Buying Guides
Incoming Inspection: Checking a Scale Shipment on Arrival
An arrival procedure for scale importers: carton count, variant match, power faults, a sampling plan, test masses and the seven-day quality-confirmation window.
The first hour protects the claim
Damage and shortages are easiest to prove before the cartons leave the delivery bay. Once a pallet is broken down and the cartons are in your racks, the question of what arrived and what did not turns into a conversation. Plan the arrival inspection before the shipment lands: somewhere to put the pallet, a scale you trust, a known test mass and a phone for photographs. Our terms ask buyers to confirm quality within seven days of receipt, so the record you build on day one is the record you will argue from.
Count the cartons before you sign
Count the cartons against the packing list while the driver is still there, and photograph the pallet from two sides before unloading. Note crushed corners, water marks, tape that has been cut and re-sealed, and any carton that rattles when lifted. If the count is short or a carton is visibly damaged, write it on the delivery document and photograph the document. A signature with no note is hard to revisit a week later.
Match the units to the order
Open one carton per model and compare the unit with the purchase order: capacity, resolution, units, platform size, power configuration and color. A scale that looks right in a product photo can still be the wrong variant. Check the label on the unit and on the inner box against the model code, and keep the opened unit as the reference for the rest of the pallet. Then decide the sampling plan described below.
Rule out power before judging the weighing
Power is the first thing to check on a unit that does not wake up. Fit the batteries the unit is designed for, check the polarity, and confirm the display comes on. On a coin cell model, check that the insulation tab has been removed and that the cell is the specified type. On a USB or rechargeable model, charge it before judging the display. Log how many units failed at this step, per carton, because the answer decides whether the rest of the pallet needs a closer look.
Agree how many units to test
Full testing is rarely practical on a large shipment. Agree the inspection level with the supplier in writing before production, then apply the same rule on arrival. One common approach tests a fixed number per carton for function and a smaller number per model for accuracy. Write the rule into the purchase order so the next shipment is judged the same way. If the first shipment throws up a fault, raise the sample size for the next one rather than changing the rule mid-claim.
Use a known mass, not a bag of sugar
A test weight with a stated value and a recent calibration is the most reliable reference you can put on the platform. Weigh it near the middle of the range and again near the top, and compare the reading with its stated value. On a platform scale, put the same weight in each corner: a corner that reads low can point to a platform or load cell problem rather than to drift. On a high-resolution model, let the unit settle before you read.
Check the parts the datasheet does not show
Press every key and cycle every unit the model supports. Check the backlight, the tare function and the auto-off where the model has them, and look at the housing for mold lines or gaps. On a platform scale, check the platform for scratches that would reach a customer. On a hanging scale, check the hook, and the strap or buckle where one is fitted, for play. These are the faults that often come back as returns rather than as repair tickets, and they are cheap to catch here.
Keep a record that stands up
Photograph each fault with the carton label visible, and log the model, the carton number and the quantity affected. A short video showing the fault happening is usually the fastest evidence, which is why a video is usually requested. Note the serial or batch marking if the carton carries one, because it narrows the fault to a production run. Send the log inside the seven-day window and keep the packaging until the case is closed. A spreadsheet with one row per unit tested is enough.
What to do with a failed unit
Set failed units aside in one place and do not return them to stock. Send the log and the video, and ask for a decision in writing: replacement parts, or a return or reshipment, decided per case. Keep the tracking for anything sent back. A clean record of the first shipment makes the second one easier, because the next conversation starts from photographs instead of from memory.
ZmoTek asks for a short video before deciding a case, and settles each one as parts, or a return or reshipment, rather than applying a single rule to every fault. Send the arrival log and we will review it against these terms.
