Scope facts
| Channel confirmation | We recommend the mode and routing and name the carrier; if you specify one, we confirm capacity, acceptance and price on that service rather than quoting around it. |
What does this cover?
The delivery scope decides who is responsible for what. Each scope below states the steps included, the steps that remain with you, the charges that can arise and the point at which responsibility transfers.
Who is this for?
- Buyers who want one coordinated shipment rather than several suppliers
- Importers who want the cargo delivered to a warehouse, shop or project site
- Sellers replenishing a marketplace or a third-party warehouse
- Customers who prefer a single point of contact for the whole journey
What is included in the service?
- Pickup from the agreed origin address
- Warehouse intake, checking and measurement
- Export declaration and main transport
- Delivery to the agreed destination address
What do you need from us to quote?
- Commodity, piece count, weight, volume and dimensions
- China origin or supplier address
- Destination country, city, full address, postcode and address type
- Whether duty and tax should be included in the quotation
- Any delivery window or appointment requirement
Who is responsible for what?
| Scope | Company | Customer | Responsibility transfers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Door to door |
|
| Responsibility passes on delivery and signature at the agreed destination address. |
What does the quotation cover?
The quotation states the total for the scope described in it. It is built from the cargo data, the origin and destination, the transport mode and the delivery scope agreed at that time.
What is included?
- Pickup, consolidation and export handling as quoted
- Main transport by the confirmed mode
- Delivery to the agreed address within the quoted delivery area
What is not included?
- Duty and tax unless the quotation states they are included
- Unloading equipment and labour at the destination
- Remote-area delivery beyond the quoted area
- Marketplace non-compliance or relabelling charges
What might cost extra?
- Remote or difficult-access delivery beyond the standard service area
- Customs inspection, holds or revaluation at either end
- Storage where cargo cannot be dispatched inside the agreed free period
- Detention and demurrage when a container or vehicle is held beyond free time
- Oversized, overweight or special loading equipment
- Cargo that arrives without the documents required for the confirmed route
- Special cargo approved after review but requiring extra handling or documentation
- Address change, re-delivery or a failed delivery appointment after dispatch
- Peak-season or fuel surcharges applied by the carrier
- Duty or tax reassessment where customs does not accept the declared value
Freight rates and space change with the market, so each quotation carries its own validity period. Once it expires, or if the rate or space changes before booking, the price is reconfirmed before dispatch.
Cargo is weighed and measured after it reaches the warehouse. If the piece count, weight, volume, packing, cargo attributes or delivery address differ from the original inquiry, the charge is recalculated and sent to you for confirmation before payment and dispatch.
How long does each stage take?
- Pickup and receiving: 1-3 days for collection, plus 2-5 days at origin if several suppliers are consolidating
- Export declaration: 1-2 days
- International transit: 25-35 days by sea to the Gulf and the Americas, 4-12 days by air, 2-7 by express
- Import clearance: 2-5 days once the documents are complete; the stage most likely to add days
- Final delivery: 1-3 days in most destination cities, longer inland or remote
Typical ranges, not commitments. Each one is reconfirmed when the booking is placed.
What must be confirmed before booking?
- The quotation states whether import clearance and duty are included. If they are not, they remain yours.
- Delivery area is confirmed by city and postcode, and remote delivery may carry a surcharge.
- Unloading equipment and labour at the destination are not included unless stated.
- Marketplace receiving locations have their own booking and labelling requirements.
What mistakes should we avoid?
- Assuming door-to-door always means duty is included, when the scope may exclude it
- Not declaring that the destination is residential or hard to access
- Supplying an address that cannot accept the vehicle type required