Source: http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cisg/CISG-AC-op2.html
Timestamp: 2019-05-20 19:02:01
Document Index: 341139242

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art. 38', 'Art. 38', 'Art. 44', 'Art. 39', 'Art. 9', 'Art. 39', 'Art. 39', 'art 21', 'Art. 39', 'Art. 39', 'Art. 39', 'art 13', 'Art. 39', 'Art. 49', 'art 31', 'Art. 39', 'Art. 38', 'Art. 39', 'Art. 39', 'Art. 40', 'Art. 39', 'Art. 38', 'Art. 39']

CISG Advisory Council Opinion No. 2 [1]
Examination of the Goods and Notice of Non-Conformity
Articles 38 and 39 [2]
To be cited as: CISG-AC Opinion no 2, Examination of the Goods and Notice of Non-Conformity: Articles 38 and 39, 7 June 2004. Rapporteur: Professor Eric E. Bergsten, Emeritus, Pace University School of Law, New York.
1. Although a buyer must examine the goods, or cause them to be examined, within as short a period as is practicable in the circumstances, there is no independent sanction for failure to do so. However, if the buyer fails to do so and there is a lack of conformity of the goods that an examination would have revealed, the notice period in article 39 commences from the time the buyer "ought to have discovered it".
2. Whether and when it is practicable, and not just possible, to examine the goods depends on all the circumstances of the case. It is often commercially practicable to examine the goods immediately upon receipt. This would normally be the case with perishables. In other cases, such as complicated machinery, it may not be commercially practicable to examine the goods except for externally visible damage or other non-conformity until, for example, they can be used in the way intended. If the goods are to be re-sold, the examination will often be conducted by the sub-purchaser. Another example is dealt with in article 38(3).
3. The period for examining for latent defects commences when signs of the lack of conformity become evident.
1. The period for giving notice under article 39 commences when the buyer discovered or "ought to have discovered" the lack of conformity. The buyer "ought to have discovered" the lack of conformity upon the expiration of the period for examination of the goods under article 38 or upon delivery where the lack of conformity was evident without examination.
2. Unless the lack of conformity was evident without examination of the goods, the total amount of time available to give notice after delivery of the goods consists of two separate periods, the period for examination of the goods under article 38 and the period for giving notice under article 39. The Convention requires these two periods to be distinguished and kept separate, even when the facts of the case would permit them to be combined into a single period for giving notice.
3. The reasonable time for giving notice after the buyer discovered or ought to have discovered the lack of conformity varies depending on the circumstances. In some cases notice should be given the same day. In other cases a longer period might be appropriate. No fixed period, whether 14 days, one month or otherwise, should be considered as reasonable in the abstract without taking into account the circumstances of the case. Among the circumstances to be taken into account are such matters as the nature of the goods, the nature of the defect, the situation of the parties and relevant trade usages.
4. The notice should include the information available to the buyer. In some cases that may mean that the buyer must identify in detail the lack of conformity. In other cases the buyer may only be able to indicate the lack of conformity. Where that is the case, a notice that describes the symptoms is enough to specify the nature of the lack of conformity.
The provisions regarding the notice that should be given by the buyer to the seller of goods in case of their alleged lack of conformity to the contract were among the most disputed matters in the preparation of the CISG. The proper interpretation of those provisions is in turn one of the most controversial matters in its implementation since it involves both fact and law, as shown in the appendix to this opinion.
2. Domestic Legal Systems
2.1.	The differences of opinion in the drafting of the notice requirement and in its interpretation arise largely out of differences in the domestic law of sales. Those laws take three different approaches to the matter:
The buyer must give a notice specifying the nature of the alleged lack of conformity within a short period of time after delivery of the goods. The allowable period of time may be specified, e.g., eight days, or a word such as "immediately" may be used.
The buyer must give a notice of the alleged non-conformity before "acceptance" of the goods in order to reject them, an action that normally brings with it the avoidance of the contract. However, the buyer is under no obligation to examine the goods and no notice of lack of conformity within any particular period of time need be given in order to claim damages.
The buyer must give a notice of the alleged lack of conformity. The notice may not need to be as specific as in the legal systems of the first group and it must be given within a period that may be described as "a reasonable time".
2.2. Legal systems in the first group emphasize the security of the transaction for the seller. Claims of lack of conformity that are raised any significant period of time after the delivery of the goods are suspect, do not allow the seller to verify the lack of conformity as of the time of delivery and reduce the possibility that the consequences of lack of conformity can be minimized by repair or the supply of substitute goods.
2.3. Legal systems in the second group emphasize the right of the buyer to receive compensation for the seller's failure to deliver conforming goods. Depriving the buyer of all remedies because notice is not given within some specified period of time is considered to be too harsh a result. The buyer automatically has a reduced possibility of recovery if no claim for lack of conformity is filed for a significant period of time since the buyer, who has the burden of proof, would have more difficulty to substantiate that the goods were not conforming at the time of delivery. Since the buyer has the obligation to mitigate damages, any increase in damages that occur after the buyer is aware of the lack of conformity are not compensated. This group of legal systems contains a number of industrialized countries, as well as many developing countries.
