Due Diligence
Disputes between buyers and suppliers can happen for many reasons, from a simple misunderstanding to outright fraud or theft. Before you work with any company you found on 7 SHAHN, check them carefully — exactly as you would with any new business partner.
1. Why due diligence matters
7 SHAHN is a platform that connects importers, exporters and shipping companies. We are not a party to any deal made between users (see our Disclaimer), so the checks you carry out before you agree, send goods or pay are your best protection. The simple steps below greatly reduce the risk of fraud or loss.
2. Check that the company is real
- Confirm that the company is legally registered in the country where it trades and, where possible, obtain copies of its registration documents or trading accounts.
- Check its business address. Make sure it is a real business premises and not a private home — online street maps make this easy.
- Make sure its email address uses the company’s own website domain, not only a free email service, and that the website looks established.
- Ask whether the company is a member of any trade associations or freight networks, and contact them to confirm the membership.
3. Search for reviews and warnings
Search the internet for the company name, its website, its phone numbers and its email addresses, together with words such as “review”, “scam” or “fraud”. If a company has cheated others before, you will usually find complaints or blacklists online.
4. Put everything in writing
Agree a written contract signed by both parties. It should list every cost from collection to final delivery (freight, surcharges, customs, insurance, handling and delivery charges), the Incoterm, the transit time and who is responsible at each stage.
A clear contract avoids most misunderstandings and will be your main evidence if a legal dispute arises.
5. Watch for warning signs
- Prices that are far below the normal market rate.
- Pressure to pay quickly or to keep the deal secret.
- Refusal to provide registration details, a written contract or a landline number.
- Payment requested to a personal account or to an account in a different country from the company.
6. Verify shipping documents
Before you pay the balance, check the container, Bill of Lading or booking number directly on the shipping line’s official website. Our Container Tracking tool takes you straight to the right official tracking page.
7. What to do if you suspect fraud
- First, try every way you have to contact the company.
- Report the company to us so that we can review its profile and, if needed, suspend or remove it. We do not take part in any dispute between users.
- Report the matter to the police or the law enforcement agency in the company’s country.
- Contact a legal professional in that country to learn what rights you have to pursue the company.
- You may also use a debt recovery agency, which usually works for a share of the money recovered.
8. Please note
This list is a guide and is not complete. Every user remains fully responsible for carrying out their own due diligence before entering into any agreement with another party.