Lawyer Larry Resolves Dispute for Romanian Client: From Supplier in Jinan's Refusal to Compensation Settlement

In international trade of goods, every transaction is crucial to the buyer, regardless of the order value. However, when quality issues arise with the goods, cross-border distance often makes it difficult for buyers to effectively hold sellers accountable.

In 2025, a Romanian company (hereinafter referred to as the “Client”) purchased a total of 100 metric tons of welded steel pipes from a supplier in Jinan, China, and paid the full amount of the purchase price. Upon arrival of the goods, however, the Client discovered quality defects and further found that the quality inspection report previously provided by the supplier had been forged.

Although the supplier was aware of the problems with the shipment, it believed that the Client lacked sufficient evidence and that the geographical distance would prevent the Client from taking any effective action. Such situations are not uncommon in the local international steel trading market. Despite numerous communications between the Client and the supplier, the supplier remained intransigent.

Therefore, the Romanian Client engaged the legal team of Lawyer Larry from Landing (Shenzhen) Law Office to handle the case. After taking over the case, our legal team, given its relative simplicity, promptly issued a lawyer’s letter to the Jinan supplier, stating that the Client had formally retained lawyers to intervene in the matter.

Initially, our lawyer attempted to reason with the supplier, analyzing the pros and cons in an effort to resolve the issue amicably. However, the supplier refused to make any concessions. Consequently, we had to apply certain pressure by filing complaints on behalf of the Client with relevant government authorities and industry associations, reporting the supplier’s violation.

Through our lawyer’s persistent and forceful communications, the Jinan supplier’s attitude shifted significantly: from initially refusing a refund to proactively initiating settlement discussions. After multiple rounds of negotiations, the supplier gradually increased the compensation amount, eventually reaching 80% of the total payment. After communicating with the Romanian Client, the Client considered this amount sufficient to cover its losses and therefore accepted it. The parties finally reached a refund-based settlement.

In this case, the transaction amount for the Romanian Client was not large, and because no legal guidance was received at the early stage, the Client did not pay attention to collecting evidence upon delivery. Even if the Client had sued the supplier in court, it would have been difficult to provide sufficient evidence to support its claim for compensation. Our legal team took all factors into consideration and, drawing on our experience of handling hundreds of similar disputes each year, provided the Client with the optimal solution, successfully achieving the set goals and helping the Client resolve the dispute in the most cost-effective manner. The Client was very satisfied and paid the contingency fee as agreed.

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