2.4. Legal systems in the third group attempt to strike a balance between security of the transaction for the seller and assuring that the buyer can recover compensation for the seller's failure to deliver conforming goods. The requirement of giving notice is sometimes explained as designed to defeat commercial bad faith on the part of the buyer.
a) The duty to examine the goods under article 38
3.1. The leading participants in the preparation of the Uniform Law on the International Sale of Goods (ULIS), from which the CISG was derived, were from legal systems that have a strict notice requirement. Consequently, ULIS Article 38 provided that the buyer had to examine the goods "promptly", which was further defined in ULIS article 11 as being "within as short a period as possible, in the circumstances". ULIS Article 39 provided that notice had to be given "promptly after [the buyer] has discovered the lack of conformity or ought to have discovered it." This again meant that notice had to be given within as short a period as possible. The only amelioration to this strict regime was article 40, which provided that the seller could not rely on the buyer's failure to notify in conformity with article 39 "if the lack of conformity relates to facts of which he knew or could not have been unaware and which he did not disclose to the buyer."[3]
3.2. The involvement of a broader array of legal systems during the preparation of the CISG in UNCITRAL led to several modifications in the strict notice regime of ULIS articles 38 and 39. Most of the expressed concerns were in regard to goods that the purchaser re-sold and shipped to the sub-purchaser when it would be impracticable to open the container or packaging. The UNCITRAL Working Group considered that the "flexible language" of article 38(2) and (3) introduced by it "would meet those objections."[4] At a later session the Working Group moved further away from the strict examination requirement in ULIS by providing that the examination required by article 38(1) should be conducted "within as short a period as is practicable in the circumstances."[5]
b) The duty to give notice of non-conformity under article 39
3.3. There was less discussion in UNCITRAL about the duty to notify in article 39. Nevertheless, the duty to give notice "promptly" in ULIS article 39, i.e., in as short a period as possible, was amended to provide that a notice of lack of conformity must be given "within a reasonable time" after the buyer discovered it or ought to have discovered it. It was pointed out that "what is a 'reasonable time' was, of course, a question that depended on the circumstances of each case."[6]
3.4. In contrast to the situation in UNCITRAL there was almost no discussion in the Diplomatic Conference in regard to article 38, but the discussions on article 39 were intense. They have usually been characterized as being between representatives from developing countries and representatives from the industrialized countries. The arguments for further modifications in the notice regime were largely articulated in terms of the unacceptable consequences for buyers from developing countries who might not be able to examine the goods or have them examined for as long as a year or more, thereby making it impossible for them to give notice any sooner than that. However, the debate could also be fairly characterized as one between representatives of legal systems that in their domestic law have a strict notice requirement and representatives of legal systems that in their domestic law have no notice requirement for a claim for damages for non-conformity of the goods. As stated at the Diplomatic Conference by the principal proponent of a further modification of the notice requirement, "Traders in jurisdictions which did not have a rule requiring notice to the seller might be unduly penalized, since they were unlikely to be aware of the new requirements until too late."[7]
3.5. Various amendments to article 39 were proposed to reduce the adverse consequences for the buyer who failed to give adequate notice of non-conformity of the goods in time, including a suggestion to delete article 39(1) entirely. Finally, in an effort to satisfy the concerns that had been expressed, a new provision, currently article 44, was adopted. It provides that the buyer may reduce the price or claim damages, except for loss of profit, if he has a reasonable excuse for his failure to give the notice required by article 39.
4. General comments in regard to the text of articles 38, 39, 40 and 44
4.1. The obligation to examine the goods in article 38 is designed to set a time when, if no examination was conducted, the buyer "ought to have discovered" a lack of conformity of the goods as provided in article 39. There is no other consequence arising out of a failure to examine the goods. There are other occasions when the buyer ought to discover a lack of conformity even though there was no examination of the goods. For example, a buyer ought to discover a lack of conformity that was evident upon delivery of the goods. Similarly, even if article 38 did not exist, a reasonable interpretation of article 39 would be that a buyer "ought to have discovered" any lack of conformity that a reasonable examination of the goods would have shown. The condition that the buyer "ought to have discovered" the lack of conformity is, therefore, a concept of article 39 that is related to but does not depend upon article 38.
4.2. That is relevant to the proper interpretation of article 44. Article 44 permits a buyer to reduce the price or claim damages, except for loss of profit, if he has a reasonable excuse for failing to give notice in conformity with article 39, whether the cause of that failure was that the buyer did not know of the lack of conformity, though he ought to have known of it, or whether the buyer failed to give notice of a lack of conformity of which he did know.
4.3. It may be questioned whether article 44 added anything to the notice regime, since both article 38 and article 39 contain language that can fairly be interpreted to reach any result that article 44 was intended to reach. Furthermore, some courts interpreting ULIS had escaped the strict requirements of articles 38 and 39 by interpreting article 40 to hold that a seller who delivered defective goods "could not have been unaware" of the defects, thereby permitting the buyer to rely upon a late or defective notification of a lack of conformity.[8] The same result could be achieved under CISG article 40, which is identical to ULIS article 40 in all essentials. However, the adoption of article 44 in the Diplomatic Conference confirms the movement to a less strict notice regime that began in UNCITRAL.
4.4. The final result of the drafting process could be fairly characterized as being closer to the solution found in the domestic law of the legal systems in the third group above than it is either to the strict notice regime of the legal systems in the first group or to the lack of a requirement to give notice in order to recover damages found in the second group of legal systems.
5.1. The provisions governing the buyer's obligations to examine the goods and to give notice of any alleged non-conformity are among the most litigated matters in the CISG. It is striking, however, that there appear to be few decisions from countries in which the domestic law of sales does not require notice to be given in order to claim damages for non-conformity. This is consistent with the fact that there are few decisions of any nature regarding the CISG from those countries, even though several of them are party to the Convention. Similarly, there are relatively few decisions from countries in which the domestic law of sales requires notice to be given in a reasonable period of time. By far the majority of the decisions have come from those countries in which the domestic law of sales is relatively strict both in terms of the content of the notice and the time-limit within which it must be sent to the seller. This necessarily means that any review of the decisions of the courts to date is heavily weighted towards those courts.
5.2. While many of the decisions that have been reported to date are unobjectionable on their facts, there has been a tendency on the part of some courts to interpret CISG articles 38 and 39 in the light of the analogous provisions in their domestic law. This has been most overt where the CISG text is similar to that in the domestic law.[9] While the method of interpreting in the light of domestic law that also requires notice to be given in a reasonable time does not accord with the requirement of CISG article 7(1), since it does not give due regard to the international character of the Convention,[10] the results in the individual cases are difficult to criticize.
