For the attention of the branch manager
Dear sirs,
Re : terms of the Ecu-Line ‘ Express ‘ bill of lading
In the event that only non-negotiable Ecu-Line bills of lading and no original Ecu-Line bills of lading are being issued, thus rendering the Ecu-Line bill of lading an ‘ Express ‘ bill of lading ( 0 originals ), the issuing office has to provide the shipper( customer ) with the terms of the Ecu Line bill of lading. In other words, in case of an Express bill of lading ( 0 originals ), the terms of the Ecu-Line bill of lading need to be sent/e-mailed to the shippers ( customers). Most of the Express bills of lading are being e-mailed to the shippers ( customers) this implies that the terms need to be attached to the Express bill of lading. Kindly check your system that this practice is indeed in place and that proof can be submitted that the terms were sent to the shippers ( customers ) in case of a claim.
Failing to do so may lead to the fact that Ecu-Line will not be able to invoke limitations, certain rights and immunities. If the group’s liability insurance would refuse coverage partially or entirely due to the non-sending of the terms,, the claimed amounts as well as all the costs and consequences will be for account of the office that failed to send the terms. In other words the issuing office will be liable for all costs and consequences as a result of the non-sending of the Ecu-Line terms to your shippers ( customers ).
Ecu-Line has lost 18 consol containers on disaster with the mv Mol Comfort. Several origin offices of these 18 consol containers did not sent the terms of the Ecu Line ‘ Express ‘ bill of lading to their shippers ( customers ). Our offices are now individually liable for all costs and consequences as explained above.
The Techsoft system automatically attaches the terms when you send out an Express Bill of Lading. Kindly double check this. The e-mailing/scanning has to be done in such a way that later on it can be proven that you scanned /e-mailed the terms along with the Express Bill of Lading. If you are not on the Ecu Tech system than please see to it that when you surrender/send/e-mail an Express bill of lading, the terms must be surrendered /sent/e-mailed at the same time.
The a.m. rule also applies in case no Ecu-Line bills of lading have been issued or only ‘ draft ‘ Ecu-Line bills of lading have been submitted to shippers ( customers ).