Proof of Delivery in China: Nigerian Buyer Guide

Check proof of delivery for goods sent to a China warehouse. Match courier records, supplier dispatch details and carton counts before shipping to Nigeria.

Proof of Delivery in China: Nigerian Buyer Guide

Proof of delivery can help Nigerian buyers investigate goods sent from a Chinese supplier to a receiving warehouse. Read it alongside the supplier’s dispatch details and the warehouse’s own receipt.

A delivery record answers a specific question about a shipment. It does not automatically establish that every item you ordered was packed, received and checked.

Start by matching the reference numbers and the quantity each party says it handled.

1. Which delivery document should you request? #

Ask the supplier or responsible courier for the delivery record available for the actual shipment.

Depending on the service, this might be an electronic confirmation, signed receipt, returned receiving note or another carrier record. Access conditions and available details differ.

For example, SF Express publishes an optional paper-receipt return service for shipments within mainland China. DHL Express describes electronic delivery confirmations with and without signatures.

These examples do not mean every China courier provides identical documents or public downloads.

Confirm that the record concerns delivery rather than collection or another earlier event.

Our China warehouse-address guide explains the receiving details that should have been supplied before dispatch.

2. What information should you compare? #

Request the available details needed to link the record to your order:

• Courier name and shipment reference.
• Supplier’s dispatch date and expected carton count.
• Delivery date and time.
• Delivery location or receiving address.
• Recipient or signature information, where recorded.
• Any package-count details and delivery exceptions.
• Warehouse receiving reference and recorded count.

Not every document contains every field. Mark missing information as unconfirmed and request clarification.

Check whether several cartons travelled under one reference or separate references. If separate waybills were used, obtain the record for each relevant shipment.

Our shipping-marks guide explains how customer codes and carton identification help connect packages to their owner.

A familiar supplier name alone is not enough to match several similar deliveries.

3. How do you investigate a carton-count difference? #

Create a simple record showing what was expected, what was dispatched, what the carrier recorded and what the warehouse confirmed.

Here is a fictional example.

The supplier says it sent six cartons. The warehouse has recorded five. You therefore have six claimed dispatched, five confirmed received and one unresolved.

Ask the supplier for its carton list and dispatch evidence. Ask the carrier what package quantity its record covers. Ask the warehouse for the receiving count and identifying label photographs.

Check whether one carton arrived separately, was assigned to another customer reference or remains unidentified in the receiving area.

Do not assume the carrier lost a carton before comparing those records. The discrepancy could be in dispatch, delivery, identification or counting.

Our consolidation guide explains why each supplier delivery should be reconciled before onward shipment.

4. What does a signature leave unconfirmed? #

A signature can be part of the evidence that a shipment was handed over. Read what the document actually records.

Ask whether the recorded recipient matches the warehouse or an authorised receiving arrangement. An unfamiliar name needs explanation before you decide what happened.

Also establish whether the record identifies package quantity. A delivery confirmation without a clear carton count may not settle a six-versus-five discrepancy by itself.

Receipt of sealed cartons does not establish the model, quantity or condition of every product inside them.

Likewise, a weight entry needs context. Ask whether it was declared, measured at collection or recorded at another stage before using it to support a conclusion.

Match the physical receiving checks to what you need to know, rather than treating the signature as confirmation of the whole purchase.

5. What should you ask the supplier and warehouse to do? #

Send both parties the same references and describe the discrepancy precisely.

You can adapt this message:

For order [reference], the supplier reports [number] cartons dispatched under [courier references]. The warehouse has confirmed [number]. Please reconcile the dispatch list, carrier delivery record and warehouse receiving entry. Send the available carton-label photographs and identify which package remains unresolved. Please confirm the agreed hold on the affected order while we review the records.

Ask who will contact the carrier and who will provide the next update.

Keep the original files and messages. If a record needs correction, request an explanation and corrected record from the responsible issuer rather than editing the document yourself.

Our purchase-order guide helps you keep the ordered quantities and delivery responsibilities clear.

6. What should happen before onward dispatch or a claim? #

Review the proof of delivery, warehouse receipt and unresolved questions together.

If you approve shipment of the confirmed goods, identify exactly which cartons can leave and what remains on hold. Obtain the packing list for the actual onward shipment.

Keep a separate record for any missing or disputed carton so it does not disappear from the account after the ready goods leave.

If a claim is needed, ask about the procedure, eligible claimant, evidence and applicable deadline promptly. Our damaged-goods and claims guide explains how to organise supporting records.

If insurance was arranged, confirm whether the relevant China domestic leg and type of loss fall within the policy. Our cargo-insurance guide explains the questions to ask.

A delivery discrepancy does not automatically establish liability, insurance coverage or a refund entitlement.

7. What else do Nigerian buyers ask? #

Must every delivery record include a signature? #

No universal format applies to every carrier and service. Ask what evidence exists for your shipment and what access or verification is required.

Does the document prove the contents were correct? #

Not automatically. Compare the receiving scope with the contents checks actually performed. An outer-carton receipt and an item-level inspection answer different questions.

Can one waybill cover several cartons? #

Ask the carrier and supplier how your shipment was booked. Confirm the package count associated with the reference rather than assuming one number means one carton.

What if the receiver’s name is unfamiliar? #

Ask the warehouse and carrier to identify the receiving arrangement. Compare the address, time and supporting records before concluding that delivery was made incorrectly.

Should I post the document publicly to find the carton? #

Share the necessary information directly with the parties investigating. Delivery records can contain names, telephone numbers, addresses and shipment details.

Will the supplier automatically refund the missing carton? #

The outcome depends on the evidence, agreement and applicable claim process. Preserve records and meet the relevant deadlines instead of assuming the result.

What reduces this problem on future orders? #

Agree receiving details, customer marks, expected carton counts and dispatch reporting before the supplier ships. Reconcile each delivery before approving consolidation.

ChinaBridge Global can help you organise proof of delivery and receiving records for an agreed shipment review. Send the order reference, courier details, expected and received counts, and warehouse information. We will agree the scope and fees before starting.

First published 29 Oct 2026. Last checked 29 Oct 2026 by The ChinaBridge desk. Something here out of date? Tell us in the comments and we will fix it.