Delta Distribution & Warehouse, Inc. Terms & Conditions of
Service
All
shipments to or from the Customer, which term shall include the exporter,
importer, sender, receiver, owner, consignor, consignee, transferor or
transferee of the shipments, will be handled by Delta Distribution and
Warehouse Inc (herein called the "Company) on the following terms and
conditions:
1.
Services by Third Parties. Unless the Company carries, stores
or otherwise physically handles the shipment, and loss, damage, expense
or delay occurs during such activity, the Company assumes no liability as
a carrier and is not to be held responsible for any loss, damage, expense
or delay to the goods to be forwarded or imported except as provided in
paragraph 8 and subject to the limitations of paragraph 9 below, but
undertakes only to use reasonable care in the selection of carriers,
truckmen, lightermen, forwarders, customs brokers, agents, warehousemen
and others to whom it may entrust the goods for transportation, cartage,
handling and/or delivery and/or storage or otherwise. When the
company carries, stores or otherwise physically handles the shipment, it
does so subject to the limitation of liability set forth in paragraph 8
below unless a separate bill of lading, air waybill or other contract of
carriage is issued by the Company, in which event the terms thereof shall
govern.
2.
Liability Limitations of Third Parties. The Company is authorized to
select and engage carriers, truckmen, lightermen, forwarders, customs
brokers, agents, warehousemen and others, as required, to transport,
store, deal with and deliver the goods, all of whom shall be considered
as the agents of the Customer, and the goods may be entrusted to such
agencies subject to all conditions as to limitation of liability for
loss, damage, expense or delay and to all rules, regulations,
requirements and conditions, whether printed, written or stamped,
appearing in bills of lading, receipts or tariffs issued by such
carriers, truckmen, lightermen, forwarders, customs brokers, agents, warehousemen
and others. The Company shall under no circumstances be liable for
any loss, damage, expense or delay to the goods for any reason whatsoever
when said goods are in custody, possession or control of third parties
selected by the Company to forward, enter and clear, transport or render
other services with respect to such goods.
3.
Choosing Routes or Agents. Unless express instructions in
writing are received from the Customer, the Company has complete freedom
in choosing the means, route and procedure to be followed in the
handling, transportation and delivery of the goods. Advice by the
Company to the Customer that a particular person or firm has been
selected to render services with respect to the goods shall not be
construed to mean that the Company warrants or represents that such
person or firm will render such services.
4.
Quotations Not Binding. Quotations as to fees, rates of
duty, freight charges, insurance premiums or other charges given by the
Company to the Customer are for informational purposes only and are
subject to change without notice and shall not under any circumstances be
binding upon the Company unless the Company in writing specifically
undertakes the handling or transportation of the shipment at a specific
rate.
5. Duty to Furnish Information. (a) On an import at a
reasonable time prior to entering of the goods for U. S. Customs, the
Customer shall furnish to the Company invoices in proper form and other
documents necessary or useful in the preparation of the U. S. Customs
entry and, also, such further information as may be sufficient to
establish, inter alia, the dutiable value, the classification, the
country of origin, the genuineness of the merchandise and any mark or
symbol associated with it, the CustomerÕs right to import and/or
distribute the merchandise, and the merchandiseÕs admissibility, pursuant
to U. S. law or regulation. If the Customer fails in a timely
manner to furnish such information or documents, in whole or in part, as
may be required to complete U. S. Customs entry or comply with U. S. laws
or regulations, or if the information or documents furnished are
inaccurate or incomplete, the Company shall be obligated only to use its
best judgment in connection with the shipment and in no instance shall be
charged with knowledge by the Customer of the true circumstances to which
such inaccurate, incomplete, or omitted information or document pertains.
Where a bond is required by U. S. Customs to be given for the
production of any document or the performance of any act, the Customer
shall be deemed bound by the terms of the bond notwithstanding the fact
that the bond has been executed by the Company as principal, it being
understood that the Company entered into such undertaking at the instance
and on the behalf of the Customer, and the Customer shall indemnify and
hold the Company harmless for the consequences of any breach of the terms
of the bond. (b) On an export at a reasonable time prior to the
exportation of the shipment the Customer shall furnish to the Company the
commercial invoice in proper form and number, a proper consular
declaration, weights, measures, values and other information in the
language of and as may be required by the laws and regulations of the U.
