Preserve the transaction record
Collect the signed agreement, purchase orders, invoices, shipping and delivery evidence, payment messages, and any amendments or dispute notices—including the WeChat and email threads where the real agreement was often made. Identify the precise contracting party and check whether it still operates.
Read the dispute clauses
Choice of law, forum selection, arbitration, notice and limitation provisions control the early decisions. Do not assume a U.S. buyer must be sued in the state on its website, and do not assume there is no clause because nobody mentioned one.
Evaluate enforceability before cost
Compare a lawyer's demand, a negotiated settlement and formal proceedings against the debtor's assets, the fees involved and the time it will take. Winning is different from collecting. A judgment against a company with no reachable assets is an expensive way to learn that.
References
How Lumen Law & Co. can help
International collection strategy depends on the contract, the evidence, the counterparty’s assets, and realistic enforceability.
- Review purchase orders, contracts, invoices, delivery records, and payment communications.
- Assess governing law, dispute provisions, asset location, and practical recovery options.
- Assist with demand letters, settlement discussions, and dispute-resolution or enforcement planning.