Notice of loss on delivery (protest against the carrier)

Taking delivery of goods without reservation creates a presumption that they were delivered in good condition. To preserve recourse, the consignee must make precise, reasoned reservations describing the nature and extent of the damage, not a vague note such as subject to unpacking. In French domestic road transport, Article L. 133-3 of the Commercial Code goes further: receipt extinguishes any action against the carrier unless, within three days, public holidays excluded, the consignee notifies it of a reasoned protest by bailiff's writ or registered letter. International conventions provide similar but less severe regimes: the CMR creates only a presumption, and allows seven days for non-apparent damage. For the cargo insurer, the formality is vital: the indemnity it pays is recoverable by subrogation only if the insured preserved the recourse.