What documents do I receive?
You receive a serial-logged 27-point bench test report, a grading certificate (A, B, or C), a packing list, a commercial invoice, a pre-shipment video, and a bill of lading copy once loading is confirmed. If you book SGS or Bureau Veritas, their inspection report is added to the file before balance payment is due.
Why this concern is real
Buyers in Lagos, Accra, Mombasa, Baghdad, and Manila have been burned by suppliers who send a single invoice and nothing else, then disappear once the 30% deposit lands. Customs in Nigeria and Kenya routinely hold containers when the packing list doesn't match the bill of lading, and banks in Iraq and the Philippines won't release funds against a shipment with no serial-level test data. Without paperwork tied to actual units, you can't prove grade, can't claim against damage, and can't clear the container without delay penalties.
How it actually works
Apex sources from 184 factories, and every unit that leaves those factories is bench tested on 27 points, with each result logged against its serial number before it's graded A (used, 3 years or younger, 90-day workshop warranty), B (used, 5 years or younger, 30-day warranty), or C (tested as-is, no warranty claim). That grade, the serial number, and the test date all appear on the certificate that ships with the unit. Twin tub units — new at $30-45 and used Grade B at $48-68 — get the same treatment; used cooling appliances and used TVs are excluded from our program entirely, so you won't receive paperwork for stock that doesn't exist on our books. Freight from Lagos runs $3,000-4,000 per container, and that invoice is issued separately from the goods invoice so your clearing agent has clean numbers for each.
How we handle it at Apex Home Export
You pay 30% deposit to open the order against a corporate account that matches your contract entity — not a personal account, not a third-party name. We load the container, film the load-out video, and send you that video plus the bill of lading copy. The remaining 70% is due against that BL copy, after you've reviewed the video. Once payment clears, we release the full document set: commercial invoice, packing list, bench test reports for every serial number in the load, grading certificates sorted A/B/C, and the original BL. If you've arranged SGS or Bureau Veritas inspection, their report is folded into this same package before you wire the balance — we don't ask you to pay against goods you haven't had a third party look at.
What you should do before you pay
- Confirm the corporate account name on the invoice matches your contract entity exactly — mismatches cause bank delays in Iraq and Egypt especially.
- Ask for the bench test log by serial number, not just a grade summary, before you send the 70% balance.
- Check the grading certificate lists A (≤3yr, 90-day), B (≤5yr, 30-day), or C (as-is) per unit — not a blanket grade for the whole container.
- Verify the freight invoice ($3,000-4,000 ex-Lagos) is separate from the goods invoice for your customs filing.
- Book SGS or Bureau Veritas early if you want their report included before balance payment, not after.
You get a complete, serial-matched document trail before your money ever leaves the account — not a vague invoice after the fact. If you want to see a sample document set for your market before placing an order, message us directly on WhatsApp: https://wa.me/8619905922526.