Consignee
Consignee in transport is one of the basic entities involved in the carriage of various types of goods by road. It can be a person or a company on whose side the goods are taken over or unloaded. It is important to note that upon arrival of the goods at the place of destination, the consignee has the right to demand from the carrier or forwarding agent to issue a waybill with a second identical copy as a receipt. Importantly, the receipt of goods is a right of the consignee, not an obligation according to the CMR Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road. The moment when the consignee may demand surrender of the consignment is the moment of its arrival at the destination place. In case of any dues resulting from the consignment note, the consignee is under the obligation to pay them. This includes the freight itself, as well as any additional charges shown in the body of the documents relating to the transportation of the goods. However, there are many types of consignees, so in the following paragraphs you will learn who exactly is the consignee in the case of delivering shipments, who we are talking about when we use the word consignee on an invoice, and what is the definition of a sensitive consignee.
Consignee-sender - who is who?
The term consignee is most commonly used in the case of the sending and transporting of shipments. The consignee is the person who receives the parcel, the so-called future owner. His or her data should appear on the waybill together with the sender's data, the destination, as well as the place and date of loading. Furthermore, the type of goods, number of pieces and gross weight should be written on the waybill. In addition, the waybill always includes the appropriate signatures and stamps.
Who is the consignee on the invoice?
Each invoice should include, first of all, the seller, who has direct contact with the customer, and the buyer, i.e. the person purchasing a given service or product. All of them are considered parties to the transaction under the law. However, in case of this type of document, it is also worth mentioning the consignee on the invoice. This is the person responsible for receiving the goods or services in question, but his details do not have to appear on the document at all, which is why he is not treated as a party to the transaction in terms of taxation. However, it is a good idea to include the details of the consignee on the invoice, especially if it is someone other than the buyer.
Sensitive recipient - definition
In the case of the consignee, it is also worth mentioning the sensitive consignee. According to the definition, these are persons subject to protection concerning their relations with energy sellers (e.g. disabled persons, chronically ill, pensioners, persons with low income and living in remote areas). The most common forms of assistance include installation of prepayment meters, payment in instalments, no or reduced interest, postponement of payment deadlines or waiver of debt collection in personal situations, which are considered on a case-by-case basis.
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