CNBM International Corporation’s review: Complain on poor quality plywood

Good Day,

I trust that this email finds you well.

I offer my sincere apologies for having to personally communicate directly with you and not through your representatives. However, I had no choice but to do so, due to the issue at hand. I do further ask you to please excuse me for the long email, but I needed to give a thorough explanation from start to finish, for you to have a background on this matter, which then led me to contact you directly.
Africa Timber Marketing ( ATM Doors) South Africa has been in existence for 22 years in the internal and external door market, and we possess many years of experience in the global import and export market. ATM Doors is one of the few companies in South Africa that have the SATAS (South African Technical Auditing Services) and SANS (South African National Standards) Certificate; that we are working with – to whom these are affiliated according to international standards. We achieved our certification many years ago. In layman's terms, all the doors we manufacture are according to the local and international standards required. That means that all the material that we are buying from overseas must be a good quality product.

For many years, ATM Doors has been working with many businesses in China, through different companies that hold a good reputation in the global market. Usually, I visit various companies in China or make telephonic / email contact with other door companies through numbers received on referrals. The reason for visiting these companies or making contact telephonically; is to enquire about the quality issues with any product bought from the relevant company/companies. Throughout the years, we had and still have never experienced any issues with Chinese companies. Furthermore, should an issue arise due to a misunderstanding, it was sorted out very quickly and efficiently.

Up until last year 2024, I was purchasing the 1.2mm face veneer 9mm combi core Okoume plywood from Gabon. Upon the new government taking over in Gabon, they had made changes in their processes, and thus it resulted in problems with a steady supply to ATM Doors. Thereafter, I decided to send an enquiry out to China via email – for the 1.2mm face veneer combi core 9mm Okoume Plywood. I had also received a few quotations from my current and old suppliers, and then as well as from CNBM International Corporation. At that time, I had never dealt with CNBM International Corporation before. I then spoke with a few people from my industry, and I was advised that CNBM International Corporation is a very big state-owned company in China, that also holds a good reputation, but I was really mistaken and disappointed thinking that it would be the case.

Numerous emails were sent back and forth between CNBM International Corporation and ATM Doors. I also received a sample via courier on a normal 0.3mm combi core 9mm Okoume Veneer. Purely based on the sample, ATM Doors proceeded to place a special order with CNBM International Corporation, in which we clearly specified what we needed. A Sales confirmation (proforma invoice) was sent to me, to be signed off by me. Upon signing, I had first double-checked that on Item 1 and 2 of my order and their proforma invoice – that it was the same and matched each other. On Item 3, my order stated, ‘glue waterproof for external plywood’ and then their proforma invoice stated ‘glue: melamine glue’. This was the only difference that was spotted from my order placed. I do however know that on melamine glue – you also get WBP (weather and boil-proof glue).

The order was placed for ATM Doors on 10/07/2024 and we had only received the container in South Africa on 24/10/2024. This was then over a 3 - month waiting period which in my opinion, is not acceptable. Usual processes and time estimates, as with my previous experience, is that it will take 4 weeks on the water and then another week to offload at the Durban Harbour.

Upon receiving the goods, the packing material stated 1.2mm veneer, which you will find in the attached photo (Packing 1.2mm Okoume Plywood). When we opened the stacks, it was +-0.25mm face veneer in average and not 1.2mm face veneer, as ATM Doors had specifically ordered and paid a very high price of 18.76 USD per sheet. My thoughts were that they had simply just put the wrong packing covers on it, but after opening more and more stacks, we found that it was not 1.2mm thick – as ATM Doors had ordered and paid for.

Please note: The description on the ATM Doors order and CNBM International Corporation proforma invoice with regards to the plywood is the same. Clearly, I have signed for what description was read and seen, as the descriptions listed were what the order should have been. However, although the descriptions on both ATM’s order and CNBM International Corporation's proforma invoice match - the product that was sent, delivered and received, is not correct and DOES NOT MATCH the descriptions that were put down.

AS A RESULT: Upon checking the whole shipment, we encountered the following problems with the special order:

ATM Doors placed an order for 3 items on the date '10/07/2024', with the order number 'CNBM 001' and your company “CNBM" with the proforma invoice number being “SAAE4024081”. Such above-mentioned order; consisted of and stated as follows:

Item 1 of order: This is considered a very high price of 18.76 USD per sheet

1. 1000 pieces of 9mm Okoume combi core Marine plywood 1 Fault (Marine plywood not supplied)
2. 1.2mm veneer BB Grade on the front side. 1 Fault (Not received, but 0.3mm veneer delivered)
3. 1.2mm different colour veneer 2 Fault (Not received, but 0.3mm veneer delivered and the same colour veneer was received)
4. CC Grade on the back side 1 Fault (BB grade on both sides and - not the CC as requested)
5. WBP phenolic glue. 1 Fault (WBP phenolic glue not used on order).
This brings about a bigger concern on ATM Doors 'main order being the Plywood', as there are 6 faults/problems - with regards to ATM’s order "Item 1."

