This SOP defines the documentary chain required to raise, substantiate, and close a warranty claim on a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) energy-storage system, an LFP module, or a replacement component imported into Austria from a Chinese OEM. The procedure applies to the corridor defined as origin factory in the People's Republic of China and destination warehouse or end-user site within the Republic of Austria. The procedure is non-binding; commercial terms agreed between the parties under the ICC Incoterms® 2020 rules and the executed supply contract take precedence in case of conflict [Claim: ICC Incoterms 2020 are the contractual baseline for cross-border delivery terms | Src: ICC Incoterms 2020 | URL: https://iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules/incoterms-2020/ | accessed 2026-09-21].
Claim dossier: the consolidated set of technical, commercial, and customs documents transmitted to the OEM service desk. AQL: Acceptance Quality Limit as defined in ISO 2859-1. LFP: lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) cell chemistry. CN→AT corridor: origin customs territory of the People's Republic of China to destination customs territory of the Republic of Austria.
| Step # | Action | Owner | Input doc | Output doc | Done-when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detect and triage the field defect on the LFP module or pack. | Field service technician | On-site measurement, BMS log export | Internal incident ticket ID (TradVolt-INC-####) | Ticket opened within 4 working hours of detection. |
| 2 | Classify severity against the OEM service manual severity matrix. | Quality lead | Incident ticket, OEM service manual extract | Severity label (cosmetic / functional / safety-critical) | Severity label assigned within 24 h. |
| 3 | Verify warranty eligibility, serial number, contract term, OEM warranty rider. | Warranty desk officer | OEM serial register, supply contract, warranty rider | Eligibility note "in-warranty" / "out-of-warranty" | Eligibility status signed by warranty desk. |
| 4 | Capture photographic evidence of defect, nameplate, packaging label. | Site engineer | Camera, calibrated scale, anti-static mat | Photo evidence pack (min. 6 images) | Photos uploaded to evidence vault with EXIF timestamps. |
| 5 | Apply ISO 2859-1 AQL sampling on the affected lot. | Quality inspector | Lot identifier, OEM AQL level clause | Sampling decision sheet | AQL decision recorded and countersigned. |
| 6 | Compile the OEM technical evidence package. | Documentation officer | Steps 1–5 outputs | TV-CLM-TECH-####.pdf | Technical pack signed off by quality lead. |
| 7 | Attach commercial proof of supply and delivery. | Commercial administrator | Commercial invoice, packing list, transport document under the agreed ICC Incoterms® 2020 rule | TV-CLM-COMM-####.pdf | Commercial pack bound to technical pack by reference ID. |
| 8 | File warranty record with the official customs portal. | Logistics / customs officer | Customs entry copy, EORI number, claim reference | Customs case reference number | Reference number stored in TradVolt ERP. |
| 9 | Submit complete dossier to OEM service desk via the contracted channel. | Warranty desk officer | Steps 6–8 outputs | OEM acknowledgement receipt with timestamp | OEM acknowledgement received within 5 working days. |
| 10 | Hold OEM technical review against the OEM service manual diagnostic procedure. | OEM service desk (external) | Dossier from step 9 | OEM verdict: approved / more-data / rejected | Verdict received in writing. |
| 11 | Execute disposition per OEM warranty rider (repair, replace, credit). | Commercial administrator + warehouse | OEM verdict, contract disposition clauses | Disposition note + outbound shipment record | Disposition logged and customer notified. |
| 12 | Archive closed file and feedback root-cause to procurement and quality. | Warranty desk officer | Closed dossier, OEM verdict | TV-CLM-ARCHIVE-#### + RCA memo | File archived for contractual retention period; RCA memo distributed. |
TV-CLM-TECH-####.pdf — Technical evidence pack (defect description, photos, BMS log, AQL sheet)TV-CLM-COMM-####.pdf — Commercial pack (invoice, packing list, transport doc per Incoterms 2020)OEM-SN-REGISTER-####.csv — OEM serial number register slice for the affected lotTV-AQL-DECISION-####.pdf — ISO 2859-1 sampling decision sheetTV-PHOTO-EVIDENCE-####.zip — Original photo evidence archiveTV-CUSTOMS-ENTRY-####.pdf — Customs entry copy (AT import)TV-OEM-VERDICT-####.pdf — OEM written verdict (approve / more-data / reject)TV-CLM-ARCHIVE-#### — Closed-claim archive bundle| Day | Activity | Dependency | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| D0 | Defect detected, ticket opened | — | Field technician |
| D+1 | Severity classification | D0 | Quality lead |
| D+2 | Warranty eligibility check | D+1 | Warranty desk |
| D+3 | Photo evidence + AQL decision | D0, D+1 | Site engineer, quality inspector |
| D+5 | Technical + commercial pack ready | D+2, D+3 | Documentation officer, commercial administrator |
| D+6 | Customs record filed | D+5 | Logistics / customs officer |
| D+7 | Dossier submitted to OEM | D+5, D+6 | Warranty desk |
| D+7 to D+14 | OEM technical review | D+7 | OEM service desk |
| D+15 to D+18 | Disposition (repair/replace/credit) | D+14 | Commercial administrator + warehouse |
| D+21 | Archive + RCA feedback | D+18 | Warranty desk |
| Cost item | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection labour (per hour) | indicative | To be confirmed against current service rate card. |
| Sample shipment CN → AT (per kg) | indicative | Depends on agreed Incoterms 2020 rule and lane capacity. |
| Customs handling fee | UNCERTAIN | Depends on broker engagement and EU Access2Markets entry. |
| OEM repair bench fee | UNCERTAIN | OEM-defined; not TradVolt-priced. |
All cost figures labelled "indicative" or "UNCERTAIN" are placeholders and must be confirmed against the live service contract, OEM price list, and the customs broker quote before any commercial commitment.
| Item | Value / Status |
|---|---|
| Equipment class | Lithium-ion accumulators (LFP chemistry), industrial / stationary energy storage modules |
| HS code (proposed) | 8507.60 — Lithium-ion accumulators (HS 2022 subheading used by the EU Combined Nomenclature) — confirm against the official EU TARIC portal at time of declaration |
| Import duty rate AT | PENDING — lookup |
| VAT rate AT | PENDING — lookup |
| Anti-dumping / safeguards | PENDING — lookup (verify against current EU measures for HS 8507.60) |
| Official portal to consult | European Commission — Access2Markets (TARIC) [Src: European Commission Access2Markets | URL: https://access2markets.eu/ | accessed 2026-09-21] |
| Austrian national customs portal | BMF — Zoll (Bundesministerium für Finanzen) [Src: Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance — Customs | URL: https://www.bmf.gv.at/en/topics/customs.html | accessed 2026-09-21] |
Disclaimer: the proposed HS code 8507.60 and all rate fields are placeholders. Final classification, applicable duty rate, VAT rate, and any anti-dumping or safeguard measures must be confirmed in the official EU TARIC database (Access2Markets) and with the Austrian competent customs authority before any customs declaration is filed. TradVolt does not provide customs advice; refer the declaration to a licensed customs broker.
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This SOP is a documentary operating procedure. It is not legal, tax, or customs advice. The ICC Incoterms® 2020 wording, HS classification, and any duty or VAT rate must be verified against the official ICC, EU Access2Markets, and Austrian BMF Zoll sources before use. TradVolt accepts no liability for loss arising from reliance on this page.