S. and the country of destination of the goods.
5. Duty to Furnish
Information. (continued) (c) On an export or import the Company
shall not in any way be responsible or liable for increased duty,
penalty, fine or expense unless caused by the negligence or other fault
of the Company, in which event its liability to the Customer shall be
governed by the provisions of paragraphs 8-10 below. The Customer
shall be bound by and warrant the accuracy of all invoices, documents and
information furnished to the Company by the Customer or its agent for
export, entry or other purposes and the Customer agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless the Company against any increased duty, penalty, fine or
expense including attorneysÕ fees, resulting from any inaccuracy,
incomplete statement, omission or any failure to make timely
presentation, even if not due to any negligence of the Customer.
6.
Declaring Higher Valuation. Inasmuch as truckers, carriers,
warehousemen and others to whom the goods are entrusted usually limit
their ability for loss or damage unless higher value is declared and a
charge based on such higher value is agreed to by said truckers, etc.,
the Company must receive specific written instructions from the Customer
to pay such higher charge based on valuation and the trucker, etc., must
accept such higher declared value; otherwise the valuation placed by the
Customer on the goods shall be considered solely for export or customs
purposes and the goods will be delivered to the truckers, etc., subject
to the limitation of the liability set forth herein in paragraphs 8-10
below with respect to any claim against the Company and subject to the
provisions of paragraph 2 above.
7.
Insurance. The Company will make reasonable efforts to effect
marine, fire, theft and other insurance upon the goods only after
specific written instructions have been received by the Company in
sufficient time prior to shipment from point of origin, and the Customer
at the same time states specifically the kind and amount of insurance to
be placed. The Company does not undertake or warrant that such
insurance can or will be placed. Unless the Customer has its own
open marine policy and instructs the Company to effect insurance under
such policy, insurance is to be effected with one or more insurance companies
or other underwriters to be selected by the Company. Any insurance
placed shall be governed by the certificate or policy issued and will
only be effective when accepted by such insurance companies or
underwriters. Should an insurer dispute its liability for any
reason, the insured shall have recourse against the insurer only and the
Company shall not be under any responsibility or liability in relation
thereto, notwithstanding that the premium upon the policy may not be at
the same rates as that charged or paid to the Company by the Customer, or
that the shipment was insured under a policy in the name of the
Company. Insurance premiums and the charge of the Company for
arranging the same shall be at the CustomerÕs expense. If for any
reason the goods are held in warehouse, or elsewhere, the same will not
be covered by any insurance, unless the Company receives written
instructions from the Customer. Unless specifically agreed in
writing, the Company assumes no responsibility to effect insurance on any
export or import shipment which it does not handle.
8.
Limitation of Liability for Loss, etc. (a) The Customer agrees that
the Company shall only be liable for any loss, damage expense or delay to
the goods resulting from the negligence or other fault of the Company;
such liability shall be limited to an amount equal to the lesser of fifty
dollars ($50.00) per entry or shipment or the fee(s) charged for
services, provided that, in the case of partial loss, such amount will be
adjusted, pro rata;
(b) Where the
Company issues its own bill of lading and receives freight charges as its
compensation, Customer has the option of paying a special compensation
and increasing the limit of CompanyÕs liability up to the shipmentÕs
actual value; however, such option must be exercised by written
agreement, entered into prior to any covered transaction(s), setting
forth the limit of the CompanyÕs liability and the compensation received;
(c) In instances
other than in (b) above, unless the Customer makes specific written
arrangements with the Company to pay special compensation and declare a
higher value and Company agrees in writing, liability is limited to the
amount set forth in (a) above;
(d) Customer
agrees that the Company shall, in no event, be liable for consequential,
punitive, statutory or special damages in excess of the monetary limit
provided for above.
9. Presenting Claims. Company shall not be liable under
paragraph 8 for any claims not presented to it in writing within 90 days
of either the date of loss or incident giving rise to the claim; no suit
to recover for any claim or demand hereunder shall be maintained against
the Company unless instituted within six (6) months after the
presentation of the said claim or such longer period provided for under
statute(s) of the State having jurisdiction of the matter.
10. Advancing Money. The Company
shall not be obligated to incur any expense, guarantee payment or advance
any money in connection with the importing, forwarding, transporting,
insuring, storing or coopering of goods, unless the same is previously
provided to the Company by the Customer on demand. The Company
shall be under no obligation to advance freight charges, customs duties
or taxes on any shipment, nor shall any advance by the Company be
construed as a waiver of the provisions hereof.
11.
