After-Sales and Warranty When Buying Machinery from China: What Must Be in the Contract
- ✓Who is the warranty holder?
- ✓What exactly is covered
- ✓How long, and from when?
In eleven years of buying and inspecting machines, the objection I hear most often from buyers in Indonesia, the Philippines and Africa is the same: "Chinese machines have no after-sales." It is rarely true, but it is very often untested, because the buyer never asked for it in writing. A warranty that is not written down is not a warranty.
This guide covers the clauses that decide whether your after-sales actually works, the documents you need before shipping, and the arguments that come up most often on arrival, and how to avoid them.
1. Who is the warranty holder?
The factory, the trading company, or your agent? These are three different entities and the answer changes who you call when something breaks. Get the name written into the contract, not the brand on the machine.
2. What exactly is covered
"One year warranty" means nothing on its own. List the covered parts: main frame, engine, hydraulic pump, motors, control system. Then list what is excluded: wear parts such as jaw plates, hammers, screens, seals and tyres, plus consumables and damage from misuse or overload.
3. How long, and from when?
The clock should start from arrival at your port, not from the factory dispatch date. Shipping can take 30 to 45 days; if the warranty starts at dispatch you can lose half of it before the machine is even unloaded.
4. Spare parts: how fast, and who pays?
This is where most disputes start. Write down how many days to ship a replacement part, by what method, air or sea, and who pays the freight. For a production line, ask for a recommended spare parts list with the machine, so a small failure does not stop the whole line for a month.
5. Who pays for what on site
Labour to replace a part, travel for a technician, and the cost of a service visit are usually separate from the part itself. If you need on-site support, agree the day rate and who covers travel before the machine ships.
6. The inspection record is the evidence
Before loading, photograph and video the machine running: serial numbers, hour meter, hydraulic pressure, and a short clip of it working. Keep the files. On arrival, if something is damaged, this is the only proof that matters.
7. Define the claim window
Write a deadline for raising a defect after arrival, for example 7 days for visible damage and 30 days for functional defects, and how the claim is made: photos, video, a written notice to a named person. Without a deadline, claims arrive two years later and no supplier will accept them.
8. Payment structure is your leverage
Keep a meaningful balance until the machine is running on your site, for example 30 percent deposit, 60 percent before shipping, 10 percent after commissioning. Sellers who refuse any retention are telling you something about their confidence in after-sales.
9. What after-sales looks like when it works
A named contact who answers within a working day, a spare parts list with part numbers, and a written commitment on response time. These three things are worth more than a discount, because a stopped machine costs far more than a spare part.
After-sales is not a discount, it is a clause
Never trade a written warranty for a lower price. Ten percent off is worthless if a broken part stops your line for six weeks. Ask for the clause first, then negotiate the price with the clause in hand.
Frequently asked questions
Do Chinese factories really honour warranties?
Many do, but only when the warranty is a written clause with a named party, covered parts, a start date and a claim window. Verbal assurances given in a chat message are not enforceable in practice.
The factory says the warranty is one year. Is that enough?
It is a start, not an answer. Ask what is covered, what is excluded, when the year starts, how fast spare parts arrive, and who pays the freight. The year matters less than those four details.
Who should I sign the contract with, the factory or the trading company?
Whoever will actually answer the phone in month eight. If the trading company carries the warranty, name it in the contract and confirm it has a service arrangement with the factory.
Should I hold back part of the payment?
Yes. A retention released after commissioning is the most effective after-sales tool a buyer has, and it is normal in equipment purchasing.
How do I prove a defect on arrival?
Pre-shipment photos and video with the hour meter and serial number, then a written notice within the claim window with photos of the damage. Keep everything in one folder with dates.
What if the supplier refuses to put it in writing?
Treat that as your answer. A supplier who will not state the terms in a contract is unlikely to honour them in practice, and there are other suppliers.