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Defects and nonconformant characteristics are detected during an inspection, which is conducted during the Receipt and Inspection topic of the Complete Delivery task of USPS Supplying Practices Process Step 4: Deliver and Receive Requirements. The client is responsible for notifying the contracting officer and supplier of items that have failed inspection. The supplier is expected to deliver goods and services that are free of defects and fit for their predetermined purpose, in accordance with Clause 4-1: General Terms and Conditions and Clause 2-1: Inspection and Acceptance and/or with Clause B-5: Certificate of Conformance).
For defective items (as opposed to nondefective items that have been lost or damaged) covered by a warranty (e.g., paragraph o of Clause 4-1: General Terms and Conditions, or Clause 2-8: Warranty), every attempt should be made to resolve all complaints, as informally as possible, through an appropriate supplier representative. Damaged goods should be processed in accordance with the guidance found in Section 4-4, Acceptance.
Although the Postal Service should not compromise its position, the contracting officer should discuss defects and nonconformance with the supplier because elimination of potential misunderstandings is in the best interest of both the Postal Service and the supplier. When resolutions cannot be informally reached, complaints will be addressed in the Section 7-4, Supplier Disagreement Resolution. If the defective items adversely effect Postal Service operations during this resolution process, the Postal Service may obtain acceptable products from another source and include the costs as part of the negotiations.
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