Order on delivery: the advantages of conditional signing

What is a conditional signature? What are the benefits of a conditional signature at the time of delivery of an online order?

Every year the online sale of designer furniture tends to grow exponentially.

In addition, more and more users are buying directly from e-commerce or websites to furnish their living space. This is why, after placing an order on the Internet, it is important to be aware of certain aspects related to shipping and logistics.

Let us clarify this type of service. It is now well known that the majority of deliveries made by express couriers every day around the world are due to purchases made online.

Therefore, out of the millions and millions of deliveries that are made, it can happen (unfortunately) that some deliveries go wrong. For example, it may happen that the recipient receives the parcel of the purchase made online, but the parcel appears to be damaged or ruined when it is delivered.

1^st Advantage: reserve to check the integrity of the package

It is precisely in these cases that the user can make use of the right to sign with conditional digital signatures when receiving the long-awaited order.

In this way, the recipient of the goods received through the carrier reserves the right to verify the integrity of the goods and that, in case of damage resulting from the carriage, the carrier may be required to answer for it.

The problem consists in the fact that the courier delivers to the recipient, in most cases, the goods packed in a closed box; therefore it is difficult, in everyday experience, for the recipient to open and check the integrity and functionality of the goods in the presence of the courier. This is the case, for example, with goods that require assembly, such as furniture.

2^nd Advantage: more security

At this point it is useful for the consumer to receive the goods with a so-called "conditional" clause. In fact, the rule governing the contract of carriage states that the unconditional receipt of the goods transported prevents the consignee from complaining to the carrier (courier) about damage to the goods transported, except in the case of wilful misconduct or gross negligence on the part of the carrier.

So accepting the goods "with conditional" puts the recipient in a higher security condition protected from bitter surprises.

In any case, the right of the recipient to subsequently report "unrecognisable" damage at the time of delivery, when, for example, the parcel containing the object appears to be intact on the outside, remains intact.

3^rd Advantage: get a refund for damaged or missing material

Very often it happens that the courier may give numerous excuses, including that he is in a hurry to make other deliveries, that it is not necessary to sign subject to a reservation, that he does not authorise the delivery to be signed subject to a reservation and so on.

Be careful as it is only a way to avoid liability and to avoid you from exercising your right: sign with conditional signing protects your purchase and allows you to also request compensation to the courier for any loss or damage suffered by the product/ furniture purchased.

So in conclusion, what needs to be done when the order is delivered?

Uncovered the advantages of conditional signing, you only have to explicitly ask the express courier to sign with conditional, that is, once signed, next to the signature, you will have to write "conditional signing policy".  Of course it is also advisable to put the reason.

For example: 'box lightly ruined/damaged' or 'box perforated at the underside'. After that, you rely on customer service, which will contact you and ask if you would prefer an exchange of the product or even a refund in the case of missing products, bearing in mind, however, that even in the case of signature with reservation, the complaint must be made within 7 days of receipt of the order.