General Terms and Conditions
THREE STARS Ltd, UIC 103612103

I. General Terms                                                                                                                                                                                      

These General Terms and Conditions govern the standard content of transport service contracts between Three Stars Ltd, UIC 103612103, with registered office at 46 Rayko Zhinzifov Str., 9000 Varna, and its customers, subcontractors, shippers, consignees and all involved parties.
When requesting international or domestic (overland) transport services from Three Stars Ltd, you enter into a contract where your rights and obligations, as well as those of Three Stars Ltd, are established by these internal General Terms and Conditions based on the type of transport.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

1. Upon receiving a written offer via email, the client is obliged to review the conditions specified therein for organizing and executing international sea freight transport, as well as the provided General Terms and Conditions for all accompanying services.
2. The prices offered are valid for the specified validity period and provided that the container operator is able to supply the required empty equipment at the loading place indicated by the client.
3. The container operator reserves the right, with or without notice, to make changes to the schedule, route, and dates of departure, arrival at transshipment ports, as well as arrival at the final destination. The carrier assumes no commitments regarding delivery deadlines or delivery on a fixed date.
4. Delivery of the goods to the consignee at the final destination is made upon presentation of a full set of properly endorsed original bills of lading, unless there are written instructions for release without the original bill of lading (telex release) or an issued waybill (non-negotiable sea waybill).
5. Three Stars Ltd accepts goods as declared by the applicant (shipper or booking party) without verification of the accuracy or completeness of the provided data regarding description, quantity, weight in kilograms, type of packaging, tariff codes, and similar details. The applicant (shipper or booking party) bears full responsibility for any incorrect or incomplete declaration of the goods as stated in the documents. In cases of sanctions imposed on Three Stars Ltd by the container operator – COSCO Shipping Lines or Diamond Lines, customs authorities, phytosanitary authorities, or any other institutions, such sanctions will be passed on to the applicant/consignee/shipper of the transport. All additional costs arising as a result of the above will be charged to the applicant/consignee/shipper of the transport.
6. The applicant (shipper or booking party) of the transport bears full responsibility for loading and securing the goods in the provided container. Improper arrangement or securing of the goods may lead to damage to the container, as well as the imposition of additional fines and fees at transshipment and final ports.
7. Delivery of the goods to the consignee is carried out after payment of all amounts due for organizing the sea transport to the port of discharge, local charges as per the provided offer, and any additional costs incurred for storage, demurrage, customs inspections, etc., unless otherwise stipulated in a signed agreement. All bank charges are for the account of the payer.
8. Three Stars Ltd recommends insuring the cargo during sea transport. When the Freight Forwarder's liability arises from mandatory provisions of laws and conventions that cannot be altered or excluded by contract, the compensation due is determined in accordance with those laws and conventions.
In all other cases, compensation for loss or damage to the goods is limited to:
8.1. SDR 2.00 per kilogram of gross weight of the missing/damaged goods, but not more than SDR 666.67 per package or shipment for waterborne transport, as well as combined transport in international traffic including a water leg, where the place of occurrence of the loss/damage cannot be established.
8.2. SDR 8.33 per kilogram of gross weight of the missing/damaged goods for road, rail, and/or air transport in international traffic.
The carrier is not liable in cases of force majeure.
9. Three Stars Ltd reserves the right to make adjustments to offers in the event of changes beyond their control regarding the value of transport and/or delivery services.
10. In cases of incorrectly declared container weight (VGM) on import and export, terminal operation fees are charged at triple the rate.
11. For international sea transport, shippers are obliged to familiarize themselves with the General Terms and Conditions of COSCO Shipping Lines, Diamond Lines, located on the reverse side of each page of the Sea Waybill (MBL). Upon confirmation of the bill of lading and acceptance of the container for loading, these terms are deemed approved and accepted by the applicant/shipper.
12. If the provided offer for sea transport is accepted and the transport is organized, all the aforementioned terms are considered unconditionally accepted.                                                                                                                                         

II. Additional Terms for Organizing International Sea Transport on IMPORT

13. The line operator, represented by Three Stars Ltd, notifies the consignees of the goods under the bill of lading in writing (by email) prior to the ship's arrival at the port of discharge, according to the contact details specified on the Sea Waybill. This arrival notice is provided solely for informational purposes, and Three Stars Ltd bears no responsibility for any costs arising from delayed container release fees. Each consignee is responsible for tracking and self-monitoring the movement of their goods.
14. If the deadline for providing a description of the goods in Bulgarian is not met and/or an incorrect/incomplete description required for customs authorities is submitted by responsible party, all resulting fines and fees shall be borne by the declarant/consignee of the goods or their representative.
15. If information and documents are not provided within the legally mandated timeframe, thereby obstructing customs clearance of the goods within 90 days, full responsibility lies with the customs authorities, and Three Stars Ltd shall be reimbursed for all costs incurred in connection with actions taken by the customs authorities pursuant to Article 199 of the UCC (Regulation 952/2013).                                                                                                                              
III. Additional Terms for Organizing International Sea Transport on EXPORT
16. The shipper under the bill of lading is obliged to declare in writing to Three Stars Ltd the verified gross mass (VGM) of the container, as well as bill of lading instructions, no later than 48 hours before the ship's arrival at the loading port. Three Stars Ltd bears no responsibility for incorrectly submitted instructions and VGM.
17. Customs clearance of the goods is the responsibility of the shipper, unless otherwise agreed.
18. The ENS (Exit Summary Declaration) is the responsibility of the exporter of the goods, unless otherwise agreed. In case of omission, the ENS will be filed by Three Stars Ltd, for which a fee of EUR 25 per declaration will be charged.
19. When using wooden parts and/or packaging, compliance with international phytosanitary measures standard ISPM No.15 is the obligation of the shipper/exporter of the goods.
20. In the presence of a letter of credit, the requirements for issuing the bill of lading must be clarified with Three Stars Ltd prior to loading the goods into the container. Otherwise, Three Stars Ltd, as well as COSCO Shipping Lines, Diamond Lines bear no responsibility for delays in sailing or container release.
21. Original bills of lading (MBL) are issued after the ship's departure from the loading port.
22. All payments under the sea freight offer, local charges, and other services performed are due prior to the handover of the original sea waybill, unless otherwise agreed.

