What should I do if I transfer money to a Vietnamese company but don't receive the goods?

“My company transferred a deposit to a Vietnamese business for importing goods, but they have repeatedly delayed delivery and even stopped responding to emails. What can a foreign business do in this situation to protect its rights?”

This is a fairly common situation in international trade, especially when foreign businesses work with new suppliers in Vietnam or conduct remote transactions without thoroughly checking the legal documents and actual capabilities of their partners. In reality, many businesses only discover the risk after transferring a deposit or making a partial payment of the contract value. In some cases, partners repeatedly promise to extend the delivery time. Others cite changes in raw materials, production delays, or internal difficulties to delay fulfilling their obligations. Furthermore, there are situations where Vietnamese businesses are still operating but intentionally prolong the processing time to pressure the buyer into accepting changes to the transaction terms.

According to Vietnamese commercial law, the handling of such cases will typically depend on the contract content, payment terms, transaction evidence, and the process of fulfilling obligations between the parties. In many cases, the first crucial step is to review all transaction records, including contracts, email exchanges, invoices, money transfer documents, order confirmation history, and other relevant documents.

There are quite a few cases where foreign businesses only conduct transactions via text messages or emails without a complete contract. When disputes arise, proving delivery obligations or deadlines becomes much more difficult.

A common problem is that many foreign businesses focus too much on demanding immediate refunds without fully assessing the appropriate handling strategy. In reality, sending legal warnings, working formally with the partner, or reviewing the financial capacity of the infringing business can increase the chances of recovering money faster than initiating legal action from the outset.

However, if the partner shows signs of evading responsibility, ceasing communication, or risking asset liquidation, the business should address the issue early rather than letting the matter drag on for too long. In practice, many businesses only seek legal assistance when debts have accumulated for months or the partner is almost no longer able to cooperate, making the resolution process much more complicated.

This is why foreign businesses should carefully review contracts and the legal status of their partners in Vietnam before transferring funds or signing commercial agreements.

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