Standard terms of contract
1. Interpretation
In these trading terms and conditions:
1.1 The headings to the clauses are for reference purposes only and shall not aid in the interpretation of the clauses to which they relate;
1.2 Unless the context clearly indicates a contrary intention, words importing any one gender include the other two genders, the singular includes the plural and vice versa, and natural persons include created entities (corporate or unincorporated) and vice versa;
1.3 The following terms shall have the meanings assigned to them hereunder and cognate expressions shall have a corresponding meaning, namely:
1.3.1 “the company” means the company referred to above, or if it exercises its rights under clause 2, the member of the group in respect of which it exercises its rights;
1.3.2 “customer” means any person at whose request or on whose behalf the company undertakes any business or provides any advice, information, or services;
1.3.3 “goods” means any goods handled, transported, or dealt with by or on behalf of or at the instance of the company or which come under the control of the company or its agents, servants or nominees on the instructions of the customer, and includes any container, transportable tank, flat pallet, package or any other form of covering, packaging, container or equipment used in connection with or in relation to such goods;
1.3.4 “the group” means the company and any company which is a holding company or subsidiary of the company from time to time which may render services to the customer in terms of clause 2;
1.3.5 “the owner” means the owner of goods to which any business concluded under these trading terms and conditions relate and any other person who is or may have to acquire any interest, financial or otherwise, therein.
2. Members of the group rendering services to the customer
The company may at its election perform all and any business undertaken or provide advice, information or services, whether gratuitous or not, either itself or it may procure that any member of the group undertakes such business or provides such advice, information or services as principal upon and subject to the terms and conditions contained herein which shall apply mutatis mutandis to the customer and any such member of the group.
3. Application of trading terms and conditions
Subject to clause 5, all and any business undertaken, or advice, information or services provided by the company, whether gratuitous or not, is undertaken or provided on these trading terms and conditions.
4. Owner’s risk
All handling, packing, loading, unloading, warehousing and transporting of goods by or on behalf of or at the request of the company are affected at the sole risk of the customer and/or the owner, and the customer indemnifies the company accordingly.
5. Applicable legislation
5.1 If the company is obliged, in the execution of any of its duties and/or responsibilities to comply with any common law or legislative enactment (“the law”) of any nature whatsoever, then the company by complying therewith, shall not be deemed to waive nor abandon any of its rights in terms of these trading terms and conditions.
5.2 In addition thereto, in complying with the law, the company shall not be deemed to have assumed any onus, obligation, responsibility or liability in favour of the customer;
5.3 If any of the terms of these trading terms and conditions is repugnant to or in conflict with the law, then and in such event the conflicting term embodied herein shall be deemed to be amended and/or altered to conform therewith, and such amendment and/or alteration shall not in any way affect the remaining provisions of these trading terms and conditions.
6. FIATA combined transport bill of lading
The company shall be entitled to issue in respect of the whole or part of any contract for the movement of goods a FIATA combined transport bill of lading (“FBL”) provided that where an FBL is issued these trading terms and conditions shall continue to apply except insofar as they conflict with the terms and conditions applicable to the FBL. The issue of a FBL by the company shall entitle it to raise an additional charge, determined by the company, to cover its additional obligations arising under the FBL.
7. Exclusion of obligations of common or public carrier
The company deals with goods only on the basis that it is neither a common carrier nor a public carrier.
8. Company’s discretion in the absence of instructions
In the absence of specific instructions given timeously in writing by the customer to the company
8.1 It shall be in the reasonable discretion of the company to decide at what time to perform or to procure the performance of any or all of the acts which may be necessary or requisite for the discharge of its obligations to the customer;
8.2 The company shall have an absolute discretion to determine the means, route and procedure to be followed by it in performing all or any of the acts or services it has agreed to perform;
8.3 In all cases where there is a choice of tariff rates or premiums offered by any carrier, warehouseman, underwriter, or other person depending upon the declared value of the relevant goods or the extent of the liability assumed by the carrier, warehouseman, underwriter or another person, it shall be in the discretion of the company as to what declaration, if any, shall be made, and what liability, if any, shall be imposed on the carrier, warehouseman, underwriter or another person.
