To: The Joint Procurement, Customs Clearance and After-Sales Working Group
Two transport quotations for the same vehicle shipment do not necessarily mean that one is wrong. Differences may arise from different cost coverage, interpretations of risk transfer, subjects of the quotation, or a service that has not yet been explicitly included. If procurement compares only totals, customs clearance joins only after receiving the documents, and after-sales learns the service boundaries only at customer handover, quotation differences can easily surface only after they have entered the budget.
One budgeting principle needs to be clear first: any ocean freight or insurance difference whose responsible party, applicable conditions and evidence source cannot be explained should not be entered directly into a Colombian vehicle purchasing budget. Classify the difference before deciding whether to retain it as an item pending verification, request written clarification, or incorporate it into this order's funding arrangements. DIAN's official procedures portal can guide checks on the importing entity, customs procedures and declaration responsibilities; actual transactions must still be reviewed against the current system and local professional advice. Colombia DIAN customs procedures
Procurement should compare what each quote covers before comparing amounts
The procurement manager should require each quotation to identify the relevant contract, vehicle scope, transport arrangements and conditions of validity. Two documents can be directly compared only when they concern the same service subject. Placing a vehicle purchase quotation in the same column as a quotation for a different delivery arrangement produces an apparent price difference with no decision-making value.
The first reconciliation round can begin with four questions: which batch of vehicles the quote covers; how cost items are named; whether insurance-related content is listed; and which items the importer must separately bear or confirm. There is no need to estimate unknown amounts here, and verbal additions should not rewrite an issued quotation. Items not clearly listed should remain identified as such and enter the pending-verification list.
Procurement should also include vehicle record comparisons in the quotation file. After using the Toyota Camry HEV to check the subject of the quotation, obtain this shipment's loading records and insurance quotation conditions from the carrier. A model listing cannot establish actual freight costs, insurance coverage or supply availability, and the documents needed for Colombian imports should also be reviewed separately.
Customs clearance should mark responsibility boundaries beside every cost item
The customs clearance team's central task is to confirm that the importing entity, procedures and declaration responsibilities for this order have clear ownership; interpreting the commercial quotation remains procurement's responsibility. DIAN's public information provides access to procedures and responsibility information, but cannot replace document review or professional advice for a particular transaction. Colombia DIAN customs procedures
The customs clearance lead should therefore mark three statuses in the quotation reconciliation sheet: related to declaration responsibilities and supported by documents, requiring contractual clarification, or not yet supported by verifiable records. This tells procurement what can enter the budget assumptions and finance which items must not be treated as fixed costs. Replacing responsibility descriptions with “expected to be included” puts unnecessary pressure on later document interpretation.
After-sales should treat insurance descriptions as part of customer communication
The after-sales manager is not responsible for determining the legal scope of transport insurance, but needs to know whom customers can approach about which issues before and after handover. If sales materials describe transport-stage arrangements as service commitments after customer delivery, quality or document questions from customers will lead to incorrect internal referrals.
After-sales should request a statement of boundaries that can be shared externally for this order: who retains pre-delivery records, who receives reports of exceptions internally, and which questions require further checks against the contract or insurance documents. Avoid presenting any arrangement as a promise of compensation. Clear contacts and evidence locations are enough to give customers accurate guidance on the next step.
One Reconciliation Sheet for Three Parties to Make Different Decisions
ICC's Incoterms rules help explain the allocation of costs, risks and delivery responsibilities under trade terms; the rules edition adopted in the contract and the specific obligations for this order still require separate confirmation. ICC Incoterms rules portal Placing this information alongside each quotation item helps prevent the team from inferring responsibilities from the total price.
| Quotation indicator | What procurement must confirm | What customs clearance must note | What after-sales must retain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles and transport subjects | Whether these correspond to the contracted vehicles and an identifiable scope for this shipment | Whether they can be linked to the importing entity and declaration preparations | Vehicle identification methods usable in customer records |
| Ocean freight items | Whether service names, coverage and quotation conditions are specified | Whether any responsibility handoffs require action by the importer | Internal referral route for pre-delivery exceptions |
| Insurance descriptions | Whether documents, applicable subjects and responsibility descriptions exist | Whether another check against this order's records and contract boundaries is needed | Limits that customer-facing explanations must not exceed |
| Unlisted or differing items | Submit written questions, retain as pending items or exclude from the budget for now | Mark as pending verification, not as a procedural conclusion | Do not describe these to customers in advance as available services |
| Trade term wording | Whether the contract's terms and edition are clear | Whether the allocation of responsibilities matches current documents | The internal responsible person the service team should consult |
Three Assessments before Quotation Differences Enter the Budget
The first assessment is consistency of subject. If vehicle batches, contractual relationships or delivery arrangements differ, record the differences separately rather than treating them as higher or lower prices for the same item. The second assessment is clarity of responsibility. If cost or insurance descriptions cannot be linked to the contract's trade terms, applicable edition and allocation of responsibilities, finance should request further explanation. The third assessment is whether records can be rechecked. Every item entering the budget should identify which quotation it came from, who confirmed it and when it still needs updating.
Items that pass all three assessments can enter this order's budget with notes identifying the supporting document and applicable conditions. Items that fail need not be arbitrarily assigned a zero value, nor should they be presented as definite expenditure; they should remain pending-verification entries in the funding schedule. This allows the purchasing budget to reflect unresolved differences accurately.
The Version Submitted to Finance Should Retain a Change History
The package sent to finance should include the initial quotation, revised quotation, explanation of differences and confirmation records from the responsible people. If a quotation changes before payment, procurement should not simply replace the attachment and delete the old version; retaining the change history shows when a difference arose, who raised it and how the team handled it. This traceability is particularly important for the first shipment, because subsequent orders can use it to distinguish routine document preparation issues from matters that need to be addressed earlier in contract negotiations.
FAQ
If two ocean freight quotes have different totals, can the lower one be used directly for the budget?
First confirm whether the vehicles, service scope, responsibility boundaries and applicable conditions match. Differences in amount can be meaningfully discussed only when the basis of comparison is the same.
If insurance has no separate amount, does that mean the importer need not consider it?
No. The team should request clarity on its documentary basis, applicable subjects and responsibility description, then check these against the contract's trade terms and the arrangements for this order.
Do customs clearance colleagues need to approve commercial quotations?
Customs clearance colleagues should note the status of documents concerning the importing entity, procedures and declaration responsibilities. The relevant roles handle commercial terms under the contract, and both sides should use the same reconciliation record.
How can after-sales respond when customers ask what happens if a problem occurs during transport?
After-sales can identify the internal intake contact and the location of documents to be checked. Specific responsibility and handling should be determined by the contract, insurance documents and actual records, without advance statements promising compensation.
If your team is preparing to submit a quotation for a first Colombian shipment for budgeting, send the list of items requiring reconciliation through the Starvia contact page, or discuss the records that procurement, customs clearance and after-sales each need to retain on WhatsApp.
Public sources: Colombia DIAN customs procedures; ICC Incoterms rules portal. Information checked on: 2026-09-03.