to describe the problems by photos or videos, you are obliged to choose from the inspection company designated by Alibaba to inspect the products within the specified period, and Alibaba will settle the dispute on the basis of the inspection results.
For instance:
a)The texture of the products delivered to you is totally different from that as agreed in the contract. For instance, you purchase 1,000 pieces of clothes made of 100% cotton, but the clothes received by you are made of silk. In this case, you need to apply for inspection by the inspection company designated by Alibaba.
b)The workmanship of the products delivered to you is totally different from that as agreed in the contract. For instance, you purchase 1,000 ceramic cups with matte patterns, but the cups received by you are with polished patterns. In this case, you shall apply for inspection by the inspection company designated by Alibaba.
Note:
1. So far, the inspection companies designated by Alibaba include TÜV Rheinland (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (Https://service.alibaba.com/supplier/faq_detail/13903742.htm) and SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.(https://service.alibaba.com/supplier/faq_detail/13903739.htm);
2. The inspection standard will be based on the Trade Assurance contract executed by you and Seller. If there are no express provisions in the contract, the industrial standards will be adopted in the inspection. For details, please refer to: https://service.alibaba.com/supplier/faq_detail/13859007.htm
3. Other situations where Trade Assurance is applicable
3.1 You must submit the dispute no later than 90 calendar days after Seller ships the products.
3.2 You are obliged to provide the evidence required by Alibaba within the specified period.
For instance:
a)If your products are detained by the customs of the country of destination, you are required to provide the written detention document issued by the customs within 3 calendar days after an email is received from Alibaba.
b)If your products are delivered to a wrong location, you are required to provide the delivery address actually agreed between you and Seller within 3 calendar days after an email is received from Alibaba.
Note: In each of the above cases, the protection is subject to you having a good reputation in the relevant transaction.
What is not covered by Trade Assurance?
The following issues are not covered:
1. Issues relating to freight and logistics: Seller changes freight/means of logistics without the consent of the buyer, and although the buyer has received the products, it files a complaint due to other damages.
2. Transport issues attributable to the buyer: Such as loss of products, damage of products or impairment of quality owing to the buyer’s mistakes during the transport, or the risks of transport to be assumed by the buyer.
3. Disputes relating to costs at the port of destination: Ordinary disputes relating to costs in customs clearance and collection of products with the shipping company or freight forwarder.
4. Issues relating to after-sales services: Disputes relating to after-sales service.
5. Breaches by Seller which you have accepted and recognized or in which you have acquiesced: For example, the seller once communicated with you about late delivery by email and you agreed to that.
6. If the products are very similar to those described by the seller in the credit guarantee contract, it shall NOT be deemed as “evident inconformity with the product’s descriptions”. For instance:
1) The seller has correctly described the defects in the products.
2) The product descriptions are correct while you no longer want to accept the products after they is delivered.
3) The product descriptions are correct while the products fail to meet your expectation.
4) Although there are slight scratches, stains or other problems in the appearance of the products, Seller has specified in advance that the products are second-hand.
5) You have not specified the standards with Seller in the contract regarding the characteristics or possible problems of the products.
6) The inspection company’s report proves that the products conform to the contract.