9. Company’s general discretion
9.1 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein contained, if at any time the company should consider it to be in the customer’s interests or for the public good to depart from any of the customer’s instructions, the company shall be entitled to do so and shall not incur any liability in consequence of doing so.
9.2 If events or circumstances come to the attention of the company, its agents, servants or nominees which, in the opinion of the company, make it in whole or in part, impossible or impracticable for the company to comply with a customer’s instructions the company shall take reasonable steps to inform such customer of such events or circumstances and to seek further instructions. If such further instructions are not timeously received by the company in writing the company shall, at its sole discretion, be entitled to detain, return, store, sell, abandon, or destroy all or part of the goods concerned at the risk and expense of the customer.
10. Insurance
The company shall endeavour to effect any insurance the customer timeously and in writing instructs it to effect. Such insurance will be subject to such exceptions and conditions as may be imposed by the insurance company or underwriter taking the risk and the company shall not be obliged to obtain separate cover for any risks so excluded. Unless otherwise agreed in writing the company shall not be under any obligation to obtain separate insurance in respect of separate consignments but may insure all or any such consignments under any open or general policy held by the company from time to time. Should any insurer dispute its liability in terms of any insurance policy in respect of any goods, the customer concerned shall have recourse against such insurer only and the company shall not have any responsibility or liability whatsoever in relation thereto notwithstanding that the premium paid on such policy may differ from the amount paid by the customer to the company in respect thereof. Insofar as the company agrees to arrange insurance the company acts solely as agent for and on behalf of the customer.
11. Company’s obligations in the absence of instructions
Unless specific written instructions are timeously given to and accepted by the company, the company shall not be obliged to
11.1 Make any declaration for the purpose of any statute, convention, or contract, as to the nature or value of any goods or as to any special interest in delivery. In particular, the company shall be under no obligation to make any declaration or to seek any special protection or cover from any carrier in respect of any goods which are, or fall within the definition ascribed thereto by that body of dangerous goods or other goods which require special conditions of handling or storage;
11.2 Arrange for any goods to be carried, stored, or handled separately from other goods.
12. Customer’s undertakings
12.1 For all purposes hereunder the customer shall be deemed to have in relation to the customer’s business, the goods and the services to be rendered by the company in regard thereto, reasonable knowledge of all matters directly or indirectly relating thereto or arising therefrom including, without limitation, terms of sale and purchase and all matters relating thereto, and the customer undertakes to supply all pertinent information to the company.
12.2 The customer warrants that:
12.2.1 It is either the owner or the authorized agent of the owner of any goods in respect of which the customer instructs the company and that each such person is bound by these trading terms and conditions;
12.2.2 In authorising the customer to enter into any contract with the company and/or in accepting any document issued by the company in connection with such contract, the owner, sender or consignee is bound by these trading terms and conditions for itself and its agents and for any parties on whose behalf it or its agents may act, and in particular, but without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, it accepts that the company shall have the right to enforce against them jointly and severally any liability of the customer under these trading terms and conditions or to recover from them any sums to be paid by the customer which upon proper demand have not been paid;
12.2.3 All information and instructions supplied and to be supplied by it to the company and shall be accurate, true, and comprehensive, and in particular, without derogating from the generality of the foregoing, the customer shall be deemed to be bound by and warrants the accuracy of all descriptions, values and other particulars furnished to the company for customs, consular and other purposes, and the customer warrants that it will not hold any necessary or pertinent information, and indemnifies the company against all claims, losses, penalties, damages, expenses and fines whatsoever, whensoever and howsoever arising as a result of a breach of the foregoing whether negligently or otherwise including, without derogating from the generality of the foregoing, any assessment or reassessment.
12.2.4 All goods will be properly, adequately and appropriately prepared and packed, stowed, labelled and marked, having regard inter alia to the implementation by or on behalf of the company or at its instance of the contract involved, and the characteristics of the goods involved and are capable of withstanding the normal hazards inherent in the implementation of such contract;
12.2.5 Where goods are carried in or on containers, trailers, flats, tilts, railway wagons, tanks, igloos or any other unit load devices specifically constructed for the carriage of goods by land, sea or air, (each such device hereinafter individually referred to as “the transport unit”) then, save where the company has been given and has accepted specific written instructions to load the transport unit
12.2.5.1 That the transport unit has been properly and competently loaded; and
12.2.5.2 That the goods involved are suitable for carriage in or on the transport unit; and
12.2.5.3 That the transport unit is itself in a suitable condition to carry the goods loaded therein and complies with the requirements of all relevant transport authorities and carriers.
