On Monday, March 15, 2021 at 8:43:20 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Hi,

if you do repairs for a living, you will sometimes have issues with particular customers. One scenario is when you are NOT dealing with the owner - but some middle man instead. Bad enough.

A worse one is when you do not know who the real owner is, cos someone who borrowed (and broke) the item brings it to you *pretending* to be the owner.

If they do not return to pick up and pay, anyone can then claim to be the owner and try to obtain the item for the repair cost.
So the first question you need to ask any new customer is:

" How long have you owned it ? "

And if their answer is non very convincing :

" Where did you you get it ? "

One does not what tot be stuck with items that never get picked up or are maybe stolen or where a dispute about ownership arises.

Happens.


....... Phil

I've been doing this over 45 years, and have seen pretty much everything. You develop another sense when people bring things in for repair. There are times I'll take in an item I suspect will be abandoned and not provide a claim check or receipt of any kind. They have the option of leaving it or taking it - I don't care.

Probably 15 years ago a guy brings in a 20" CRT TV for me to look at. Flats were what I was mostly repairing and a lot of these small CRT TVs never got picked up, repaired or otherwise. It had a smeary video but the OSC graphics were crisp and bright, so I knew it wouldn't be something easy like a CRT cathode bypass cap. But the TV was otherwise clean so I took it in and I told the guy I'd check it in a few days, and Sharpied (it's a verb) his name on the face of the tube. He wanted a receipt. I told him I don't provide them for items with a high probability of being abandoned since I had to hang on to them for at least six months. He said he wasn't going to leave it without one so I removed his name from the TV screen and headed out to his car with the TV. He was stunned, then furious and said he was going to call the dept. of consumer protection. Of course, never heard again from either.