Short answer. No. You are not deemed to have accepted goods you have not had a reasonable chance to examine. Unless you agreed otherwise, you are entitled to inspect the delivery first to confirm it matches your contract. You only lose this right in cash-on-delivery arrangements where examination is excluded by the terms.
What the law says
he is not deemed to have accepted them unless and until he has had a reasonable opportunity of examining them for the purpose of ascertaining whether they are in conformity with the contract if there is no stipulation to the contrary.
Civil Code, Article 1584 — Buyer's Right to Examine the Goods. Read the full provision →
The right to examine before accepting
Article 1584 of the Civil Code establishes a clear default rule: delivery does not equal acceptance. Where goods are delivered to a buyer who has not previously examined them, acceptance has not yet occurred — unless and until you have had a reasonable opportunity to inspect them and confirm they match what the contract called for. The seller, on request, is bound to give you that opportunity. You should not be pressured to sign an acceptance receipt before examining the delivery.
What a reasonable opportunity to examine means
The law does not fix a set time limit. What counts as a reasonable opportunity depends on the nature of the goods and the circumstances. Checking a small box of items might take minutes; inspecting a delivery of machinery or bulk materials might take hours or days. The point is that you must be given enough access, time, and means to compare what arrived against what the contract described. If the seller tries to prevent any inspection or insists you sign off immediately, that pressure does not bind you — you can decline to accept until a proper examination happens.
When examination before payment is not allowed
There is one important exception in Article 1584: where goods are shipped under terms requiring payment before delivery — such as a collect on delivery arrangement — you are not entitled to examine the goods before you pay, unless the agreement or a trade usage permits inspection. This makes sense because the seller structured the transaction specifically to secure payment first. If you bought under COD terms, your right to examine only arises after payment, not before. Check your contract carefully to see which arrangement applies.
What to do if examination was denied
If goods were left with you and no opportunity for inspection was given, do not simply accept or use them without protest. Write to the seller promptly, state that you were not given a reasonable chance to examine the delivery, and reserve your right to reject. Inspect as soon as possible and document any discrepancies — photos, written notes, a checklist against the purchase order. If the goods do not conform to the contract, notify the seller in writing right away. Acting quickly protects your ability to reject non-conforming goods.
Cases citing this provision
These Supreme Court decisions cite the provision above. We list them so you can read them yourself; the summaries of what each decided are not ours to give.
- Gregorio Fule vs. Court of Appeals, et al, G.R. No. 112212, March 2, 1998 — read the decision on LawPhil →