13. Recovery of debts due to the company
The company shall be entitled to recover any amounts due to it by the customer in respect of instructions relating to or in terms of any contracting respect of particular goods from the customer, or if the customer acts as agent for a disclosed or undisclosed principal from the customer or the principal, as the company in its absolute discretion deems fit. If or when the account is handed over to an Attorney and/or Collection Agency, all costs incurred, interest, collection fees, administrative charges, will be for the customer’s account.
14. Company entitled to act as agent or principal in contracting
14.1 Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the company in procuring the carriage, storage, packaging or handling of goods shall be entitled to act either as an agent for and on behalf of the customer or as a principal, as it in its absolute discretion deems fit.
14.2 The offer and acceptance of a fixed price for accomplishment of any task shall not itself determine whether such task is to be arranged by the company acting as agent for and on behalf of the customer or as principal.
14.3 The customer acknowledges that when the company as agent for and on behalf of the customer concludes any contract with a third party, such agreement is concluded between the customer and the third party.
14.4 Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the company, when acting as agent for and on behalf of the customer, shall be entitled to enter into any contract it reasonably deems necessary or requisite for the fulfilment of the customer’s instructions, including, without limitation, contract for the
14.4.1 Carriage of goods by any route or means or person;
14.4.2 Storage, packing, transport, shipping, loading, unloading and/or handling of goods by any person at any place whether on shore or afloat and for any length of time;
14.4.3 Carriage or storage of goods in break-bulk form or in or on transport units as defined in clause 12.2.5 or with or without other goods of whatsoever nature.
15. Subcontracting
15.1 Any business entrusted by the customer to the company may, in the absolute discretion of the company, be fulfilled by the company itself, by its own servants performing part or all of the relevant services, or by the company employing, or entrusting the goods or services to third parties on such conditions as may be stipulated by, or negotiated with, such third parties for the purposes of such services, or such part thereof as they may be employed to carry out.
15.2 Where the company employs third parties to perform all or any of the functions which it has agreed to perform, the customer agrees that the company shall have no responsibility or liability to its customer for any act or omission of such third party, even though the company may be responsible for the payment of such third party’s charges; but the company shall, if suitably indemnified against all costs, (including attorney and client costs) which may be incurred by or awarded against the company, take such action against the third party on the customer’s behalf as the customer may direct.
16. Terms and conditions of agents and subcontractors
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein the customer agrees that all goods shall be dealt with by the company on the terms and conditions, whether or not inconsistent with these trading terms and conditions, stipulated by the carriers, warehousemen, government departments, and all other parties (whether acting as agents or subcontractors to the company or not) into whose possession or custody the goods may pass, or subject to whose authority they may at any time be.
17. Goods requiring special arrangements
Except under special arrangements previously made in writing the company will not accept or deal with bullion, coin, precious stones, jewellery, valuables, antiques, pictures, human remains, livestock or plants. Should the customer nevertheless deliver such goods to the company or cause the company to handle or deal with any such goods otherwise than under special arrangements previously made in writing the company shall incur no liability whatsoever in respect of such goods, and in particular, shall incur no liability in respect of its negligent acts or omissions in respect of such goods.
18. Goods requiring prior consent of company
18.1 The customer shall obtain in advance the company’s specific written consent to accept into its possession or control or into the possession or control of any of its servants, agents or employees any goods, including radio-active materials, which may be or become dangerous, inflammable or noxious, or which by their nature may injure, damage, taint or contaminate, or in any way whatsoever adversely affect any person, goods or property, including goods likely to harbour or attract vermin or other pests. The customer warrants that such goods, or the case, crate, box, drum, canister, tank, flat, pallet, package or other holder or covering of such goods will comply with any applicable laws, regulations or requirements of any authority or carrier and that the nature and characteristics of such goods and all other data required by such laws, regulations or requirements will be prominently and clearly marked on the outside cover of such goods.
