Study these letters of complaints.

1) Dear Sir

Equipment under contract No. 184/115

We are sorry to have to inform you that in the consignment of equipment we received against the above contract there are several broken cases and some machines are damaged.

We are sending you the report signed by our inspectors from which you will see the extent of the damage.

Also, we would like to draw your attention to a fortnight's delay in shipping the machines. This is an infringement of clause 4 of the contract which you may well see, also stipulates payment by the supplier of damages in case of delay in delivery.

So we ask you to transfer to our account the sum of the penalty and to strictly observe the terms of the contract in future.

We hope to hear from you soon.

Yours faithfully

Notes

consignment – партия отправленного или прибывшего товара, груз

equipment – оборудование

to damage – повреждать, портить

extent of the damage – размер убытка

to draw attention – привлекать внимание

fortnight's delay – двухнедельная задержка

infringement – нарушение

clause – статья, пункт, условие (договорного документа)

supplier – поставщик

Complaint of wrong goods

2) Dear Sirs

Our order №. J73

We received the documents concerning the above order and took delivery of the goods which arrived at Port Elizabeth on the S.S. Castle yesterday.

We are much obliged to you for the prompt execution of this order. Everything seems to be correct and in good condition except in case №.14. Unfortunately, when we opened this case we found it contained completely different articles from those ordered, and we can only presume that a mistake has been made and that this case is part of another order.

We assume that your packing agents made a mistake. Perhaps the contents of case №.14 were for a different order? As we need the articles we ordered to complete deliveries to our customers, we must insist on your replacement for the case №. 14.

We attach a list of the contents of case 14, and would be glad if you would check this against our order and your copy of the invoice. We would like you to arrange for a dispatch of replacement at once. We are keeping the case №.14 in our warehouse. Please let us know what you wish our agents to do with it.

Yours faithfully

Notes

to take delivery – принимать поставку (товара)

S/S (steamship) – пароход

execution of the order – выполнение заказа

to assume – допускать, предполагать

to presume – предполагать, полагать; допускать

articles – товары

customer – покупатель; потребитель; заказчик; клиент

to insist on – настаивать на

replacement – замена

dispatch – отправка

warehouse – товарный склад

Complaint that not enough goods were dispatched

3) Dear Sirs

We refer to our order (№.132/SRP) for china ware. Our agent took delivery of the consignment in accordance with the instructions contained in your advice of dispatch. Unfortunately, only 1,700 saucers were dispatched. The 2,000 cups, packed separately according to our instructions, arrived in good order and condition. However, they are not such in use to us without the missing 300 saucers.

As we must meet a delivery date to our own customers we ask you to arrange for the dispatch of replacements for the missing saucers at once.

Yours faithfully

Notes

china ware – фарфор

to take delivery – принимать поставку (товара)

in accordance with – в соответствии с

advice of dispatch – извещение об отправке (груза)

according to – в соответствии с, согласно, по

to arrange for – организовать

 

Complaint about bad packing

4) Dear Sirs

Order №. JAD/1573

We inform you that two of the twenty cases containing your consignment of PDA were inadequately packed.

We sent you specific packing instructions for this consignment, and besides we informed your forwarding agent concerning our packing instructions. Cases 18 and 20 didn’t include the layers of waterproof lining we insisted on. As a result, the PDA contained in these cases is almost ruined and certainly unsalable.

We must insist on an immediate replacement for the two cases, and we must ask you to follow our instructions more carefully in the future.

Yours faithfully

Notes

PDA –"карманный" компьютер

forwarding agent – экспедитор

layer of waterproof lining – зд. водонепроницаемая прокладка

Complaint about quality

5) Dear Sirs

We refer to our order (№. 0896/HRE) for the 70 sweaters, which were consigned by you on the 5th January, and which we received on 12 th January.

We regret to inform you that the quality of this consignment of sweaters is unacceptably low, especially in design and color. The pattern isn’t what we expected when we saw your samples. Our customers will not buy these sweaters at the market price. They will expect a discount.

Since the sweaters correspond neither to the description in your brochure nor to the sample, we can accept the sweaters only on condition that you make a substantial reduction in price. We expect this reduction to be about 30 per cent.

Please let us know what you propose to do. Our agent can bring a sample from the consignment to show you.

Yours faithfully

Notes

consign – отправлять, посылать на консигнацию (груз, товар)

pattern – образец, модель

to buy at the market price – покупать по рыночной цене

to make a reduction – сделать скидку

 

Complaint of late delivery

6) Dear Mr. Grey

We are concerned that we haven’t yet received an advice of dispatch from you about our order for 1000 TV-sets.

Our order stressed the importance of an early delivery date. That date is very near (25th January). In your acknowledgment (of 10th January) you said you were confident you could meet this delivery date. There is no possibility of this now, unless your advice of dispatch was lost in the post.

Our stocks are running out and it will be most unfortunate if you can’t arrange delivery before the above date.

Please inform us by cable whether the goods have been dispatched and when we can expect delivery.

Yours faithfully

Notes

 

to stress – ставить ударение; подчёркивать; делать акцент

acknowledgment – подтверждение; расписка в получении (чего-л.)

to be confident – быть уверенным

possibility – вероятность, возможность

stock – запас; ассортимент (товаров)

to run out – кончаться, иссякать

Useful phrases

a) in connection with poor quality or damaged goods

We regret to inform you that you have supplied goods below the standard we expected from the samples. – C сожалением сообщаем Вам, что Вы поставили товар, качество которого ниже стандарта, ожидавшегося нами судя по образцам.

The bulk of the goods delivered is not up to sample (is inferior to sample). –Большая часть поставленного Вами товара по качеству ниже образца.

