Never Sign For What You Do Not Receive
In a recent CBC news article, two Greyhound customers voice complaints regarding lost goods that were shipped across Canada. ( See http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/greyhound-bus-shipments-go-missing-customers-left-out-of-pocket-1.3070190 ) One of those complainants admits that although a number of her shipping cartons were open and some were missing contents, she signed the receipt saying that she had received them all of what she shipped.
It is never prudent to sign for packages that you did not receive. Rather, a note should be made on the bill of lading stating the number of boxes received. It is also wise to make a note on the bill of lading regarding any damage such as open boxes, punctures, crushed areas etc. If the document in question calls for an electronic signature, have the delivery person add the comments to the bill or provide a written confirmation on a piece of paper that you did not receive all of your shipment or that damage to the shipment had occurred.
While these steps may seem time consuming and annoying, creating a documentary record of any potential dispute is a significant first step in communicating your complaint to the shipping company and will go a long way to eventually convincing either the company or a judge that you incurred a loss for which you should be compensated.
The content and the opinions expressed here is informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Nor does reading or commenting on it create a lawyer/client relationship with the author. I encourage you to contact me directly at adrianlawoffice@gmail.com if you have specific legal questions or concerns.
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