In development · United States imports

You have 30 days to dispute that demurrage invoice. Check it against the rule first.

A demurrage or detention invoice must carry 20 items of information. If the carrier leaves one out, you do not have to pay the charge. We check the invoice and show you the rule behind each finding.

Get early access

Your first invoice is free. After that it is $29 for each invoice. There is no subscription and no sales call.

What you do today

The carrier sends the invoice. You open the carrier's own dispute form and you write your case. That form is free.

The carrier's form is free, and it stays free

We do not replace it. You still send it. If the carrier cancels your charges when you use that form, keep using it and do not buy this.

The form does not tell you what to write

It asks for your case. It does not tell you that the invoice itself can be invalid, or which item of information is missing from it.

The rule the carrier must obey

The Federal Maritime Commission rule is 46 CFR Part 541. It became effective on 26 February 2024. It says two things that decide most invoices.

1. A missing item cancels the charge.
  1. The rule lists 20 items that the invoice must contain (§ 541.6).
  2. If the invoice does not contain one of them, you have no obligation to pay that charge (§ 541.5).

2. A late invoice cancels the charge.
  1. The carrier must issue the invoice in 30 calendar days from the last day of the charge (§ 541.7(a)).
  2. If the carrier is late, you are not required to pay the charge (§ 541.7(a)).
  3. You get a minimum of 30 calendar days to ask for a refund or a waiver (§ 541.8(a)).

The 20 items, in the five groups the rule uses

§ 541.6(a) · 4 items

The bill of lading numbers. The container numbers. The port of discharge. The reason that you are the party who must pay.

§ 541.6(b) · 8 items

The invoice date and its due date. The free days allowed. The first and last day of free time. The container availability date. The earliest return date. Each day charged.

§ 541.6(c) · 3 items

The total amount. The tariff rule or the contract that sets the daily rate. The rate itself.

§ 541.6(d) · 3 items

A contact for questions. A web address that tells you how to ask for a refund. The time limits for that request.

§ 541.6(e) · 2 items

A statement that the charges agree with the Commission's rules. A statement that the carrier did not cause the charge.

Group (e) is the one to read first

These two statements are text that the carrier must print on the invoice. Many invoices show the numbers correctly and show no statement.

How the check works

Step 1

Send us the invoice

Upload the PDF file or the image. Add the date that the charge stopped, so that we can test the 30-day limit.

Step 2

We check the 20 items

We read the invoice against each item and against the issue date. You get the result in minutes, not in days.

Step 3

You get the findings and the rule

Each finding names the item, quotes the section number, and quotes the words of the rule. You can read the source yourself before you send anything.

What we do not do:
  • We do not send the dispute for you. You send it, in the carrier's own form.
  • We do not take a percentage of the money. We are not a recovery agent.
  • We do not give legal advice. We compare your invoice with a published rule and we show you that rule.

Price

$0 first invoice
  • The full check on all 20 items
  • The 30-day issue test
  • The findings sheet, with each rule quoted
$29 for each invoice after that
  • You pay for one invoice at a time
  • There is no subscription and no minimum
  • You keep this price for as long as you stay a customer

Get early access

We build this now. We open it to a first group of importers. Two questions, and no sales call.

We store your email to contact you about early access, and nothing else. No spam, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Questions

Is this live?

No. It is in development. This page is how we choose the first companies. If you sign up, we contact you directly. You can tell us that it is wrong for you.

We get two of these invoices in a year. Is this for us?

Probably not. For two invoices a year you can read the rule yourself. The 20 items are in the list above. This product is for the company that disputes an invoice every month.

Is this legal advice?

No. We compare your invoice with the text of a public rule, and we show you that text. A lawyer gives legal advice. We give you the rule and the finding.

Our forwarder handles this. Why would we check it?

Your forwarder can also be the party that sends you the invoice. The rule puts a 30-day limit on that party too (§ 541.7(b)). The check is the same.

What happens to our invoices?

We delete an uploaded invoice on request. We do not sell your data and we do not share it.