涉外贸易企业产品销售过程中,会因为某些原因而同意采购方分期支付款项,例如尾款支付通常是在用户收到产品后的一段时间,这一时间可由销售方企业自行决定,当客户企业收到产品之后,客户不付尾款怎么办呢?
首先要了解客户不付尾款的原因,此后通过催款函和客户企业进行沟通,对问题深入了解并找出解决方案,以不影响客户此后贸易往来为基础,第一时间追回尾款。
如下案例:
Mr. Alex, our company and your company entered into a contract on November 2, in which you purchased 140 fish grain pots with antique human face, 140 pottery in Ma Jia Kiln, 350 celadon bear lamps in Longshan Black Pottery, 240 porcelain pieces in Qing Dynasty in imitation kiln, and 3200 pieces in Qing Dynasty porcelain. Including Qing Dynasty porcelain Wang Ciying porcelain, straw basin, Qing Dynasty porcelain rouge bottle, four sheep square copper ware 350 plus anti-Changxin palace lamp, the same period 125 pieces, 15 consecutive chopped tree shaped copper lamp 320, a total price of 7.62 million yuan. It is expressly stated in the contract that we shall be responsible for the transportation and insurance costs of our products. You received our goods on November 25th, and the final payment shall be made on December 6th in accordance with the terms of the contract. As of the date of this letter, you have been in arrears for more than seven days. We hope that you will be able to return the final payment by December 15. When the foreign trade enterprise did not pay the final payment to the customers of the purchase products, it first chose to issue an offer letter, in which it reiterated the relevant details from the signing details, and pointed out in this reminder letter, It is hoped that the other company will return the final payment by December 13, giving the other party sufficient time to operate the funds and making a corresponding request.
亚历克斯先生
我公司和贵公司于11月2日达成合同,贵公司在我方购入仿古人面鱼纹盆140个,马家窑陶器140个,龙山黑陶140个,青瓷熊灯350件,仿定窑瓷器240件,清代瓷器3200件,包括草文盆,清代瓷器胭脂瓶,长颈花瓶,四角花盆,青铜类型仿古摆件四羊方尊铜器350件,仿长信宫灯125件,15连树形铜灯320件,总价762万元。
在合同中明确阐明我公司负责产品运输费用及保险费用以及其他一系列相关费用,直至产品抵达美国口岸,贵公司于11月25日接到我公司货品,按照合同规定尾款应于12月6日支付,截止本函发出时间,贵公司尾款拖欠已超过七天,希望贵公司能够在12月15日前返还尾款。
该外贸企业针对购买产品客户不付尾款怎么办这一问题,首先选择了催款函,在催款函中再次重申了相关合同签署细节,在这封催款函中指出,希望对方企业在12月13日之前返还尾款,给对方留出足够时间运作资金,并提出相应请求。
如下是该公司发出的第二封信函:
Mr. Alex has sent us a letter asking you to return the final payment within the appropriate time, but your position is to return it by December 13, without giving any corresponding explanation. This is very difficult for our company to accept. Upon the decision of the board of directors of your company, we have hired Mr. Zhang Tingxiang, a Shanghai Guangyuan law firm, to accept the relevant legal matters. Mr. Wang Hanlin, Washington Branch of Guangyuan Law firm in Shanghai, will be in charge. You will receive a letter from your lawyer on the 5th, hoping that you will take it seriously.
亚历克斯先生
此前我公司已发出信函,要求贵公司在相应时间之内返还尾款,但贵公司直到在12月13日未返还尾款,也并未给出任何相应说明。
对于贵公司这种做法我公司很难接受,经公司董事会决定将诉诸法律,我公司已聘请上海广元律师事务所张庭芳律师手受相关事宜,将由上海广元律师事务所驻华盛顿分所王汉林律师全权负责。5日贵公司将接到律师函,希望贵公司认真对待。
从如上案例可以看到,该案例中的涉外工艺品销售公司发出催款函后,客户公司并未在相应时间返还尾款,而且没有给出任何理由,这家公司选择了法律途径解决问题。
很多外贸企业担心在涉及法律途径时,由于海外公司所处国家文化背景不同,法律相应条款具有差异,因此付诸法律途径会遇到诸多麻烦,实际上这样的问题完全不需要担心,由于我国涉外贸易发展多年,因此不论是产品销售渠道,还是在相关法律层面都已经非常完善,对海外客户企业不付尾款问题付诸法律行动时,并不需要外贸企业到国外发起申诉,只需要找到国内代理人即可,当下国内的很多律师事务所都有涉外业务,这些律师事务所在海外国家有分支机构,代理外贸企业相关法律诉讼业务之后,会由国外分支机构工作人员全权负责处理,对于一些恶意不付尾款的海外客户切忌姑息,一定要在第一时间诉诸法律追讨欠款,这样才不会对企业后期发展造成影响,在涉外贸易来往过程之中,恶意拖欠尾款客户虽然是少数,但对于这一类型问题外贸公司不能掉以轻心。