This information is provided to assist you with the claims process in the event you need to file a claim for loss or damage to your cargo against Shipco Transport.

1)  My cargo is lost or damaged — Who do I contact?

First, if the cargo was insured, we would suggest that you immediately contact your own marine cargo insurers to report the loss/damage to avoid prejudicing your marine cargo insurance policy conditions. Your own marine cargo insurers should give guidance and handle the claim with you and with any liable party. Such cargo insurance could provide full compensation for the cargo value, for physical loss or damage to cargo, subject to such policy’s terms and conditions (also see section 2 below).

Next, and within 3 days from delivery per Bill of Lading terms and conditions, you should also contact Shipco Transport, either the origin or destination office (at your option), to report the nature and extent of the loss/damage. Please provide as much information and supporting documentation as possible about your claim to the relevant Shipco office.

Each office of Shipco has or has access to a nominated 'Claims Co-ordinator' who will respond to you within 48 hours per our 'Triple A' guide to Claims Handling Procedures:

*A - Acknowledge your claim notice, in writing.
*A - Assign you a unique local office claim number
*A - Advise what is required from you to proceed with the claim via our global Group Central Claims Office (GCCO) based in the UK.

The local Shipco office will separately send transport documents and internal information to GCCO.

Once you have submitted your claim and supporting documents, it is usual for you to liaise with your cargo insurers for compensation and for those insurers to deal direct with us, about the claim.

2)  If my goods are not insured — What will happen next?

You have the option to either continue to communicate via the Claims Co-ordinator at the local office with regards to your claim, with the local office liaising on your behalf with GCCO, or you can liaise direct with GCCO. Most of our clients prefer the latter, but the choice is yours.

Upon receipt of your preliminary or formal claim by our GCCO, your claim will be assigned a unique reference number commencing GCCO. Our GCCO will investigate the claim and will also guide you as to any additional information and/or documentation that may be required. Once all the documents and information have been made available from you, the Shipco offices or our agents and service providers, then the claim is promptly and fully reviewed by our GCCO and our insurers, following which we will immediately write to you to confirm the outcome.

By way of a reminder, please note that if you do not have the benefit of full compensation from your cargo insurers, then Shipco’s liability, if any, is governed by the terms of our Bill of Lading, AWB or any other contractual terms that may have been advised to you, or international transport law/conventions (e.g. US COGSA or Hague or Hague-Visby Rules, Montreal Convention etc), all of which have provisions that limit the claim amount that may be recoverable or provide defences to our liability. Further the onus is on the claimant to protect time in relation to their claim.

3)  Mitigating and proof of Loss

The intent of this guide is not to cover everything there is to know about claims, but two important points to remember are:

1) The onus is on the claimant to prove their claim and to support and demonstrate the extent of claim and the amount claimed.

2) All action should be taken to mitigate any loss/damage. If your cargo is insured by you, then those insurers should assist you and if necessary appoint a surveyor. If the goods are not insured, then if viable you should instruct a surveyor and/or otherwise take photographs of all cargo that is damaged and of the packing.

If necessary you may need to separate and sort sound pieces from damaged pieces, carry out repacking, or determine as to what amount of salvage can be realized for the damaged pieces.

4)  How long will my claim take to resolve?

Shipco will ensure that your claim is resolved as soon as possible; sometimes this can be as quickly as 2-3 weeks. However, if our GCCO and/or our insurers are having difficulty in obtaining documentation/information from any party, then it can take longer.

5)  Shipco Transport Group Central Claims Office

You may contact our GCCO by telephone +44 (0) 1268 582 800 or by email:

claimscentral@shipco.com
or in writing to the following address:-

Group Claims Manager
Shipco Transport Limited
1 Argent Court
Sylvan Way
Basildon, Essex SS15 6TH
United Kingdom

Important: This is only intended as brief general guidance to the process and should not be taken as claims or legal advice and is provide free of charge and free of risk/liability on Shipco’s part. If you are in need of claims or legal advice, then you should consult your own claims/legal advisors.