5.3. The situation is noticeably different where the text of articles 38 and 39 is more lenient towards the buyer than is the domestic sales law or where the country was a party to ULIS and had numerous court decisions interpreting it. A few courts have said that they saw no significant change in the law.[11] Most, however, have struggled to apply CISG articles 38 and 39 appropriately. It is not surprising that their frame of reference to decide whether the goods were examined "as soon as [was] practicable", whether the examination was adequate, whether the notice was given within a reasonable time and whether the notice was sufficiently detailed was based upon their prior experience with domestic law and ULIS. It is also not surprising that their decisions tend to be more demanding on the buyer than are the decisions coming from courts in countries that have long required that notice be given within a reasonable time.
5.4. Several high level courts in those countries have attempted to give guidance as to how to determine what might be a reasonable period of time within which to give notice. Perhaps because it is difficult to give a clear guideline as to how to evaluate the many commercial and other factors that might be relevant in a given case, one technique that has been used has been to fix a period of time that would be presumed to be reasonable. The Austrian Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) has suggested that 14 days would normally be reasonable,[12] while the Obergericht Kanton Luzern from Switzerland has suggested one month.[13] While those decisions represent a genuine effort to loosen the otherwise strict notice requirements otherwise enforced in those countries, the difficulties inherent in fixing a presumptive period of reasonableness are illustrated in a 1999 decision of the German Supreme Court (Bundesgerichtshof).[14]
5.7. The court commenced by noting that the court of appeals had found that the defect in the grinding device was a latent defect, so that neither the period for examination nor the period for notice could have commenced any sooner than when the device failed. The court of appeal had concluded that on failure of the device the buyer ought to have been aware that there was a defect in the device and that the reasonable period for notice began at that date. The Bundesgerichtshof disagreed. It accepted the buyer's contention that the buyer could not have determined immediately and by itself whether the device failed because of a defect or because of operating errors by its personnel. Therefore, it was not the period for notice under article 39 that had commenced at the time when the device failed, but the period for examination under article 38.[15]
5.8. The court then calculated the amount of time available to the buyer to give notice by assuming that it should have had one week to decide whether to engage an expert to report on the source of the failure and to engage the expert. The period for the expert to prepare its report had in fact been two weeks, which the court deemed appropriate. To the three weeks thus calculated, it added a four week period for giving notice after the buyer knew or ought to have known of the lack of conformity of the goods. The court described a four week period for giving notice as "regelmäßig", i.e., "regular" or "normal". Thus, the court calculated that the notice given by the buyer seven weeks after the failure of the grinding device had been given within time.
5.10. The second reading is that the court did calculate two separate periods as provided in CISG. The court allowed the buyer three weeks to have the device examined by the expert pursuant to article 38 starting from the time the grinding device failed and not when its customer complained of the rust in the paper. At the end of that hypothetical examination the buyer "ought to have known" of the lack of conformity of the device and the one-month period for giving notice that the court considered to be presumptively reasonable commenced. This reading of the decision illustrates that there is no independent sanction for a failure to examine the goods within the time allowed under article 38. The buyer in this case received the report of the expert 46 days after the failure of the grinding device, which was three weeks after he "ought to have known" of the defect according to the Bundesgerichtshof. Consequently, rather than three weeks to determine the nature of the defect in the grinding device and four weeks to give notice as anticipated by the Bundesgerichtshof, it took the buyer six weeks to determine the nature of the defect and only three days to give notice.
5.12. If the court had restricted itself to saying that the four week period from the time the buyer "ought to have discovered" the lack of conformity of the goods and the time it sent the notice was a reasonable time, the decision might be questioned on the facts. A period of one month from the time the buyer knew or ought to have known of the lack of conformity in this case seems rather long to be presumptively "regelmäßig", i.e. "regular" or "normal". Nevertheless, it would have been unobjectionable as a matter of legal interpretation. One month or even longer to give notice might be reasonable under the particular facts of the case.
5.13. The most positive aspect of the decision of the Bundesgerichtshof, as of the decisions of the Oberster Gerichtshof in Austria and the Obergericht Kanton Luzern in Switzerland, is that it is an indication to the German courts that they should be willing to accept longer periods for the giving of notice than in regard to ULIS or � 377 HGB.
5.14. One last feature of the decision of the Bundesgerichtshof calls for comment and approval. In earlier cases the German courts had required the buyer to inform the seller in detail as to the nature of the lack of conformity. That can be beyond the power of a buyer, especially where the buyer does not have the technical knowledge to know what is wrong with the goods. In the instant case the Bundesgerichtshof clearly states that a buyer of machinery and technical equipment need give notice only of the symptoms, not an explanation of the underlying causes. The notice given by the buyer to the seller in this case stated that a purchaser of its paper had found steel splinters in the paper produced using the grinding device in question. The buyer voiced the suspicion that the grinding device was defective. The court held that the buyer's notice was sufficiently specific in accordance with the buyer's knowledge at that time. It would seem that description of the symptoms would also put the typical seller in a position to decide what further actions it should take to protect its interests.
5.15. By way of contrast, the French Cour de Cassation in its decision of 26 May 1999 refused to declare any specific period of time as reasonable.[16] It stated that the Court of Appeals had "used its sovereign discretion in maintaining, after having recalled the chronology of the facts, that the buyer had inspected the goods in a prompt and normal period of time, bearing in mind the handling that the [laminated metal sheets] required, and that the [buyer] had alerted [seller] of the non-conformities within a reasonable time in the meaning of Article 39(1) CISG". (Emphasis in original) The decision was a strong affirmation that the determination whether examination of the goods under article 38 or the giving of notice of non-conformity under article 39 are ultimately dependent on the circumstances with which the buyer was confronted.
