Large items get damaged in transit reasonably often, and what you do in the first hour determines how easily it is resolved.
Inspect Before the Driver Leaves
Where possible, look at the carton before signing. Crushed corners, punctures and water marks are worth noting on the delivery note.
Signing unexamined is common and it makes a later claim harder, though it rarely removes your rights entirely.
If the packaging is visibly damaged, note that specifically rather than signing clean.
What to Do First
- Photograph the carton before opening it, including any labels
- Photograph each damaged part before moving it
- Keep all packaging until the matter is settled
- Do not assemble a damaged item further
- Report it promptly rather than after the weekend
- Keep the order confirmation and any reference numbers
Where fulfilment and returns run through a retail platform, of the kind described at https://fdw.us.com/, the process and the window are that platform’s rather than the brand’s, which is usually more standardised rather than less.
Keep the Packaging
The instruction people ignore and then need. Returns of large items frequently require the original carton, and disposing of it early can complicate a claim.
Flat-packed cartons store against a wall for a fortnight without much trouble.
Missing Parts Are Different
Usually resolved by the manufacturer sending the part rather than by returning the whole item, and that is generally faster for everybody.
Photograph the parts list and quote the part number from it.
Do Not Assemble Around Damage
A cracked panel or a bent frame does not improve once built, and a partly assembled item is harder to return.
Stop, photograph and report.
Structural Damage Is Not Cosmetic
Worth being firm about. A cracked frame member, a bent load-bearing tube or a damaged fixing point affects safety rather than appearance.
Those should not be accepted with a partial refund and used anyway, particularly on anything that carries a person.
Statutory Rights Apply
Consumer law in most countries provides rights independent of any seller’s policy.
Report It in Writing
So there is a record with a date.
Photograph Everything
Before anything moves.