Indemnification for Freight, Duties. In the event that a carrier,
other person or any governmental agency makes a claim or institutes legal
action against the Company for ocean or other freight, duties, fines,
penalties, liquidated damages or other money due arising from a shipment
of goods of the Customer, the Customer agrees to indemnify and hold
harmless the Company for any amount the Company may be required to pay
such a carrier, other person or governmental agency together with
reasonable expenses, including attorneysÕ fees, incurred by the Company
in connection with defending such claim or legal action and obtaining
reimbursement from the Customer. The confiscation or detention of
the goods by any governmental authority shall not affect or diminish the
liability of the Customer to the Company to pay all charges or other
money due promptly on demand.
12.
C.O.D. Shipments. Goods received with CustomerÕs or other
personÕs instructions to "Collect on Delivery" (C.O.D.) by drafts or
otherwise, or to collect on any specified terms by time drafts or
otherwise, are accepted by the Company only upon the express
understanding that it will exercise reasonable care in the selection of a
bank, correspondent, carrier or agent to whom it will send such an item
for collection, and the Company will not be responsible for any act,
omission, default, suspension, insolvency or want of care, negligence, or
fault of such bank, correspondent, carrier or agent, nor for any delay in
remittance lost in exchange, or during transmission, or while in the
course of collection.
13.
General Lien on Any Property. The Company shall have a general
lien on any and all property (and documents relating thereto) of the
Customer, in its possession, custody or control or en route, for all
claims for charges, expenses or advances incurred by the Company in
connection with any shipments of the Customer and if such claim remains
unsatisfied for thirty (30 ) days after demand for its payment is made,
the Company may sell at public auction or private sale, upon ten (10)
days written notice, registered mail (R.R.R.) to the Customer, the goods,
wares and/or merchandise, or so much thereof as may be necessary to
satisfy such lien, and apply the net proceeds of such sale to the payment
of the amount due to the Company. Any surplus from such sale shall
be transmitted to the Customer, and the Customer shall be liable for any
deficiency in the sale.
14.
Compensation of Company. The compensation of the Company for its
services shall be included with and is in addition to the rates and
charges of all carriers and other agencies selected by the Company to
transport and deal with the goods and such compensation shall be exclusive
of any brokerage, commissions, dividends or other revenue received by the
Company from carriers, insurers and others in connection with the
shipment. On ocean exports, upon request, the Company shall provide
a detailed breakout of the components of all charges assessed and a true
copy of each pertinent document relating to these charges. In any
referral for collection or action against the Customer for monies due the
Company, upon recovery by the Company, the Customer shall pay the
expenses of collection and/or litigation, including a reasonable attorney
fee.
15.
No Responsibility for Governmental Requirements. It is the
responsibility of the Customer to know and comply with the marking
requirements of the U. S. Customs Service, the regulations of the U. S.
Food and Drug Administration, and all other requirements, including
regulations of Federal, state and/or local agencies pertaining to the
merchandise. The Company shall not be responsible for action taken
or fines or penalties assessed by any governmental agency against the
shipment because of the failure of the Customer to comply with the law or
the requirements or regulations of any governmental agency or with a
notification issued to the Customer by any such agency.
16. Indemnity Against
Liability Arising from the Importation of Merchandise. The
customer agrees to indemnify and hold the Company harmless from any
claims and/or liability arising from the importation of merchandise which
violates any Federal, state and/or other laws or regulations and further
agrees to indemnify and hold the Company harmless against any and all
liability, loss, damages, costs, claims and/or expenses, including but
not limited to attorneysÕ fees, which the Company may hereafter incur,
suffer or be required to pay by reason of claims by any government agency
or private party. In the event that any action, suit or proceeding
is brought against the Company by any government agency or any private
party, the Company shall give notice in writing to the Customer by mail
at its address on file with the Company. Upon receipt of such
notice, the Customer at its own expense shall defend against such action
and take all steps as may be necessary or proper to prevent the obtaining
of a judgment and/or order against the Company.
17.
Loss, Damage or Expense Due to Delay. Unless the services to be
performed by the Company on behalf of the Customer are delayed by reason
of the negligence or other fault of the Company, the Company shall not be
responsible for any loss, damage or expense incurred by the Customer
because of such delay. In the event the Company is at fault, as
aforesaid, its liability is limited in accordance with the provisions of
paragraphs 8-9 above.
18.
Construction of Terms and Venue. The foregoing terms and conditions
shall be construed according to the laws of the State of Texas.
Unless otherwise consented to in writing by the Company, no legal
proceeding against the Company may be instituted by the Customer, its
assigns, or subrogee except in the City of El Paso Texas, U.S.A.
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