Case Law on CISG Articles 38, 39
Prepared for the CISG Advisory Council, January 2004 [*]
As an annex to
The following gives an overview of reported case law on these provisions of the CISG. It permits "at a glance" to distinguish cases raising different issues, outlining them in key words. This list is not exhaustive.[**]
For the detailed reasoning of the Courts in the various cases, go to: <http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cisg/text/casecit.html> where the full texts of the cases or links to the full texts of the cases may be accessed.
The three issues distinguished are:
1.	Extent and timeliness of examination (Article 38)
2.	Specificity and form of notice of non-conformity (Article 39)
3.	Timeliness of notification of non-conformity (Article 39)
1. Extent and Timeliness of Examination: Article 38
Venue Date Docket No. Goods Proper Examination?
Rb Hasselt 06.03.02 A.R. 2703/01 Rolls with printed numbers No; buyer should check numbering, not rely on customers
Rb Ieper 29.01.01 Unavailable Cooling installations Yes; continued use necessary to see defect
Rb Kortrijk 06.10.97 A.R. 4143/96 Crude yarn Yes; not required to unroll threads to examine
Maritime & Commercial Court of Copenhagen 31.01.02 H-0126-98 Frozen fish No; A sample should have been thawed and analysed
Helsinki Court of Appeal 30.06.98 S 96/1215 Skin care products (hidden defect
reduction over shelf life) Yes; sampling took time, ten weeks between delivery and notice OK because of 38
Turku Court of Appeal 12.11.97 S 97/324 Canned food Yes, court allowed buyer to rely on complaints from customers as he could not have examined cans
Cour d'appel Paris 06.11.01 2000/04607 Cables for elevators No, defect should have been discovered, at latest when repackaging 8 days after delivery
Cour de Cassation 26.05.99 P 97-14.315 Arret 994D
Schreiber v. Thermo Dynamique Laminated sheet metal Yes; 11 days timely due to heavy handling of metal (notice 20 days after exam. also timely); left to lower instance
Landgericht Berlin 21.03.03 n.a. Fabric No; although latent defect only evident after dying fabric
Landgericht Munchen 27.02.02 5 HKO 3936/00 Metal cantilevers for video screens Yes; a buyer does not have duty to examine goods as to their electrical operational safety
Landgericht Trier 29.03.01 7 HKO 204/99 Mobile telephones (some replaced by cobblestones) No; external examination should have revealed signs of tampering
Oberlandesgericht Oldenburg 05.12.00 12 U 40/00 Tiller machine No; defects noticed by buyer upon first use 2 months after delivery
Oberlandesgericht Köln 13.11.00 16 U 45/00 Plug couplings No; not examined prior to resale
Oberlandesgericht Koblenz 18.11.99 2 U 1556/98 Fibreglass fabrics No: discernible defects should be discovered within a week
Oberlandesgericht Thüringen 26.05.98 8 U 1667/97 Live fish No; although virus a latent defect, goods must still be examined
Landgericht Paderborn 25.06.96 7 O 147/94 Plastic Yes: defect too hard to spot
Landgericht Ellwangen 21.08.95 1 KfH O 32/95 Paprika Yes; ethylene oxide contents problem considered hidden defect
Rb Rotterdam 20.01.00 HAZA 99-325 Cherries No; unsuitable packaging should have been detected
Hof s'Hertogenbosch 15.12.97 C9700046/HE Mink furs No; failure to examine before resale not OK
Rb Roermond 19.12.91 900366 Frozen cheese Buyer must defrost sample & test to comply with Art. 38
Audiencia de Barcelona 20.06.97 755/95-C Clothes dye No; despite hidden defect, waited after 3rd party complaints until after seller sued for price
Pretura di Locarno-Campagna 27.04.92 6252 Furniture No; not rely on customers
ICC International Court of Arbitration ?.06.99 9187 Coke Insufficient Art. 38 examination by 3rd party not binding on buyer. Art. 44 excuse
ICA Russian Federation Arbitration 12.03.96 166/1995 n.a. Yes; missing certificate of quality; discovery after a few days OK
CIETAC Arbitration (China) 04.08.88 n.a. Calculator assembly parts No; examination 4 months after delivery - 60 days in contract
2. Notification, Form and Specificity: Article 39
Venue Date Docket No. Goods Notice Specific & Satisfactory?
Cour d'appel Mons 08.03.01 R.G. 242/99 Badge No; not proven
Rb Kortrijk 16.12.96 A.R. 4328/93 Cloth Telephone OK, but unspecific to simply say "bad quality"
Landgericht Stendal 12.10.00 22 S 234/94 Granite stone No; telephone OK but "implausible" and not proven.
Landgericht Köln 30.11.99 89 O 20/99 Facade stones No; "labelled wrongly" not specific, must detail defect and quantity defective
Landgericht Regensburg 24.09.98 6 O 107/98 Cloth No; faxes fail to specify defects
Landgericht Erfurt 29.07.98 3 HKO 43/98 Shoe soles No; two letters do not specify defect
Landgericht München 09.07.97 7 U 2070/97 Leather goods No; "the products are not conforming to our specification and cannot be sold to customers" or "250 items were badly stamped"
Oberlandesgericht Koblenz 31.01.97 2 U 31/96 Blankets No; unspecific as notice did not specify which designs were missing
Oberlandesgericht Köln 08.01.97 27 U 58/96 Machines No; notice not proven
Bundesgerichthof (Supreme Court) 04.12.96 VIII ZR 306/95 Software and print system No; did not specify whether missing papers were for printer/system
Landgericht Aachen 19.04.96 43 O 70/95 Machines No; notice not proven
Landgericht Kassel 15.02.96 11 O 4187/95 Marble No; oral notice to third party not sufficient
Landgericht Bochum 24.01.96 Unavailable Truffles No; not specific to say "soft" for worm-ridden; also, risk of transmission of notice on buyer.
