This is considered a force majeure risk. We will require the vehicle's state of charge (SOC) to be maintained in a safe dormant range of 30%-50% before loading, and we will insure you for all marine risks under CIF terms. If the battery suffers thermal runaway total loss due to abnormal cargo hold temperatures, the insurance company will compensate.

Our shipping quotes are typically valid for only 7 to 14 days. If a CIF contract is signed and there are significant fluctuations in shipping costs due to war surcharges or route changes imposed by the shipping company before the vehicle is actually loaded, we will transparently provide you with the official price increase notice from the shipping company. At that point, we reserve the right to renegotiate the freight difference or allow you to change the trade terms to FOB, letting you designate your own freight forwarder for booking.

A typical payment structure looks like this: 1. Deposit: 10-30% after you confirm the car and price, often to reserve the vehicle and start the inspection. 2. Balance: paid after you approve the inspection report, but before or at shipment. A common safeguard is paying against a copy of the bill of lading, with telex release of the original B/L after funds arrive. 3. Never send 100% upfront to a new supplier. Use traceable methods (T/T bank transfer to a corporate account matching the company name, or escrow for first orders) and keep every agreement in writing. 4. Timeline: quote within days, inspection 3-7 days, booking and loading 1-2 weeks, ocean transit 3-6 weeks, customs clearance 3-10 days. Red flags: personal bank accounts, pressure to skip inspection, prices far below market.