What to Do If Your Chandelier Arrives Damaged

A freight carton opened on a hallway floor with an impact crease and packing pulled out
The short answer

Inspect before you sign. If the crate is visibly crushed, punctured or water-stained, write that on the carrier’s paperwork before signing — signing a freight delivery as clean makes a claim much harder afterwards.

Photograph the packaging before you open it and the fixture before you install anything. With EFFIMEL, report damage within 14 days of delivery with your order number and photographs, and we replace the piece or the parts at no cost to you.

Large fixtures travel crated by freight, and freight has its own rules. Two minutes at the curb with a phone camera is the difference between a replacement and an argument.

The four minutes that matter

The driver will want a signature. You are entitled to look first, and looking is the whole game.

At the curbBefore you signBefore you openWithin 14 days count the cartonsagainst the paperworkphotograph the palletwrapped, as it arrived write any damage orshortage on the deliveryreceipt — never sign itclean if the crate iscrushed or punctured photograph the outerpackaging intact, thenthe fixture itself beforeanything is installed email your ordernumber and the photos;leave the packaginguntouched until told Look for: crushed corners, forklift punctures, water staining, a badly leaning pallet, or a tip indicator that has been triggered. Any of those goes on the paperwork.
The signature is the pivot point. Everything you want to be able to prove has to happen before it.

What not to sign

Do not sign a freight delivery as clean when the crate is visibly damaged. That is the single most expensive mistake in this process, and it is entirely avoidable. If something looks wrong, write it on the delivery receipt in plain words — which carton, what you can see — and then sign.

You do not need to diagnose the fixture at the curb. “Carton 2 crushed on one corner, contents not inspected” is enough. The note preserves your position; the photographs support it.

Damage you only find after opening

Concealed damage — a clean crate and a broken piece inside — is common with crystal and glass. Report it immediately rather than at the end of the week, and leave the packaging exactly as it is until you are told otherwise. Carriers enforce short windows on their own claims, so speed genuinely matters.

Our window and what happens next. Email us within 14 days of delivery with your order number and the photographs, and we will send a replacement piece or the specific parts at no cost to you. In most cases we do not ask you to ship anything back first. This is not a return, and it is separate from the 30-day return window for a piece you simply do not want.

Large chandelier installed in a finished room
The pieces most worth protecting at the curb are the ones with the most glass on them.

Photographs that are actually useful

  • All four sides of the pallet or crate before anything is unwrapped.
  • The shrink wrap and banding in their original state.
  • Any damage close up, plus one wider shot showing which carton it is.
  • The fixture itself before installation, including the damaged detail.

If it is easy to do, film the unboxing. It costs nothing and settles most questions in one pass.

What to take away

  • Count the cartons and photograph the pallet before anything is moved.
  • Write any damage on the delivery receipt before signing; never sign a damaged delivery as clean.
  • Photograph the packaging before opening and the fixture before installing.
  • Report damage to us within 14 days of delivery with your order number and photos.
  • We replace the piece or the parts at no cost, and usually without a return first.
Shop this guide
Openwork Round ChandelierOpenwork – 72″ Openwork Round ChandelierOpenwork – 60″ Beckman Round ChandelierBeckman Round – 33″

More in entryway lighting and chandeliers; crate and fixture dimensions are in the size guide.

What do I do if my chandelier arrives damaged?

Note the damage on the carrier’s delivery receipt before signing, photograph the packaging and the piece, then email us within 14 days of delivery with your order number and the photos. We replace the piece or the parts at no cost to you.

Can I refuse the delivery?

You can, but it is usually better to accept it with the damage noted and photographed. That keeps the claim moving and often means we can send only the broken parts rather than the whole fixture.

What if the crate looked fine and the piece is broken inside?

That is concealed damage and it is covered. Photograph everything, leave the packaging as it is, and contact us straight away — well inside the 14-day window.

Do I pay return shipping?

Not for damage in transit. Replacements and parts are at no cost to you, and for freight items we arrange collection if anything needs to come back.

Buying something large enough to travel crated?

We specify every piece we sell and have it built by our partner workshops, duties and U.S. shipping included, with a lifetime warranty behind it.

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Receiving practice follows standard freight guidance; timings and remedies follow the EFFIMEL shipping and refund policies, which are the governing terms.