18.2 If any such goods are delivered to the company, whether or not in breach of the provisions of clause 18.1, such goods may for good reason as the company in its discretion deems fit including, without limitation, the risk to other goods, property, life or health be destroyed, disposed of, abandoned or rendered harmless or otherwise dealt with at the risk and expense of the customer and without the company being liable for any compensation to the customer or any other party, and without prejudice to the company’s rights to recover its charges and/or fees including the costs of such destruction, disposal, abandonment or rendering harmless or other dealing with the goods. The customer indemnifies the company against all loss, liability or damage caused to the company as a result of the tender of goods to the company and/or out of the foregoing.
19. Perishable goods
19.1 Without limiting or affecting any other terms of these trading terms and conditions, goods (whether perishable or otherwise) in the care, custody or control of the company may at the customer’s expense be sold or disposed of by the company without notice to the customer, sender, owner or consignee, if
19.1.1 Such goods have begun to deteriorate or are likely to deteriorate;
19.1.2 Such goods are insufficiently addressed or marked;
19.1.3 The customer cannot be identified;
19.1.4 The goods have not been collected or accepted by the customer or any other person after the expiration of 21 days from the company notifying the customer in writing to collect or accept such goods, provided that if the company has no address for the customer such notice period shall not be necessary, and payment or tender of the net proceeds, if any, of the sale thereof after deduction of those charges and expenses incurred by the company in respect thereof shall be equivalent to delivery of such goods.
19.2 Should any amount owing by the customer to the company in respect of any referred to in clause 19.1 become due and payable and remain unpaid, the company shall be entitled and the customer hereby authorises the company and without first obtaining an order of court, to sell all or any of the goods by public auction or on reasonable notice not exceeding 14 days by private treaty. The net proceeds of any such sale, after deducting therefrom all costs, charges and expenses incurred by the company, shall be applied in reduction or discharge, as the case may be, of the customer’s obligations to the company in respect of such goods without prejudice to the company’s rights to recover from the customer any balance which may remain owing to the company after the exercise of such rights. Should the total amount collected by the company, after deducting therefrom all costs, charges and expenses incurred by the company in respect thereof, exceed the full amount of the customer’s obligations to the company in respect of such goods, the company shall be obliged to refund such excess to the customer.
20. The acceptance of delivery
If delivery of any goods is not accepted by the customer, consignee or party nominated by the customer at the appropriate time and place, then
20.1 The company shall be entitled to store the goods or any part thereof at no risk to the company and at the expense of the customer;
20.2 The provisions of clause 19.2 shall apply mutatis mutandis.
21. Warehousing
Pending forwarding and/or delivery by or on behalf of the company, goods may be warehoused or otherwise held at any place as determined by the company in its absolute discretion, at the customer’s expense.
22. Collection of expenses and COD
22.1 When goods are accepted or dealt with by the company upon instructions to collect freight, duties, charges or other expenses from the consignee or any other person, the customer shall remain responsible therefor if they are not paid by such consignee or any other person immediately when due.
22.2 If accepted by the company, instructions to collect payment on delivery shall be subject to the condition that the company will be entitled to assume that the recipient will effect payment and in the matter of such collection will not be liable for any negotiable instrument which is not met on the due date for payment.
23. Sundry goods recognisable as the customer’s
The company shall have no obligation to take any action in respect of any goods which may be recognisable as belonging to the customer unless and until it receives suitable instructions relating to those goods together with all necessary documents.
24. Examination of landed goods
24.1 Where it is necessary for an examination to be held or other action to be taken by the company in respect of any discrepancy in the goods which are landed or discharged from any vessel, aircraft, vehicle, or transport unit, no responsibility shall attach to the company for any failure to hold such examination or to take any other action unless the company has been timeously advised by the landing or discharging agent that such goods have been loaded and that such discrepancy exists.
24.2 The company will not be responsible for examining or counting any goods received by it where such goods are bundled, palletised or packed in any other manner such that their number cannot be quickly and easily counted. Should the company undertake to count goods so received, it shall incur no liability in respect of any error or inaccuracy in such counting, whether such error or inaccuracy is the result of negligence on the part of the company or otherwise. The company shall be entitled to levy a charge on the customer for the counting of goods in such circumstances.