Landgericht Marburg 12.12.95 2 O 246/95 Machines No; unspecific (missing serial nos. of machines) and unproven.
Amtsgericht Kehl 06.10.95 3 C 925/93 Fashion goods No; telephone not proven (also not timely, 6 weeks)
Landgericht Kassel 22.06.95 8 O 2391/93 Clothes No; telephone call not proven.
Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt a.M. 23.05.95 5 U 209/94 Shoes No; telephone call not proven.
Landgericht München 20.03.95 10 HKO 23750/94 Bacon No; telex "the goods are rancid" not specific enough
Landgericht München 08.02.95 8 HKO 24667/93 Software No; not specific to simply ask for help
Landgericht Oldenburg 09.11.94 12 O 674/93 Lorry parts No; need new notice after repair
Landgericht Frankfurt 13.07.94 3/13 O 3/94 Shoes No; telephone call not proven
Amtsgericht Nordhorn 14.06.94 3 C 75/94 Shoes Yes; return of goods valid notice; also: 10 day time limit agreed
Landgericht Aachen 28.07.93 42 O 68/93 Wood No; non-payment not specific notification
Landgericht Frankfurt 09.12.92 3/3 O 37/92 Shoes Yes; telephone call 19 days after delivery (timely)
Landgericht Bielefeld 18.01.91 15 O 201/90 Bacon In part; "unclean" bacon specific, but "not properly smoked" not specific enough
Landgericht München 03.07.89 17 HKO 3726/89 Textiles, fashion goods No; "poor workmanship and improper fitting" not specific enough
Tribunale di Busto Arsizio 13.12.02 n.a. Machine for plastic recycling Yes; buyer not required to indicate cause of defect
Tribunale di Vigevano 12.07.00 n. 405 Shoe sole rubber No; not specific "[the goods] caused some problems"
Rb Middelburg 01.12.99 408/98 Building panels Suspended for buyer to prove notification
Rb s'Gravenhage 07.06.95 94/0670 Apple trees No; no notice proven by buyer
Obergericht Luzern 29.07.02 11 01 125 Machinery (presses) No; voicing suspicion that pestles may not fit is not adequate
(Supreme Court) 28.05.02 4C.395/2001/ rnd Maple wood Yes; enough to say that quality is too low where the quality has been agreed (reversing lower instance)
Handelsgericht Zürich 17.02.00 HG 980472 Software and hardware No; not specific to simply say not working properly
Handelsgericht Zürich 21.09.98 HG 960527/O Books No; not specific to state that goods do not conform to contract, especially as buyer is expert
Kantonsgericht Nidwalden 03.12.97 15/96Z Furniture No; not specific to simply indicate "wrong parts"
Handelsgericht Zürich 09.09.93 HG 930138 U/H93 Furniture No; notice not proven by buyer (his burden)
ICC International Court of Arbitration 23.01.97 8611/HV/JK Industrial equipment No; notice not proven
3. Notification of non-conformity, Within "Reasonable Time": Article 39(1)
Venue Date Docket No. Goods Notice Timely?
Oberster Gerichtshof (Supreme Court) 14.01.02 7 Ob 301/01t Cooling system Yes, both notices for obvious (12 days) and hidden (several months) defects. OGH 14 day practice restated
Oberster Gerichtshof 21.03.00 10 Ob 344/98 Wood No; Art. 39 not used as Art. 9 means that an established trade practice will prevail
Oberster Gerichtshof 27.08.99 1 Ob 223/99x Athletic shoes No; 19 days regarded as unreasonable
Oberster Gerichtshof 15.10.98 2 Ob 191/98x Wood No; 14 day time frame for Arts. 38 AND 39 set forth
30.06.98 1 Ob 273/97x Pineapples No; COFREUROP rules in contract derogate from Art. 39 require immediate notice
Oberster Gerichtshof 27.05.97 5 Ob 538/95 Deep drill stabilizers Yes; 4 weeks; allows 10-14 days for examination (38) and a month for notice (39)
Oberlandesgericht Innsbruck 01.07.94 4 R 161/94 Flowers No; 3 months from discovery, 2 months considered reasonable
Hof van Beroep Gent 08.10.03 2002/AR/1184 Textiles No; not await complaints from customers after resale
Hof Gent 12.05.03 2000/AR/1957 Fashion clothes No; three months too late
Rb Veurne 15.01.03 A/02/00430 Breeding sows No; 1 � years after delivery, 1 year after disease known
Hof van Beroep Gent 02.12.02 1997/AR/384 Clothes No; 3 months after delivery
Rb Hasselt 06.03.02 A.R. 2671/01 Shoes No; not wait for end of season
Rb Mechelen 18.01.02 n.a. Tomatoes Yes; few days, general conditions in contract stipulating 24 hours not valid (in German and too fine print)
Hof van Beroep Gent 23.05.01 1999/A/2160 Thread No; no notice proven by buyer (instead seller produces fax where buyer calls goods "very good")
Rb Veurne 25.04.01 A/00/00665 Diesel tram No; over 2 months; previous notice by fax could not be proven by buyer (his burden of proof); one month guideline proposed
Cour d'appel Mons 08.03.01 R.G. 242/99 Metal badges No; 6 weeks after delivery (easily discernible defects)
Hof van Beroep Gent 26.04.00 1997/AR/2235 Plastic bags No; 14 months and 5 months
Rb Hasselt 17.02.00 n.a. ? No; 8 months after delivery
Rb Hasselt 19.05.99 n.a. Squirrels No; 6 weeks.
Hof van Beroep Antwerpen 04.11.98 1995/AR/1558 ? Yes; 20 days; despite agreement on 14 days max.
