The moment you spot something that concerns you — stop the entire delivery process. Do not sign the POD (Proof of Delivery) document under any circumstances until you have completed a full inspection. This is your legal right. The delivery driver or agent cannot force you to sign before inspection is complete.

Stay calm and professional. Say clearly: “I need to complete my inspection before I sign. Please give me a few minutes.” Any reputable transport company — including Vashisht Cargo Logistics — trains its delivery team to allow full customer inspection before sign-off. If anyone pressures you to sign immediately, that is a red flag about the company itself.

Before touching the damage, take extensive photographs from multiple angles. Your photos are your strongest evidence — more important than anything you write down. Here’s exactly what to photograph:

• The damage itself — close-up from multiple angles in good light
• Wide shots showing the damage in context of the full panel
• The whole car from all four sides — showing overall condition
• The carrier truck with your car still on it (if possible before unloading)
• The truck’s registration plate — proves which carrier transported your vehicle
• The POD document — photograph it before and after you write on it
• The delivery driver’s ID if they have it visible

Use your phone in full resolution. Enable location services so photos have GPS timestamps. Take videos too — walk around the car slowly on video, narrating what you see and where the damage is.

This is why pre-loading inspection photographs are so important — and why every professional transport company conducts them. Open the photos you took of your car before it was picked up and compare them panel by panel with your car’s current condition.

Any mark, scratch, or dent that appears in your current photos but NOT in the pre-loading photos is damage that occurred during transit. This side-by-side comparison is your clearest, most indisputable evidence that the damage was caused during transport — not pre-existing.

If you transported with Vashisht Cargo Logistics, the VCL team’s pre-loading condition report and photographs are also available through your coordinator — request these immediately as additional evidence.

The Proof of Delivery (POD) or lorry receipt is the most legally important document in any transit damage claim. Before you sign it, write a clear, specific description of every piece of damage in the “Remarks” or “Condition” section.

Write in specific language, not vague language:

• ✅ Good: “New scratch approximately 15 cm on right rear door lower panel. New dent (2 cm diameter) on left front bumper corner.”
• ❌ Bad: “Some damage on car” — too vague, insurance may dispute
• ✅ Good: “Right side mirror housing cracked — was intact at pre-loading inspection.”
• ❌ Bad: “Mirror problem” — insufficient for claim purposes

Date and sign your remarks. Ask the delivery agent to also sign or initial next to your damage remarks. Photograph the completed, signed POD before handing over any copy.

As soon as you’ve completed your documentation, make two calls within 2 hours of delivery:

• Call the transport company’s customer support line — report the damage formally, get a damage report reference number, and ask for the escalation process for transit damage claims. Keep this call short but factual: describe the damage, share your booking reference, and confirm you’ve documented it on the POD.
• Call your transit insurance provider’s claims helpline — report the claim, describe the damage, and get a claim reference number. This is the most important call — insurance claims must be reported promptly. Most transit insurance policies require notification within 24–48 hours of damage discovery. Missing this window can invalidate your claim entirely.

Write down the name of every person you speak with, the time of each call, and the reference numbers given. These are your paper trail.

Take your car to an authorised service centre for your vehicle’s brand (Maruti, Hyundai, Tata, Toyota, etc.) and get a written repair estimate for all transit-related damage. This estimate is required for your insurance claim and should include:

• Itemised list of all damaged parts requiring repair or replacement
• Labour costs per item
• Total estimated repair cost with GST
• Service centre letterhead, stamp, and authorised signature
• Date of inspection at the service centre

Important: Do not begin repairs before the insurance surveyor inspects the vehicle. Starting repairs prematurely may invalidate your claim — most transit insurance policies require a surveyor to assess the damage before repair work commences. Inform the service centre you’re filing a transit insurance claim and ask them to hold the car.

Submit your transit insurance claim with the complete documentation package. Most transit insurance providers accept digital submissions via email or their claims portal. Include all of the following:

• Signed POD with damage noted (photograph of signed copy)
• Your delivery photographs (minimum 20, all with timestamps)
• Pre-loading inspection photographs (for comparison evidence)
• Transport booking receipt and payment confirmation
• RC Book copy of the vehicle
• Your Aadhaar/PAN (identity proof)
• Authorised service centre repair estimate
• Brief written statement describing the damage and when it was discovered

After submission, follow up every 5–7 working days by email with your claim reference number. Most transit damage claims (minor to moderate) are settled within 15–30 working days after surveyor inspection. Do not accept any settlement offer without reviewing the repair estimate first — ensure the settlement amount covers the full documented repair cost.