If the consignee takes delivery without any reservation, the goods are presumed received in the condition stated on the consignment note. To preserve the right to claim, the CMR sets three deadlines according to the kind of damage (art. 30).
Apparent loss or damage: reservation at the time of delivery. Non-apparent: in writing within 7 days of delivery; only Sundays and public holidays are excluded from the count, Saturdays count (art. 30.1). Delay: written reservation within 21 days of the goods being placed at the consignee’s disposal (art. 30.3).
A reservation must be specific: “3 cartons wet” works; “subject to inspection” does not. The CMR deadlines tool computes the dates from the delivery day.