Item 2 of order: This is considered a very high price of 8.64 USD per sheet

1. 300 pieces of 4mm Okoume poplar core plywood. No faults here.
2. 0.3mm veneer BB Grade on both sides. 1 Fault (Not received, but 0.2- 0.25mm veneer delivered)
3. WBP phenolic glue. 1 Faults (WBP phenolic glue not used)
Please note: So with 'Item 2' - there were also 2 faults/problems; with regards to ATM’s order.

Item 3 of order: This is considered a very high price of 13.80 USD per sheet

1. 800 pieces of 9mm Okoume combi core plywood No faults here.
2. 0.3mm veneer BB Grade on both sides. 1 Fault (Not received, but 0.2 – 0.25mm veneer delivered)
3. Glue waterproof for external doors 1 Fault (Glue waterproof for external doors not used)
Please note: Again an added 2 faults/problems with regards to ATM’s order on 'Item 3.'
Total of 10 Faults / Problems with regards ATM Doors order. This is ridiculous and is not acceptable!
With further disappointment, to make it worse; the face veneer is peeling off – as you will find in the attached photos. This is the first time whereby ATM Doors must make use of masking tape on the plywood where the cuts are made, to cut the plywood to size and to prevent the peeling of the veneer from occurring. If you start cutting without the masking tape, the face veneer peels off. These doors are cut with a highly specialized CNC Machine, that is specifically designed for the cutting of veneers with international standards, and with German precision cutting saw blades - which are developed and engineered for veneer cutting. The other problem is that if we pull off the masking tape, the veneer is also peeling off.
Please note: As you know the masking tape is not a very strong adhesive tape, because it is designed to peel off easily. If the veneer is coming off, it means that it is poor-quality plywood that you supplied to us – which you will also find in the attached 5 photos.

ATM Doors have done a 'Weathering test and on the '3-hour water boil test the plywood is falling apart as per the attached photos. From the beginning, before placing my order, all my emails had stated that the plywood shall be used for external door manufacturing and that it must be WBP phenolic glue.
On the 'Weathering tests and the '3-hour water boil test done on the plywood by ATM Doors and a certified company SATAS (South African Technical Auditing System) are to perform and carry out such said inspections on the plywood and the test have failed on Item 1-3 on order. Please note that the South African Technical Auditing System report will be acceptable at any court worldwide and the companies working with international standards worldwide.

I must say that it is shocking to see such a big company CNBM International Corporation not having any sort of Quality Control in place. For an order to have to move through so many various departments and yet no one picks up on anything amiss.

Lastly, from what ATM Doors had ordered to what was delivered by CNBM International Corporation, was completely different. Then the unprofessional manner being conducted by representatives that should be managing the situation and rectifying their mistake – they rather do a poor job of it yet alone having admitted that their company (CNBM International Corporation) had made a mistake.

Your team has no real acknowledgement of errors made by them or the company and then proceeds to single-handedly make it worse for the customer. 80 percent of all my emails where questions were posed to your team, were simply ignored and then all we receive is their feedback with more questions that we must answer. Furthermore, your team has no concept of resolving a problem with a customer – even though it was their company’s admitted mistake.

This is highly unacceptable and grossly abusive to any customer who would be put through something like this. Again, this experience with CNBM International Corporation has been mostly frustrating, and upsetting, yet alone – shocking. Worst yet, no one wants to take any responsibility after admitting it was your company’s mistake and acknowledge my loss of income due to CNBM International Corporation’s error.

Should you require all or any specific correspondence between the team of CNBM International Corporation and Africa Timber Marketing, please feel free to let me know and I will be happy to assist with anything that you would require. Should you feel any sort of exaggeration from our side on anything mentioned regarding your team, you will find everything that I have mentioned, in the email correspondence over this time between both parties.

ATM Doors had rejected the whole container of plywood.

Due to there being no consensus between your Team at CNBM International Corporation, my suggestion was as follows:
As per the email dated ‘[protected]:29 to the sales team:
On Item 1 on ATM Doors order; as you know, what was ordered 1.2mm veneer as to what was received - was not the same. The same was true concerning Item 2. On Item 3, the ATM Doors order to your said company stated "Glue: Waterproof glue for external plywood" - and what you had supplied, was not the same. This is what brings us to the current dispute that your company has with us - at hand.

