When only part of a stock lot has been inspected
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If only part of a stock lot has been inspected, describe that work precisely. Record which items were checked, how they were selected and what the check could establish. Keep the unexamined balance visible.
A sample can provide useful information. It cannot justify a broader claim than the inspection method and evidence support.
Write the inspection record before the summary
The record should identify the lot, total quantity basis, inspected items, selection method, date, inspector and scope. Separate visual condition, completeness and functional testing.
Use an inspection log:
| Log field | Example of the information needed |
|---|---|
| Lot identity | Pallet and product references |
| Population | Total quantity and how it was established |
| Inspected subset | Exact cartons, serials or item references |
| Selection | Front cartons, accessible items, deliberate spread or formal method |
| Check performed | Visual review, contents count, functional test or other defined work |
| Findings | Observed condition and specific defects |
| Not checked | Remaining stock and untested functions |
| Follow-up | Further inspection, specialist review or sale hold |
Do not label a convenient accessible selection as random. If the items were chosen because they were easiest to reach, say so.
A sample statement with useful limits
For a fictional lot of 80 returned devices, imagine that ten accessible units were opened for an accessory count. Six contained the listed accessory set and four did not. None was functionally tested.
That record does not establish that 60% of the whole lot is complete or that any device works. A defensible summary describes the ten opened units, the accessory findings and the 70 unexamined units.
The example is deliberately limited. If the business needs a statistical conclusion, it needs a suitable sampling design and appropriate expertise. Do not manufacture confidence levels from a small convenience sample.
Decide whether the finding changes the next step
A missing accessory might justify more sorting. A suspected recall match, leakage or other safety concern may require the affected stock to be held for specialist advice. Those are different responses.
Government product-safety guidance explains the need to address known consumer-product safety risks. A "sample inspected" statement is not a way to pass an unresolved risk to a purchaser without dealing with the applicable duties.
The buyer guide to pricing from samples helps a buyer understand what an inspection did and did not establish. Keep the seller's log available so the questions have factual answers.
Connect the sample to the count and photographs
Use the stock-count sheet to establish the lot quantity separately. Then show the inspected references in the mixed-pallet manifest. A photograph of a checked item should not silently represent all hidden stock.
Record material differences between the sample and the rest, including storage location, packaging or product version. Those differences can limit how useful the sample is.
Do not delete an inconvenient finding when the catalogue summary is shortened. Keep defects and uncertainty next to the relevant description.
Choose the final wording with the organiser
Provide UK Auction Group with the full inspection log and a proposed plain-language summary. Ask whether further inspection would improve the sale decision enough to justify the work.
If further work is not practical, keep the limitation explicit. Buyers can then decide whether the lot fits their own inspection, repair and disposal capacity. The useful outcome is an accurate account of the evidence, not a confident-sounding grade.
Sources
This guide gives general information. Equipment-specific, legal, tax and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser or competent specialist. The guides do not promise sale prices, fees or results.