Rb Kortrijk 27.06.97 A.R. 651/97 Yarn (for textiles) No; 3 months after delivery
Rb Hasselt 21.01.97 A.R. 1972/96 Neon signs No; 4 months after delivery
Rb Kortrijk 16.12.96 A.R. 4328/93 Cloth No; 2 months after delivery (speed required in clothes trade)
Rb Hasselt 03.12.96 A.R. 2987/95 Boilers No; 4 months after discovery
Tribunal Commerciel Bruxelles 05.10.94 R.R. 1.205/93 Shoes No; 9 months after delivery
Ontario Superior Court of Justice 31.08.99 98-CV-14293CM Picture frame mouldings No; 2 years after delivery
Vestre Landsret 10.11.99 B-29-1998 Christmas trees Yes; 1 and 2 days, BUT NB! Notice of avoidance after 8 days untimely
Cour d'appel de Colmar 24.10.00 Unavailable Glue additive for lamination Yes; 2 months after delivery
Cour d'appel de Versailles 29.01.98 95/1222 High tech double-edged roll grinder machines Yes; series of notices: two weeks after initial test and one month after second test (final notice 6 and 11 months after delivery)
Tribunal de commerce de Besançon 19.01.98 97 009265 Sports clothes for children Yes; 6 months after delivery, because "well within" the Art. 39(2) cut-off of 2 years
Cour d'appel de Grenoble 13.09.95 93/4126 Cheese Yes; 30 days after delivery
Oberlandesgericht München 13.11.02 U 346/02 Organic barley No; should not have waited for formal declaration but recognized that lack of certificate was non-conformity in itself
Oberlandesgericht Rostock 25.09.02 6U 126/00 Frozen food No; buyer unable to prove
Oberlandesgericht Schleswig 22.08.02 11 U 40/01 Live sheep No; livestock requires notice of 3-4 days after delivery
Landgericht Saarbrücken 02.07.02 8 O 49/02 Tiles No; because after 1 month period, despite latent defect (tiles absorb liquids such as apple juice and stain)
Oberlandesgericht München 01.07.02 10 O 5423/01 Fashion shoes No; several months can under no circumstances be reasonable for seasonal goods
Landgericht München 30.08.01 12 HKO 5593/01 Wine No; 8 months after delivery, short period of time required
Oberlandesgericht Saarbrücken 14.02.01 1 U 324/99-59 Windows and doors No; over 2 years 39(2); � - 1 month considered reasonable as "general opinion"
Oberlandesgericht Oldenburg 05.12.00 12 U 40/00 Machine for tilling athletic fields No; 7 weeks after delivery unreasonable
Landgericht München 16.11.00 12 HKO 3804/00 Equipment for pizzeria No; almost 1 year
Oberlandesgericht Koblenz 18.11.99 2 U 1556/98 Glass fibre No; 3 weeks after delivery, defects easily recognizable
Bundesgerichtshof 03.11.99 VIII ZR 287/98 Grinding machine
(hidden defect) Yes; court allows 1 month after expert's report for notice
Landgericht Berlin 25.05.99 102 O 181/98 Fabric No; 7 weeks untimely
Bundesgerichtshof 25.11.98 VIII ZR 259/97 Sticky film No; BUT seller implicitly waived right to rely on Arts. 38/39 (24 days not timely in prior instance)
Oberlandesgericht Koblenz 11.09.98 2 U 580/96 Dryblend for PVC tubes No; 3 weeks after delivery' court allows 1 week for examination and 1 week for notice
Oberlandesgericht Celle 02.09.98 3 U 246/97 Vacuum cleaners No; 8 and 5 weeks, notice "doubtful"
Oberlandesgericht Saarbrücken 03.06.98 1 U 703/97 Fresh flowers No; no notice proven; court states obiter that for flowers notice must be same day as delivery
Oberlandesgericht Thüringen 26.05.98 8 U 1667/97 (266) Live fish No; 1 month after delivery, no evidence of 38 examination; court states 8 days would be reasonable (livestock, infected)
Oberlandesgericht München 11.03.98 7 U 4427/97 Cashmere sweaters No; 4 months, 2 weeks agreed
Landgericht Hagen 15.10.97 22 O 90/97 Socks No; 3 � month too late
Oberlandesgericht Köln 21.08.97 18 U 121/96 Chemicals (aluminium hydroxide) No; although 1 month normally reasonable, immediate notice needed before deliveries mixed
Bundesgerichtshof 25.06.97 VIII ZR 300/96 Steel wire Yes; seller waived right to object to late notices by accepting them
Oberlandesgericht Karlsruhe 25.06.97 1 U 280/96 Surface protection film No; 24 days after delivery, reversed by BGH
Oberlandesgericht Köln 08.01.97 27 U 58/96 Tannery machine No; although latent should have notified seller before commissioning repair
Landgericht Saarbrücken 26.03.96 7 IV 75/95 Ice cream parlour fittings No; court argues that paying final price cuts off buyer from right to complain
Amtsgericht Augsburg 29.01.96 11 C 4004/95 Fashion shoes No; 18 months (1 month OK)
Landgericht Düsseldorf 11.10.95 2 O 506/94 Generator Yes; 1 week, but not mentioned; decided on other grounds
Amtsgericht Kehl 06.10.95 3 C 925/93 Knitwear No; six weeks - one month considered reasonable
Oberlandesgericht Nürnberg 20.09.95 12 U 2919/94 Software Yes; 1 day after discovery
Oberlandesgericht Stuttgart 21.08.95 5 U 195/94 Machines No; none proven, one month considered reasonable
Oberlandesgericht Hamm 09.06.95 11 U 191/94 Windows Yes; applied to Article 46.
