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Commercial disputes · Customers and suppliers Customer or supplier dispute: facts, figures, a response.

A customer disputes a delivery, a supplier has not met its commitments, goods arrive damaged: an executive from our team takes over the case, establishes the facts, puts a figure on what is at stake and prepares the response or the claim with you.

For business owners and executives, sales directors, buyers, quality managers and logistics managers.

Book the free call Free 45-minute call, confidential
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Typical situations

When a commercial dispute takes hold.

The earlier the case is taken in hand, the more amicable solutions remain open, and the less it costs, in money as well as in the relationship.

  1. 01

    A customer disputes a delivery

    Non-conformity, quantities, quality, lead times: they reject the goods or the invoice.

  2. 02

    A customer applies penalties

    Delays, service levels, amounts withheld from payment: are they justified, and for what amount?

  3. 03

    A supplier does not keep its word

    Defects, delays, incomplete services, and a loss that needs to be quantified.

  4. 04

    Goods arrive damaged

    Damage, missing items, reservations to the carrier: the deadlines are very short.

  5. 05

    A subcontract goes off track

    Logistics or manufacturing services: errors, service commitments not met.

Our role

An executive's perspective, not a court's.

We provide the operational and technical analysis of the case. Legal matters remain the domain of your lawyer, with whom we work when the subject requires it.

What we do

Facts, figures, a letter

  • Go through the documents: purchase order, contract or terms of sale, specifications, delivery notes, photos, correspondence
  • Establish the timeline and the facts, without taking sides
  • Compare what was planned (specifications, lead times, service commitments) with what actually happened
  • Put a figure on what is at stake: direct costs, contractual penalties, extra costs, time lost
  • Prepare the draft response or claim, which you sign
  • Recommend the next step: contest, negotiate, make a commercial gesture, take corrective action, go to mediation
What we do not do

Clear limits

  • We are not lawyers: legal characterization, a formal notice (mise en demeure) where the stakes are high, and legal proceedings are a matter for your lawyer, or for a lawyer from our network depending on the subject
  • We do not replace a commissaire de justice (French court officer): if official evidence is needed, we arrange for one to step in
  • We do not take sides without the facts: if the case shows you are in the wrong, we tell you

Matsu Conseil is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Our letters are drafts, which you review, adapt and sign.

Our packages

From a fixed-price kit to full support.

Everything starts with a free 45-minute call, by phone or video, to assess what is at stake and the deadlines to meet.

Matsu EssentielResponse to a customer complaint

€690 excl. VAT, in 5 days. View the kit

Matsu EssentielClaim against a supplier

€690 excl. VAT, in 5 days. View the kit

On-site optionTechnical visit

€590 excl. VAT for a half-day, €990 excl. VAT for a full day, in Île-de-France and the Oise, with a dated photo report.

AssignmentComplex dispute

Negotiation meetings, liaison with the lawyer, the expert or the insurer: on quote, from €900 to €1,500 excl. VAT per day.

Kits: 30% on order, 70% on delivery; the deliverable is handed over once the balance is received. Amounts paid are deducted if an assignment follows within 3 months.

How it works

Five steps, from the first call to the signed letter.

A single point of contact, who knows your case from start to finish.

  1. 01

    Call

    45 minutes, free: the situation, what is at stake, the deadlines to meet.

  2. 02

    Documents

    You upload the documents via a secure link.

  3. 03

    Analysis

    Facts, timeline, gaps, costing, an on-site visit if needed.

  4. 04

    Letter

    The draft response or claim, reviewed with you.

  5. 05

    Next steps

    Negotiation, mediation, or a handover to your lawyer.

Frequently asked questions

Commercial disputes: your questions.

See also our guides: responding to a customer complaint, disputes with a supplier and transport disputes.

Can you draft a formal notice (mise en demeure)?

We prepare a draft claim letter, factual and backed by figures, which you sign. When the legal stakes are significant (large amounts, termination of a contract, legal proceedings under consideration), the formal notice must be reviewed or drafted by a lawyer: we then work with yours, or with a lawyer from our network depending on the subject.

Which documents should we gather?

The purchase order, the accepted quote or the contract, the terms of sale, the specifications, the delivery and receipt notes, the signed reports, the photos and the correspondence. We draw up the list together during the free call, based on what you have.

Does your site visit count as a formal constat?

No. Our visit produces a dated technical report with photos, useful for discussions with the other party. The constat that serves as evidence in court (an official report of findings) is drawn up by a commissaire de justice: if necessary, we advise you to bring one in and we prepare their visit.

What deadlines must be met?

They are often short: terms of sale, contracts and insurance policies set deadlines for reporting a defect. In road transport in France, for example, a reasoned protest must be notified to the carrier within 3 days (excluding public holidays) following receipt. Contact us as soon as the dispute begins.

What if the case shows we are in the wrong?

We tell you, with the reasons. It is often better to negotiate a measured way out than to enter a conflict that is lost from the start.

How much does your support cost?

Matsu Essentiel kits, delivered remotely, cost €690 excl. VAT, delivered in 5 working days after a free 45-minute call. The on-site technical visit is optional (€590 excl. VAT for a half-day, €990 excl. VAT for a full day, in Île-de-France and the Oise). Complex disputes are handled on quote.

Contact

Let's talk about your dispute.

A free 45-minute call, by phone or video, to assess what is at stake, the deadlines and the best way to respond.

Book the free call contact@scm-publishing.fr Request a callback

Confidential conversation · reply within 24 business hours