Maersk Refuses to Refund $1,013 in Container Deposits After 9 Months

For months, I have been unable to get a resolution regarding the refund of container deposits paid for shipments handled by Maersk. We are an importing company in the natural stone industry, and our shipments are transported in containers. Before containers arriving at the port are released to us, Maersk requires a deposit of approximately $1,000 per container to cover potential container damage. We currently have a total outstanding deposit refund of $1,013 from several different container shipments handled by Maersk.

After paying these deposits, we expected another container shipment to arrive with Maersk within approximately 20–30 days. Rather than submitting separate refund requests after each shipment, I wanted to track all the deposits together. However, Maersk has failed to refund the outstanding $1,013 for approximately 8–9 months. Maersk now handles deposit refunds through its online customer portal as part of its membership system. I have been trying to complete the entire process through the portal, but despite being a registered member, the system repeatedly asks me to provide additional documents. Each time, after keeping my application under review for several days, it rejects the request on the grounds that documents are missing or incorrect.

Despite trying 4–5 times so far and preparing and uploading all the requested documents ourselves, our applications have continued to be rejected without any clear explanation or useful guidance. Contacting Maersk's Istanbul office has not helped move the process forward. I have also exchanged emails with [email protected], but my issue remains unresolved. At this point, Maersk has been arbitrarily withholding my $1,013 deposit refund for 8–9 months without making the payment.

I demand that Maersk refund the full $1,013 in container deposits immediately and without further delay, rather than using its online portal or bureaucratic procedures as an excuse for continued delays. I also urge the company to simplify its refund procedures to prevent other customers from experiencing similar problems.