When a bulk stamp delivery appears short, compare three separate records: what was ordered, what the dispatch document says, and what your receiving team actually counted. Use the same unit for each comparison, and label unopened quantities as unverified. This prevents a packaging-description mismatch from being reported as a confirmed piece shortage.
Identify the order line before counting
Record the order reference, catalog link, item description and agreed selling unit. For the 2022 Flag 10-roll catalog entry, the current catalog gives an inquiry format; the accepted order must establish what was actually purchased. For the 1987 Birds and Wildlife used-set entry, do not turn the title into an assumed count or complete-set guarantee.
Keep different references on separate lines. An excess of one design does not close a shortage of another unless the purchasing team has accepted that substitution. Photograph the package reference where appropriate, and connect every count record to the relevant order line.
Build the three-way receiving record
| Field | Order record | Dispatch document | Observed receipt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item identity | Agreed item and reference | Item printed on packing list | Visible item and package labels |
| Outer units | Ordered packages | Packages reported sent | Packages actually received |
| Contents per unit | Agreed conversion | Stated conversion, if any | Counted contents or unverified |
| Total pieces | Expected pieces | Documented pieces | Counted pieces plus separately identified unverified balance |
| Evidence | Accepted order version | Packing-list reference | Dated count sheet and reviewer |
Use “not stated” when the packing list omits a field. Use “not counted” when the receiving team has not checked it. Neither entry is a zero. A package label can support identification, but its printed quantity belongs in the documentary record until the applicable receiving check is completed.
A worked example with unopened packages
The following quantities are hypothetical and do not describe this supplier’s packaging or order minimum. Suppose an accepted order states six packages of 50 pieces, or 300 pieces. The packing list also states six packages. Receiving finds six outer packages, counts two at 48 pieces each, and leaves four unopened.
- Outer-package difference: 6 received minus 6 ordered = 0.
- Checked contents: 96 counted versus 100 expected in the two opened packages, a difference of 4 pieces.
- Remaining contents: four packages remain unverified; 200 is the expected quantity, not an observed count.
The accurate initial report is “four-piece difference in the checked subset, remaining contents unverified.” Reporting a final delivery quantity of 296 would assume that the unopened packages contain exactly the expected amount. If an agreed review later establishes 50 pieces in each remaining package, then 96 + 200 = 296 becomes the observed total.
Choose the next question from the mismatch
- If order and packing list differ, ask which dispatch quantity and order version the document covers.
- If documents agree but the count differs, supply the receiving evidence and ask for reconciliation.
- If package units differ, resolve the unit conversion before comparing totals.
- If only part of the delivery is checked, state the checked scope and keep the remainder open.
Confirm any agreed partial-shipment arrangement before treating a later consignment as missing. Keep quantity questions separate from the condition review; quantity agreement alone does not establish item condition, authenticity or suitability for an intended use.
Close the record with a documented response
Record the supplier’s explanation, any additional count evidence, the purchasing decision and the person who reviewed it. Retain the original observations when a correction is made. This worksheet does not set a complaint deadline, establish a refund entitlement or promise a remedy; consult the terms agreed for the actual order.
Send a receiving clarification to A Stamp Seller with the order reference, relevant packing-list line, observed count and precise unresolved question. A concise three-way record gives both sides the same discrepancy to investigate.