For example, at first, when I stated the problem:
1. I was told to order another 2 containers and then that CNBM International Corporation would send me the correct stuff. I clearly could not go with this option, seeing that there was
already a big problem with my very first order.
2. Then I was advised I could sell the plywood and then a calculated difference from them can be awarded as compensation to ATM Doors. I could not go with this option too, as with
the quality standards we hold and the face veneer is peeling off – and that would be very difficult to resell and CNBM International Corporation’s calculated difference as compensation was incorrect. Also, we had paid a considerably high price of 18.76 USD per sheet.
3. My last option was to make use of the plywood for the nasty low-cost housing sector, where the doors’ prices are cheap and carry no guarantee. Now, after 3 months of having done this, CNBM International Corporation requested to give the plywood back and only then, can I get compensated. This is ridiculous as a whole, and worst yet – your team is now standing on this point when conversing with me to resolve this matter.
After careful thought on this matter and seeing what will be best fitting for both parties, I have come up with this recommendation; which I now propose to your company, which was rejected by the CNBM International Corporation’s sales team.

There were a few quotations from different suppliers in China on 9mm and 4mm Okoume Plywood, as well as a China Plywood Excel spreadsheet that I had emailed to your sales team. If you want I can send the quotations to you. You can see and will find that the average price on the 9mm plywood CIF Durban Harbour South Africa is +-USD 9.13 per sheet. On Item 1 - I had paid USD 18.76 for a special order with a special thickness of 1.2mm on the veneer.

So in conclusion; On Item 1, is that you drop the price down to USD 9.13 per sheet, according to the average prices for 9mm plywood found in China. Furthermore; I recommend that you thereafter refund the difference of USD 9.63 back to ATM Doors. This I request to be the same with Item 3, where you drop the price from USD 13.80 down to USD 9.13 and again pay the difference of USD 4.67 back to ATM Doors.

On Item 2, we had paid USD 8.64 for a '4mm thickness as a special order', and now found the average price in China to be USD 4.72. I thereupon will also ask for the difference of USD 3.92 to be paid back to ATM Doors.

ATM Doors ‘special order’, was for a special 1.2mm face veneer external plywood - which the standard was much higher; than the standard plywood. Therefore; the foundation for my request, is to pay the profitable margin difference back to ATM Doors.

If you or the team handling the matter right now were to take note of their respective prices from all the other companies – you would find that all the different companies' prices average around USD 9.13. You charged me a higher USD 18.76, and I would ask that the difference be refunded to me.

Let alone; I noticed that even at around USD 9.13 – those respective companies still make a decent profit margin on their sales.

The above prices were found when I visited the site of Alibaba.com – when researching the 9mm Okoume plywood. You too will also see and find that there are better and cheaper prices on that specific plywood averaging around 9.13 USD – also being readily available from many various suppliers. Hence, I never suggested the cheapest prices only, but average prices in order to be fair.

As per the above mentioned - should we have to move to 'Arbitration' - between our two parties; it would be easy to get a favourable outcome for Africa Timber Marketing, as now it is found to be that everything that Africa Timber Marketing had ordered (as a special order) from your said company - is incorrect. I find that this request would not be an unreasonable one to make. The above can be and will also be well-confirmed by the lawyer and Independent parties.

The reason for this highlight and my recommendation is that what ATM Doors ordered on all Items - were not the same as to what was delivered. Yet alone to mention, it appears to be that ATM Doors ordered and paid for a high-quality product and instead received a subpar product - very weak to International quality standards - especially if we had to mention the face veneer that is peeling off.

FYI: As the Managing Director of Africa Timber Marketing: If my Sales team were to have made such a gross mistake, they would immediately be given a disciplinary hearing regarding such an error made. Furthermore, should then any of my team members from the customer service or retention side – even treat the customers the way CNBM International Corporation’s team has been treating me and handling this matter – they would be dealt with severely as this is poor business conduct, and certainly further damaging any sort of relations formed at sales stage and most likely damaging any continuation of sales again in the future.

May I request that it would be possible for you to please send this to the relevant personnel within your company to have this matter resolved properly, efficiently and as soon as possible?
If you would be so kind to email the relevant personnel or team to handle this matter at hand, and also CC me in that email, that would be highly appreciated. However, should you wish to supply me with the team or personnel/directors that are responsible for this sector of your company to handle this matter - please feel free to send their details to me and I can make contact with them too. I have tried so many times already to get this from your sales team or sort this out, and to no avail.

I hope that this last effort in contacting you directly to get this matter resolved and have a consensus reached is of a positive outcome. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to go the legal route, with obviously attempting arbitration first and then all necessary platforms, systems and relevant personnel will be made use of.

Regards,

Servaas