Key takeaways
- Ask for door-side, mid-container, and top-layer photos before seal.
- Match carton marks to the packing list SKU by SKU.
- Document void fill and strap positions when toilets and vanities share a container.
Damage claims are hard to win without loading evidence. A clean packing SOP on paper does not prove what happened at the dock on ship day.
Set a standing rule with your factory: no seal until photos are in the shared folder. Include close-ups of corner protectors on vanity cabinets and upright orientation marks on ceramic cartons.
When mixed loads are unavoidable, decide stack rules in writing. Soft vanity cartons under ceramic is a classic claim pattern — and an avoidable one.