25. Duties, taxes, imposts, levies, and deposits
25.1 The customer, whether or not the cause of payment was due to an act, instruction or omission of the sender, owner and/or consignee and their agents, if any, shall be liable for any duties, taxes, imposts, levies, deposits or out-lays of whatsoever nature levied by or payable to the authorities, intermediaries or other parties at any port or place for or in connection with the goods and whether at the time of entry and/or at any subsequent time, and for any payments, fines, penalties, expenses, loss or damage or whatsoever incurred or sustained by the company in connection therewith or arising thereout.
25.2 The company shall bear no liability in consequence of the fact that there may be a change in the rate of duty, wharfage, freight, railage or cartage, or any other tariff, before or after the performance by the company of any act involving a less favourable rate or tariff or by virtue of the fact that a saving might have been effected in some other way had any act been performed at a different time.
26. Recover of duties incorrectly paid
Where as a result of any act or omission by or on behalf or at the instance of the company and whether or not such act or omission was negligent, any duty, tax, levy, railage, wharfage, freight, cartage or any other impost or charge has been paid or levied in an incorrect amount, then any responsibility or liability to the customer which the company may otherwise have will cease and fall away if the customer does not.
26.1 Within a reasonable time having regard to all the circumstances, and in particular to the time allowed for the recovery from the payee of the amount overpaid, advise the company that an incorrect amount has been paid or levied, and
26.2 Do all such acts as are necessary to enable the company to effect recovery of the amount incorrectly paid. The fact that the customer may not be aware that any such incorrect payment has been made shall not constitute a circumstance to be taken into account in calculating what is a reasonable time for the purposes of clause 26.1. Should any act or omission by the customer, whether or not such act or omission was due to ignorance on the part of the customer and whether or not such ignorance was reasonable or justified in the circumstances, prejudice the company’s right of recovery, the customer shall be deemed not to have complied with the provisions of clauses 26.1 and 26.2.
27. Payment by the customer
27.1 Unless otherwise specifically agreed by the company in writing the customer shall pay to the company in cash immediately upon presentation of account all sums due to the company without deduction or set-off and payments shall not be withheld or deferred on account of any claim or counterclaim which the customer may allege.
27.2 All and any moneys received by the company from the customer shall be appropriated by the company in its sole and absolute discretion in respect of any undisputed indebtedness owing by the customer to the company, notwithstanding that the customer might, when making payment, seek to appropriate the payment so made to any particular debt or portion of debt.
28. Debiting fees and disbursements
The company shall under no circumstances be precluded from raising a debit and obtaining payment in respect of any fee or disbursement due to it, notwithstanding the fact that a previous debit or debits, whether excluding or partly excluding the items subsequently requiring to be charged or recovered, had been raised and whether or not any notice had been given that further debits were to follow.
29. Risk of posted items
Notwithstanding any prior dealings between the company and the customer, all documents, cash, cheques, bank drafts or other remittances, sent to the company through the post shall be deemed not to have been received by the company unless and until they are received by the company.
30. Quotations
30.1 The company shall be entitled at any time by notice to the customer to cancel or resile from any quotation or executory agreement in circumstances where it becomes impracticable or uneconomical for the company to carry out the contract at the quoted rate and the customer shall have no claim whatsoever against the company for any loss that the customer might incur as a result of the company cancelling or resiling from the quotation or executory agreement.
30.2 Without in any way limiting the provisions of clause 30.1, all quotations and agreements are subject to revision without notice having regard to changes in currency exchange rates and upward movements in amounts payable by or on behalf of or at the instance of the company to third parties including, without limitation, freight, surcharges, insurance premiums, equipment rental and labour which charges and upward movements take place after quotation. Any revision of rates as aforesaid will be commensurate with the change in the currency exchange rate or the increase in such amounts payable. Any such increase shall, failing agreement between the parties, be determined by the then auditors of the company or any other auditors nominated by the company, who in such determination shall act as experts and not as arbitrators and whose decision shall be final and binding on the parties.
31. This agreement shall be interpreted and implemented in accordance with the law of the Republic of South Africa.