Unfortunately, we find that you have sent us the wrong goods. – К сожалению, мы обнаружили, что Вы поставили нам не тот товар.

We can’t accept these containers as they are not the size and shape we ordered. – Мы не можем принять эти контейнеры, так как и по размеру и по форме они отличаются от заказанных нами.

Although the quality of the goods is not up to sample, we are prepared to accept them if you reduce the price by 12%. – Хотя качество товара не соответствует образцу, мы готовы принять его, если Вы снизите цену на 12 %.

We much regret that we have to complain about the insufficient (inadequate) packing (or carelessness in packing, or packing of the wrong type, i.e. unsuitable to local conditions). – Мы очень сожалеем, что нам приходится заявлять Вам жалобу о недостаточной упаковке (или о небрежности при упаковке, или об упаковке, не соответствующей местным условиям).

The packing inside the case was too loose with the result that there was some shifting of the contents and several things have been broken; the attached list will give you all the details. – Упаковка внутри ящика была не совсем жесткой, в результате чего содержимое, ящика перемешалось, и часть его была сломана. Из прилагаемого списка Вы можете узнать все подробности.

The cartons must have been very roughly handled during loading or discharging and the contents appear to have been slightly damaged. Therefore we reserve the right to call on you for compensation. – С коробками, очевидно, очень грубо обращались во время погрузки или разгрузки, и содержимое, по-видимому, слегка повреждено. Поэтому мы оставляем за собой право обратиться к Вам за компенсацией.

We hope you will pay more attention to packing to avoid any breakage in future. – Мы надеемся, что впредь Вы будете уделять больше внимания упаковке с тем, чтобы избегать каких-либо поломок.

A number of cases arrived in a badly damaged condition, the lids were broken and the contents were crushed. – Ряд ящиков прибыли в сильно поврежденном состоянии, были сломаны крышки и попорчено (помято) содержимое.

The goods shipped by you against our Order don’t correspond to the sample on the basis of which our order was placed. – Товар, отгруженный Вами в счет нашего заказа, не соответствует образцу, на базе которого мы разместили свой заказ.

As the period of guarantee hasn’t expired yet, we ask you to replace the machine by another one. – Поскольку еще не истек срок гарантии, просим Вас заменить данную машину другой.

We have examined the goods in the damaged cases and find that we can’t use them. – Мы осмотрели товар в поврежденных ящиках и сочли, что мы не можем его использовать.

We can’t make use of the goods and are very sorry to have to return them to you. – Мы не можем использовать этот товар и, к сожалению, должны вернуть его Вам.

We must ask you to carry out our orders more carefully in future. – Мы должны просить Вас более тщательно впредь выполнять наши заказы.

We regret that unless we hear from soon, we shall have to cancel the order. – Мы сожалеем, но если в ближайшем будущем мы не получим от Вас известий, нам придется аннулировать наш заказ.

b) in connection with delay in delivery

If you can’t deliver the goods within the next month, we shall have to cancel the order and get the goods elsewhere. – Если Вы не сможете поставить товар в течение следующего месяца, нам придется аннулировать заказ и купить товар в другом месте.

The delay in delivery against our Order is causing us considerable inconvenience. – Задержка поставки товара в счет нашего заказа создает для нас большие неудобства.

This is not the first time we have to complain of delay in delivery. – Не в первый раз нам приходится заявлять Вам жалобу о задержке в поставке товара.

Please ship the spare parts by the first boat available. – Просим Вас отгрузить запчасти первым пароходом (имеющимся в наличии).

You will remember that it was agreed the goods would arrive here by the end of the month, otherwise the installation of the machinery can’t be carried out in the time planned. – Вы, очевидно, помните, что было согласовано, что товар должен прибыть сюда в конце месяца, в противном случае не может быть проведена установка оборудования в запланированные сроки.

If the goods haven’t been shipped yet, we must ask you to send them by air. –Если товар еще не отгружен, мы вынуждены просить Вас отправить его самолетом.

An explanation of this delay will be appreciated. – Мы будем благодарны за объяснение данной задержки.

We must ask you to dispatch the consignment immediately, if you have not already done so, anyway please inform us by telex what the position is. – Мы вынуждены просить Вас отправить эту партию немедленно, в случае, если Вы этого еще не сделали, во всяком случае просим Вас информировать нас телексом, каково положение с отгрузкой.

We hope to hear from you by telex that the consignment is on its way. – Надеемся получить от Вас сообщение телексом о том, что эта партия товара уже в пути.

As the delay in delivery has lasted over six weeks, in accordance with clause 4 of the Contract you will have to pay us damages. – Поскольку задержка в поставке превысила 6 недель, то в соответствии со статьей 4 Контракта Вам придется уплатить нам штраф.

c) in connection with missing or short-shipped goods

The consignment contains only 30 cases instead of 35 cases stated (entered) on the Bill of Lading. – В партии содержится лишь 30 ящиков вместо 35 ящиков, указанных в коносаменте.

On checking the goods received we find that several items on your Invoice have not been included; we enclose a list of the missing articles. – Проверив полученный товар, мы обнаружили, что не хватает нескольких позиций, включенных в Ваш счет-фактуру. Прилагаем список недостающих позиций.

Unfortunately, you haven’t sent us all the goods we ordered; the following are missing... – К сожалению Вы не прислали нам все заказанные нами товары, не хватает следующего...

There is a discrepancy between the packing list of case 3 and your invoice: the number of items entered on the invoice and that in the case don’t coincide. – Между упаковочным листом ящика № 3 и Вашим счетом-фактурой имеется несоответствие: число позиций, занесенных в счет-фактуру, не соответствует тому, что содержится в ящике.