Disputing a detention invoice

You do not win a detention dispute with an opinion. You win it with the schedule, the dates and the source document. Here is the order of play.

Rebuild the bill from the schedule

Take the line's published free time, day basis and clock start, and your available and dehire dates, and rebuild the charge yourself. If the invoice does not match, you have found the disagreement precisely: it is the free days, the day count, or the tier, not a general sense that the number is high.

Attach the source, not your word

A dispute stands on the dated capture of what the schedule said, and on the dates of your job. Cite the published figure, the effective date, and the source document. If negotiated terms apply, they override the published default, so bring those too.

01How do I dispute a detention charge?

Rebuild it from the line's published free time, day basis, clock start and tiers against your dates. Cite the source schedule and its effective date. Facts win these arguments, not tone.

02Do my negotiated terms change the calculation?

Yes. Negotiated terms override published defaults. The published schedule is the fallback that applies when you have not negotiated, and the baseline for the argument.

KEEP READING

Rebuild the charge in the calculator →Published detention tariffs by line →How Wharfa handles corrections →Glossary: verified vs machine-read →

LAST REVIEWED JULY 2026 · A REFERENCE GUIDE, NOT LEGAL ADVICE