Introduction
At Bonide, we take pride in our commitment to service pest control solutions for your home, lawn, and gardening needs and strive to do it more effectively and efficiently than anyone in the industry. Typically, this is a seamless process but in the normal course of business, issues can and do occur. We understand that claims are sensitive and want to provide the best possible customer service and professionalism in resolving these issues. The following guidelines have been put in place to streamline the claim process for everyone’s benefit.
Overage, Shortage, & Damage (“OS&D”) Process Requirements:
Consignees must carefully document loss or damage on the Proof of Delivery/Bill of Lading at time of delivery.
Visible or Noted Shortage or Damage:
- If the pallets in your shipment show visible signs of shortage or damage, open them immediately to check the contents, and ask the driver to inspect the contents with you.
- When recording shortage or damage, please use specific details and try to avoid general or generic terms such as “box damaged” or “torn”. This type of notation does not provide adequate support for your claim.
- “Subject to count/inspection” is not considered a valid notation of shortage or damage and will not be accepted as evidence of a claim.
- At time of delivery, please check the labeling on all pallets and cases to be certain they are yours and check for shortages as shipment of goods (“Goods”) are being unloaded. Be sure to keep the shipment together until unloading is complete in case a recount is necessary. If there is a shortage, please note it on the delivery receipt before signing for the shipment.
Concealed Shortage or Damage:
- Concealed shortage or damage is that which was not apparent at the time of delivery.
- As soon as possible after delivery, unpack and inspect your shipment; should you discover a concealed shortage or damage, submit claim to Bonide within two (2) business days of delivery.
Overage:
- Items must be checked against the Bill of Lading (BOL) or delivery receipt.
- Check labels for consignee address. If consignee address is incorrect, accept the freight and notify Bonide to obtain reship instructions.
- Accept unlabeled items and items labeled for you but not on the packing list, then submit OS&D claim to Bonide OSD@Bonide.com and notate in comments section:
- If you plan to keep overage: if planning to keep partial overage, please indicate what you will keep & what you need returned.
- If items need to be returned to Bonide: a RGA (Returns Goods Authorization) is required.
Deadline to Submit Claims:
- All OS&D claims must be submitted to Bonide within two (2) business days of receipt of delivery (“Inspection Period”). All claims submitted outside of the Inspection Period will be subject to denial. This includes claims for concealed damage. Buyer will be deemed to have accepted the Goods unless it notifies Bonide in writing during the Inspection Period of any Nonconforming Goods and furnishes such written evidence or other documentation as reasonably required by Bonide. “Nonconforming Goods” means only the following: (i) damaged or defective goods; (ii) product shipped is different than identified in a purchase order; (iii) product’s label or packaging incorrectly identifies its contents; (iv) the quantity of products shipped is different than identified in a purchase order.
Claims Representative:
Designate one representative from your company to submit all claims, along with any supporting evidence of the claim (POD/BOL, pictures, etc.) to OSD@Bonide.com.
- Submission of claim from multiple sources will result in delay in processing time and increase margin of error.
- Submission of claims through any other channel is strongly discouraged and will cause delay and may result in your claim being deemed outside of submission deadline.
- Include your Sales Representative on all communications to OSD@Bonide.com.
Claim Research Time frame:
All OS&D claims will be researched within 30 days of receipt. If, however, the claim is not resolved within 30 days, you’ll receive an acknowledgment and updated timeframe for resolution. To inquire about the status of a claim please send an email to OSD@Bonide.com – include your Sales Representative, and clearly identify the claim in question with claim number/PO number/Sales Order number.
If you timely notify Bonide of a claim and such claim is properly supported by evidence and accepted by Bonide, Bonide shall, in its sole discretion, (i) replace such Nonconforming Goods with conforming Goods, or (ii) credit or refund the price for such Nonconforming Goods, together with any reasonable shipping and handling expenses incurred by Buyer in connection therewith.
How To Dispute a Claim Denial:
Buyer will have two (2) business days from notification of a claim denial to review and file disputes. To file a dispute, submit notice to Bonide that you wish to dispute a claim denial, along with any additional evidence relevant to the claim denial to OSD@Bonide.com.