Bundesgerichtshof 08.03.95 VIII ZR 159/94 Mussels No; 6 weeks, 1 month considered reasonable
Oberlandesgericht München 08.02.95 7 U 3758/94 Plastic No; 3 months unreasonable; 8 days reasonable
Amtsgericht Riedlingen 21.10.94 2 C 395/93 Ham No; 20 days despite holiday; spot check feasible within days (ham developed mould within hours on unpacking)
Landgericht Nürnberg-Fürth 26.07.94 5 HKO 10824/93 Software Yes; 1 day after discovery
Landgericht Gießen 05.07.94 6 O 85/93 Clothes No; outside time-limit agreed - Art. 39 derogated
Landgericht Düsseldorf 23.06.94 31 O 231/94 Presses No; 4 & 20 months after delivery, both tardy
Oberlandesgericht Köln 22.02.94 29 U 202/93 Wood Yes; 8 days after examination
Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf 10.02.94 6 U 32/93 Textiles No; 2 month, strict construction
Landgericht Hannover 01.12.93 22 O 107/93 Shoes No; outside time-limit agreed - Art. 39 derogated
Landgericht Köln 11.11.93 86 O 119/93 Research No; 21 days, due to deadline which buyer knew of
Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf 12.03.93 17 U 136/92 Textiles No; 25 days, analogy to German HGB �377 and implicit waiver of untimely notice defence
Oberlandesgericht Saarbrücken 13.01.93 1 U 69/92 Doors No; 2 months after delivery
Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf 08.01.93 17 U 82/92 Gherkins No; 7 days from loading, implied agreement re examination
Landgericht Berlin 30.09.92 99 O 123/92 Shoes No; 3 � months after delivery
Landgericht Berlin 16.09.92 99 O 29/93 Shoes No; over 2 months after delivery
Landgericht Mönchengladbach 22.05.92 7 O 80/91 Textiles No; 1 month, court considers 1 week for exam and 1 for notice reasonable
Landgericht Baden-Baden 14.08.91 4 O 113/90 Tiles No; outside time-limit agreed - Art. 39 derogated
Landgericht Stuttgart 13.08.91 16 S 40/91 Clothes No; 6 weeks not reasonable. NOTE, no separate Art. 39 notice, only Art. 49 notice of avoidance
Landgericht Aachen 03.04.90 41 O 198/89 Shoes Yes; 1 day after discovery
Landgericht Stuttgart 31.08.89 3KfHO 97/89 Shoes No; 16 days not timely in view of defects in earlier delivery
Tribunale di Rimini 26.11.02 3095 Porcelain tableware No; 6 months after delivery (earlier notice unproven)
Tribunale di Vigevano 12.07.00 405 Shoe-sole rubber No; 4 months case-by-case basis for determination (also unspecific and unproven)
Pretura di Torino 30.01.97 Unavailable Cotton fabric No; 7 months after delivery/discovery
Tribunale Civile di Cuneo 31.01.96 93/4126 [45/96] Clothes No; 23 days after delivery, easily recognizable defect reduces time frame
Hof Arnhem 27.04.99 97/700 and 98/046 Room units No; over 2 years cut-off: Article 39(2)
Hoge Raad (Supreme Court) 20.02.98 16.442 Floor tiles No; 4 months after customer complaints (hidden defect)
Hof Arnhem 17.06.97 96/449 Gas compressors No; 3 months after delivery
Rb Zwolle 05.03.97 HA ZA 95-640 Fresh fish No; perishables require short period
Rb Rotterdam 21.11.96 95/3590 Daisies No; 4 months after delivery
Rb Roermond 06.05.93 925159 Kettles No; 3 months after discovery
Hof s'Hertogenbosch 26.02.92 Shoes No; by paying for goods 2 months after last delivery buyer accepted as they were
Audiencia Provincial Pontevedra 03.10.02 Frozen fish Yes; 3 months after delivery (1 for exam, 2 for notice)
Audiencia Provincial Coruna 21.06.02 201/2001 Rainbow trout eggs No; 10 weeks after delivery, 6 weeks after despatching eggs for analysis (virus detectable after 2-7 days)
Audiencia Provincial Barcelona 12.09.01 566/2000 Frozen seafood Yes; notice given 11 days after report on defects issued
Audiencia Provincial Castellon 16.06.00 371/1999 Industrial machine No; but note court considers Art. 39 to have a "laxer wording" than the corresponding Spanish domestic law prescribing 30 days.
Audiencia Provincial Navarra 27.03.00 Unavailable Electric water dispensers No; 6 months after delivery not timely
Tribunale d'appello di Lugano 08.06.99 12.19.00036 Wine bottles No; 8 days agreed - 39 derogated re time. Also notice not specified
Handelsgericht Zürich 30.11.98 HG 930634/O Lambskin coats No; 1 month. Allows 7-10 days for Art. 38 and "generous" 2 weeks for Art. 39-notice; defect was obvious (colouring)
Unterrheintal 16.09.98 EV. 1998.2 (1KZ. 1998.7) Furniture No; one year unreasonable
Tribunale Cantonal Valais 29.06.98 CI 97 288 Sports clothing No; 7-8 months by far too late.
Obergericht Zug 24.03.98 OG 1996/2 Meat Yes; 7-17 days, despite perishables
Obergericht Kanton Luzern 08.01.97 11 95 123/357 Medical appliances (blood infusion devices) No; 3 months after delivery unreasonable
Cour de Justice Genève 10.10.97 C/21501/ 1996 Acrylic cotton Yes; hidden defect - Swiss 1 year cut-off amended and Art. 39(2) prevail
Gerichtskommission Oberrheintal 30.06.95 OKZ 93-1 Sliding gates No; 1 year obviously too late
Handelsgericht Zürich 26.04.95 HG 920670 Salt water isolation tank No; 4 weeks after discovery of leakage
US Circuit Court of Appeals (5th Circuit) 11.06.03 BP Oil v. Impressa Gasoline No; due to testing agency, buyer should have discovered defects and notified before accepting delivery; BUT remanded for Art. 40
US District Court (N.D. Illinois) 29.05.03 Chicago Prime Packers v. Norham Foods Frozen pork ribs Undecided; court denied summary judgment to determine if notice over 1 month after delivery is reasonable, more facts needed
ICA Russian Federation Arbitration 11.02.00 226/1999 Equipment Yes; 6 days after discovery
ICC International Court of Arbitration ?.08.99 9887 Chemicals Yes; 12 days after delivery
ICC International Court of Arbitration ?.08.99 9083 Books No; 14 day guideline from Austrian law adopted
ICC International Court of Arbitration ?.02.99 9474 Banknotes No; 3 years
CIETAC Arbitration (China) 1999 n.a. Piperonal aldehyde Yes; goods arrived 18 Nov.: notices on 27 Nov. when goods unloaded from port; and on 30 Nov. when unloaded from container, and on 4 Dec.
