What is the damaged goods report form template?
Damaged stock tends to get noticed, moved to a corner and forgotten — until the supplier's claim window has closed or the write-off shows up unexplained in the accounts. What's needed is a quick report made while the evidence is still there: photos, packaging, labels, delivery details.
This template asks where the problem was found (inbound delivery, storage, picking, customer return or after dispatch), what's wrong, the purchase order, order reference and carrier details, the items and value affected, and how the packaging looked. It requires photos, asks whether the stock has been set aside, and records the proposed action — return, claim, write-off, rework, discount or hold.
Each report is saved as a PDF in your FileIt vault with its photos attached, so whoever handles claims or write-offs has the full picture in one place.
- Best for
- Warehouses, shops, distributors and e-commerce fulfilment teams
- Filled in by
- The staff member who found the damaged or missing stock
- Time to complete
- About 3–5 minutes
- Includes
- Inbound delivery questions, value estimates, required photos, quarantine and proposed action
Who uses a damaged goods report form?
- A warehouse reporting pallets damaged in transit from a supplier
- An online shop logging items a customer received broken
- A store recording stock damaged in the back room
- A distributor collecting evidence for a carrier claim
- A food business recording spoiled or expired stock before disposal
- Tracking shortages found when opening sealed cartons
Questions on this damaged goods report form
27 questions over 4 pages · includes file upload, conditional questions, multiple pages.
1 Reporter
- Your name*
- Email*
- Phone
- Site or warehouse
- Date found*
2 What happened
- Where was it found?* On delivery from a supplier · In storage · During picking or packing · In a customer return · Reported by a customer after dispatch
- What's wrong?* Damaged · Missing or short · Wet or contaminated · Crushed or torn packaging · Expired or spoiled · Wrong item
- Purchase order number
- Sales order or customer reference
- Carrier
- Tracking or consignment number
- Was the delivery signed for as damaged or unchecked? asked only when it applies Yes · No — it was signed clean · Not signed yet
- What happened?*
3 Items affected
- SKU or part number*
- Item description
- Quantity affected*
- Batch, lot or serial numbers
- Unit cost
- Estimated total value
- Other items affected
- Packaging condition Outer packaging intact · Outer packaging damaged · Inner packaging damaged · No packaging
4 Evidence & action
- Photos*
- Delivery note, proof of delivery or other documents
- Has the stock been set aside so it can't be picked?*
- Where is it? asked only when it applies
- Proposed action* Return to supplier · Claim from the carrier · Write off and dispose · Rework or repack · Sell as seconds or at a discount · Hold for inspection
- Notes
The damaged goods report form, page by page
1 Reporter
The person reporting gives their name, email, phone, site and the date the problem was found.
2 What happened
A required question records where it was found: on delivery from a supplier, in storage, during picking or packing, in a customer return, or reported by a customer after dispatch. A checklist says what's wrong — damaged, missing or short, wet or contaminated, crushed packaging, expired or spoiled, wrong item, or something else.
Purchase order, sales order or customer reference, carrier and tracking number link the report to the right paperwork. For inbound deliveries, the form asks how the delivery was signed for and reminds staff that claim windows are usually limited. A required description explains what happened.
3 Items affected
The main item is recorded with its SKU, description, quantity affected, batch or serial numbers, unit cost and an estimated total value. Other items go in a box, one per line. A final question records the packaging's condition — intact, outer damaged, inner damaged, or none.
4 Evidence & action
Photos are required: the damage close up, the packaging, labels and the load. Delivery notes or proof of delivery can be added separately. The reporter says whether the stock has been set aside so it can't be picked, and where, then proposes an action: return to supplier, claim from the carrier, write off, rework or repack, sell at a discount, or hold for inspection.
Make the template yours
- Change the currency on the cost and value fields to the one you use
- Add your usual carriers as a dropdown instead of free text
- Add a manager approval section for write-offs over a set value
- Add the claims or purchasing team to the notification emails
- Remove the inbound delivery questions if you only use it for storage damage
- Make the value fields required if every write-off needs a figure
Tips for a better damaged goods report form
- Take photos before moving or unpacking anything further
- Keep the original packaging until the claim or return is settled
- Set damaged stock aside and label it so it isn't picked by mistake
- Report inbound damage quickly — supplier and carrier deadlines can be short
- Look for patterns by supplier, carrier or storage area when you export reports
- Link each report to the goods received note for the same delivery
Every response becomes a PDF in your vault
When a report is submitted, FileIt saves it as a PDF with the photos and documents attached in your chosen vault folder, and emails the form owner so claims or stock control can act.
Use the Responses table to track reports by stage, issue or proposed action, and export them to CSV to total write-offs by month or supplier. Claims themselves are made through each supplier's or carrier's own process.
- Start from this template. It opens in the FileIt Forms designer — change any question, add pages, set the rules for when questions appear.
- Share it. Turn on a public link, or send it to people by email, each with their own link. They don’t need a FileIt account.
- Get the answers as PDFs. Each response is saved as a PDF in the vault folder you choose, with uploaded files attached — and listed in a Responses table you can export to CSV.
Damaged goods report form: frequently asked questions
Is this damaged goods report template free?
Yes. It's included in the FileIt Forms app on every account, including the free plan.
Are photos required?
Yes, at least one photo is required, because it's usually the most important evidence. You can make it optional in the designer.
Does FileIt file the claim with the carrier?
No. The form collects and files the evidence. Your team submits the claim through the carrier's or supplier's own process.
Can we report goods a customer received damaged?
Yes. Choose "Reported by a customer after dispatch" and add the sales order or customer reference.
Can we record the value of the damage?
Yes. There are optional unit cost and total value fields in the currency you choose.
What if several items are damaged?
Record the main item in the item fields and list the rest, one per line, in the Other items affected box.
Do staff need a FileIt account?
No. They can report from a link on a phone, which makes taking photos on the spot easy.
Can we be alerted to high-value damage straight away?
Every submission emails the form owner, and you can add more addresses in settings. The form doesn't filter alerts by value.