托收风险启示录
案例情况
国内m代收行收到印度托收行寄来的一套托收单据,托收面函显示,单据金额为发票全额,期限为“at sight d/p”(即期付款交单),托收指示注明“deliver documents against payment of full invoice value”(凭发票全额付款交单),且适用urc522(《托收统一规则》)。然而面函又有如下付款条款:“payment terms:documents to be released against payment of 70% of bill value and acceptance to pay balance 30% of bill value after 30 days from shipment date”(支付单据金额的70%,并同时承诺于装运日后30天支付剩余的30%,然后放单)。根据字面意思理解,托收行此处指示的放单条件为“70% d/p(付款交单) 30% d/a(承兑交单)”,这显然与前述全额付款交单的指示相矛盾。此外,随附汇票中的各项要素也表述模糊,汇票金额为单据总金额,注明“70% cash against documents through bank and balance 30 date of shipment”(70%通过银行付现交单,余款于装运日后30天支付),并且显示汇票受票人为代收行“to:m bank”。
鉴于上述诸多问题,代收行向托收行发报澄清放单条件和付款/承兑条件。两周后,托收行首次回复称“documents to be released against payment of 70% of bill value and acceptance to pay balance 30% of bill value after 45 days from shipment date”(支付单据金额的70%,并同时承兑剩余的30%,承兑到期日为装运日后45天,然后放单),明确了放单条件为“70% d/p 30% d/a”,同时将d/a部分的付款期限由30天延长至45天,但并未提及更换汇票。而进口商在被提示托收单据时并不认可此放单方式,坚称30%尾款应在托收外以tt(电汇)方式结算,托收按70%发票金额付款后即可放单。在随后两周,托收行再次来报称,“documents to be released against payment of 70% of bill value and balance 30% of bill value at tt as per drawer's instructions”(根据出票人的指示,支付单据金额的70%后放单,剩余30%以电汇方式结算)。至此,代收行依照指示在进口商支付70%发票金额后交付了单据。