ICC International Court of Arbitration ?.09.97 8962 Glass commodities No; 5 weeks, 1 month considered reasonable
ICA Russian Federation Arbitration 04.06.97 256/1996 n.a. No; outside 30 day time limit in contract
ICC International Court of Arbitration ?.06.96 8247 Chemical compound No; 3 weeks too long for examination and notice
BTTP Bulgarian Arbitration 24.04.96 56/95 Coal No; Article 40 disclosure
Schiedsgericht der Handelskammer Hamburg 21.03.96 Unavailable Goods No; over 2 years
Hungarian Court of Arbitration 05.12.95 VB/94131 Waste containers No; 32 days speedy affairs
CIETAC Arbitration (China) 1995 Unavailable Jasmine aldehyde Yes; same days as end user rejected goods (few days after delivery)
ICC International Court of Arbitration 23.08.94 7660/JK Machinery Yes; not explained why
Int. Schiedsgericht Bundeskammer Vienna 15.06.94 SCH-4318 Metal sheets No; outside agreed time frame - Art. 39 derogated
ICC International Court of Arbitration 1994 7331 Cowhides No; not within agreed time frame of one month
ICC International Court of Arbitration 1994 7565 Coke Yes; undisputed
ICC International Court of Arbitration 1989 5713 Unavailable Yes; 8 days after discovery
2. This opinion is a response to a request by the Study Group on European Civil Code - Utrecht Working Group on Sales Law for the Council to reflect on the interpretation of the provisions concerning the periods of time according to articles 38 and 39 CISG. The question referred to the Council was:
"Should the periods of time in Art. 38 and 39 CISG ("as short as is practicable" and "reasonable") be made more concrete by respective directives set by courts or in projects of unification of law, e.g. by qualifying as "reasonable" in the meaning of Art. 39 (1) CISG under normal circumstances a period of 2 or respectively 4 weeks."
3. Article 40 passed through the entire re-drafting of ULIS in UNCITRAL and in the Diplomatic Conference with almost no discussion and a minor editorial change.
4. WG 3rd session, Annex II, para. 71, A/CN.9/62, Add.2.
5. WG 6th session, A/CN.9/100, para. 59.
6. WG 3rd session, Annex II, para. 78, A/CN.9/62, Add 2.
7. Official Records (A/Conf.97/19), Summary Records, First Committee, 16th Meeting, para. 32.
8. OLG Köln, 29 June 1978, 7 U 141/76, MDR 1980, 1023; OLG Hamm, 17 September 1981, 2 U 253/80.
9. Chicago Prime Packers, Inc. v. Northam Food Trading Co., 29 May 2003, U.S. District Court [Northern Dist. Illinois], 2003 WL 21254261 (N.D. Ill.), case presentation <http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cases/030529u1.html>, "[c]ase law interpreting analogous provisions of Article 2 of the ... [UCC] may also inform a court where the language of the relevant CISG provision tracks that of the UCC. However, UCC case law 'is not per se applicable'," citing Delchi Carrier S.p.A. v. Rotorex Corp., 6 December 1995, U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, 71 F.3d 1024, 1028 (2nd Cir.1995) case presentation <http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cases/951206u1.html>.
11. OLG Oldenburg 5 December 2000, 12 U 40/00, RIW 2001, 381-382, case presentation and English translation <http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cases/001205g1.html>. The court acknowledged that, in regard to the notice requirement, the CISG gave the appearance of being more "buyer friendly" than ULIS. The court stated, however, that there were no differences between ULIS article 38 and CISG article 38 that were so significant as to call in question the jurisprudence in regard to ULIS. It cited a decision of the Bundesgerichtshof (BGH, 2 June 1982, VIII ZR 43/81, NJW 1982.2730, 2731) concerning ULIS in support of its decision that the buyer should and could have examined the goods earlier than it did, an action it said should be "as soon as possible".
12. OGH 27 August 1999, 1 Ob 223/99x, [2000] RdW No. 10, case presentation and English translation <http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cases/990827a3.html>.
13. OG des Kantons Luzern, 8 January 1997, 11 95 123/357, [1998] Schweizerische Juristen-Zeitung 94, 515-518, case presentation <http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cases/970108s1.html>.
14. BGH, 3 November 1999, VIII ZR 287/98, [2000] RIW 381, case presentation and English translation <http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cases/991103g1.html>.
16. Société Karl Schreiber GmbH v. Société Termo Dynamique Service et autres, 26 May 1999, Cour de Cassation, [2000] Recueil Dalloz 788, <http://Witzjura.uni-sb.de/CISG/decisions/260559v.htm>, case presentation and English translation, <http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cases/990526f1.html>, affirming, Cour d'Appel d'Aix-en-Provence, 21 November 1996.
* The case overview was prepared for the CISG Advisory Council by Camilla Baasch Andersen, Queen Mary, University of London.
** There are also other sources of case law information, e.g., the UNCITRAL Digest of CISG Cases: a draft of the UNCITRAL Case Digest is currently available through Sellier, European Law Publishers: München and Sweet & Maxwell: London; the final text of the UNCITRAL Case Digest is scheduled to be published by UNCITRAL in the later part of 2004.