IV. Additional Terms for Organizing International Sea Transport with Specialized Equipment – Open Top, Flat Rack, Refrigerated Containers
 
23. The prepared offer is valid and applies solely to the specified weight and dimensions – L x W x H. Any deviation from the initially stated parameters will result in a price adjustment.
24. Positioning of specialized equipment by land or sea is carried out only upon prior request. If the applicant cancels, all costs for positioning to the loading port or the place specified by the applicant shall be borne by the applicant.
25. For overland transport of refrigerated containers, the offer is prepared without the use of a diesel generator set (GENSET) to maintain the temperature regime in the container. If such use is desired, it must be requested and paid for additionally.

V. Additional Terms for Organizing Overland Road Transport
                                                           
26. The offered prices are exclusive of VAT, which is charged upon invoice issuance in accordance with Bulgarian legislation requirements. 
27. The road transport offer does not include the following fees:
      27.1. Parking fees on customs premises.
      27.2. Costs for loading and unloading operations.
      27.3. Services for customs formalities on goods.
      27.4. Fees for vehicle dwell time beyond allocated hours for loading/unloading and customs clearance.
      27.5. Fees for customs inspections at border points, initial/final loading/unloading locations, and any other additional charges from customs/ border authorities.
      27.6. Cargo insurance during road transport.
28. Payment for road transport is due upon invoicing, prior to transport execution, unless otherwise agreed.
29. All bank charges are for the account of the payer.
30. The maximum permissible gross weight of the cargo is specified in the transport offer. Exceedance incurs surcharges per regulatory rates for overloading vehicles.
31. The offer assumes free access and normal maneuverability for heavy goods vehicles at loading and delivery addresses. Restricted access or site-specific conditions requiring extra organization will trigger offer revision based on actual site constraints.
32. Compliance with ISPM No.15 phytosanitary standards for wooden parts/packaging is the shipper's/exporter's obligation.
33. Loading/unloading time allowances for containerized goods are stated in the Road Transport Request, serving as the written contract between Three Stars Ltd. and the Transport Applicant (consignee/shipper or representative). Signing the Request constitutes acceptance of its terms and prices without subsequent dispute.
34. Free periods and fees for import/export, standard/specialized equipment follow Three Stars Ltd current tariff, available on request. Current tariff and condition info are sent to clients with container arrival notices in Varna and Burgas.
35. Dangerous goods per ADR Convention must be properly packaged, labeled, marked, and documented per current international/national regulations. The shipper must provide full, accurate hazardous goods info per ADR Chapter 1.4.2.1. Non-compliance allows Three Stars Ltd to refuse transport and claim reimbursement for extra costs/sanctions.
36. For destinations Serbia, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine:
     36.1. EUR 5,000 deposit per container until empty equipment returns to Three Stars Ltd -designated terminal; refunded within 7 business days post-inspection.
     36.2. Deposit for 10 days' demurrage per container per current Three Stars Ltd tariff. Post-return, actual demurrage post-free time is deducted; remainder refunded within 7 business days.
37. These General Terms and Conditions form an integral part of every international transport offer and are linked in emails from Three Stars Ltd staff and published online at www.3stars.bg 
                                                                                                                                                                                                     
VI. Dispute Resolution 
37. All disputes shall be resolved in a spirit of understanding and good faith. Where this proves impossible, they shall be settled in accordance with Bulgarian law. By acknowledging these General Terms and Conditions, the Applicant/Consignee/Shipper and/or their authorized representatives expressly consent to the local jurisdiction of any disputes under Articles 117(2) and 105 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CCP), namely that in the event of a dispute, the parties expressly declare contractual local jurisdiction vesting with the courts in the territory of Varna, at the registered seat of Three Stars Ltd, irrespective of their role as claimant or defendant.                                                                                                                                                                                                                
By requesting transport services from Three Stars Ltd, as sub-agent of COSCO SHIPPING LINES for Varna and Burgas, the shipper or their representative declares that they have familiarized themselves with these General Terms and Conditions (GTC) and agree to comply with them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Last Edited Date 01.01.2026