Start the Clock Before You Open the Boxes
Every wholesale contract has a claim window, and the clock usually starts at delivery — not when you get around to checking. Photograph the shipment before opening: the outer packaging, the seals, the way the boxes are packed. If the lot arrives visibly damaged, document it before touching anything, and contact the supplier the same day. Packaging evidence decides transport claims; your photos are the claim.
Sample the Right Way
You cannot test every unit in a large lot on arrival day — but you can sample correctly. Pull a random sample of 5-10% of the lot, spread across boxes rather than concentrated in the first box you open. The point of the sample is to catch systemic problems: if the grade is wrong on 10% of a random sample, it is wrong across the lot. If your sample fails badly, escalate to a full count; if it passes, log it and move on.
The Verification Order (What to Test First)
- Count and identity — the number of units and the model mix against the order. Shortages and wrong models are the easiest claims to win — document them first.
- Cosmetic grade vs the published scale — compare against the A/B/C definitions in your supplier's grading scale, not your memory of it.
- Battery health per unit — spot-check against the reported figures. See our battery thresholds guide.
- iCloud and network status — activation lock, carrier lock and blacklist status on the sample. A single locked unit in a screened lot is a red flag for the whole batch. See our iCloud lock guide.
- Function spot-checks — display, touch, cameras, charging, Face ID on the sample.
Document Like the Claim Depends on It (Because It Does)
For every discrepancy, record: the unit's serial number, the specific finding, a photo, and where the unit came from in the lot. A claim that says "about 20 phones look scratched" loses to one that lists serials with photos against the grading scale. Professional buyers win claims with documentation, not emotion.
If the Sample Fails: The Escalation Path
A failed sample is a negotiation, not a fight: contact the supplier with your documentation, state the finding against the agreed grade mix, and propose the resolution (replace, renegotiate, or return). Suppliers who screen per unit and agree grade mixes in writing — the model described on our quality page — resolve these claims fast, because your documentation matches their records.