A late shortage allegation needs a delivery-by-delivery quantity check
Reconcile alleged material shortages across split deliveries and returns without equating dispatch or signature with complete proof.
Corporate Recovery Partners
01 / 06
The silent customer finally alleges missing goods
After repeated requests for payment, the customer says the materials account includes quantities never received. Ask for the specific disputed items and deliveries. Do not dismiss the allegation because it arrived late, but do not credit the whole account without investigation. A delivery-by-delivery comparison can identify what is supported, what may be an error and what remains genuinely disputed.
Imagine a supplier fulfilling one order through three deliveries, with some items later returned. Create a schedule showing the ordered quantity, dispatch quantity, recorded delivery and returns for each item. Use consistent units. A box, pallet and individual unit may represent different quantities, so a matching number on two documents does not always mean the same thing.
business.gov.au recommends accurate records of sales, expenses and stock-related transactions. Preserve orders, warehouse records, carrier documents and credit notes. Link each invoice line to its supporting records. The source supports reliable recordkeeping; it does not establish that a particular docket conclusively proves receipt of every item or resolves a contractual dispute.
In the three-delivery example, a returned quantity might have been credited against the wrong shipment, or an item may remain on back order. Ask the warehouse and customer for factual clarification. Do not alter original dockets to make totals agree. Record corrections separately and explain their source so another reviewer can follow the reconciliation.
The customer may describe damaged or unsuitable goods as missing. Ask whether the issue concerns non-delivery, damage, specification or a return. Those facts may require different evidence and advice. Keep each disputed component separate rather than forcing every complaint into a shortage total. Identify amounts that are not disputed without assuming that gives permission to disregard the rest.
Provide a concise reconciliation and proposed correction where justified, obtaining advice if the dispute remains unresolved. Review any formal notice or proceeding separately. A clear quantity schedule helps the recovery discussion move beyond competing total figures, while preserving the evidence needed to assess whether the account or the customer's allegation requires adjustment.
