Three signs it is time to escalate
- Promises without dates. “Next week” three times in a row means the buyer is managing you, not paying you.
- Silence. Calls unanswered and messages seen but ignored.
- New disputes. Quality or quantity complaints that appear only after the due date.
At any of these, a legal notice changes the conversation. It costs you nothing upfront and most buyers respond within days.
Recovering B2B dues in Kochi: what is specific here
Kochi’s seafood exporters, spice traders in Mattancherry and shipping agents around the port deal with both domestic and overseas buyers, and dues from hotels and resorts rise and fall with the season. Kerala’s Facilitation Council handles MSME claims, and the Ernakulam courts are experienced with Section 138 matters from the trading community.
Main industries: seafood processing and exports, spices trading, shipping and logistics, IT services and tourism and hospitality.
Courts: Judicial First Class Magistrate courts, Ernakulam, for Section 138; District Court, Ernakulam, and its Commercial Court for recovery suits; the Kerala High Court for high-value matters.
MSME claims: Udyam-registered micro and small suppliers in Kochi file on MSME Samadhaan, heard by the Kerala Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council (Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Government of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram). The Council sits where the supplier is, so a Kochi supplier can pursue a buyer in another state from home.
What to send us
- The unpaid invoice(s) and payment terms
- Purchase order, delivery challan, e-way bill or proof of service
- The buyer’s messages and emails about the payment
- For a bounced cheque: the cheque and the bank return memo
How recovery works for a business in Kochi
- Free consultation and case assessment. Send us the invoice, purchase order or delivery proof and the buyer’s messages. We tell you what is recoverable and how.
- Dedicated advocate within 24 hours. Your advocate sends a legal notice as an e-notice the same day and by registered post, with proof of delivery saved.
- Negotiation and settlement. The advocate calls the buyer, explains the consequences and agrees a payment plan. About 60% of our cases close here.
- Filing if needed. MSME Samadhaan before the Kerala Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council, a Section 138 complaint in the Kochi magistrate courts, a summary suit or arbitration, handled by the same advocate.
You pay nothing upfront. Our fee is 30% of the amount actually recovered; if nothing is recovered there is no fee. Court fees, where a matter is filed, are borne by you and told to you in advance.