Customer won't collect their repair: how to stop forgotten devices piling up
Updated 19 October 2026 · 2 min read
Every workshop has its shelf of forgotten devices: phones, laptops and consoles repaired months ago, with a customer who never answers. The fix is not firmness at the last minute but a few rules written at check-in and steady reminders.
1. The problem starts at check-in
If the customer does not know the device cannot stay with you forever, you will feel in the wrong pointing it out after six months. Say it straight away, aloud and in writing, while they sign the repair terms.
Always record a contact that really works: a mobile number and, if possible, a second contact or an email. Check it is written correctly before the customer leaves.
2. What to put in your terms
- How many days of free storage you offer after the ready notice, for example thirty.
- What happens next: a daily storage fee, or the right to dispose of or sell the device to recover the work done.
- How you will contact the customer (phone, WhatsApp, email) and that the contacts given are considered valid.
- That collection needs the receipt or an ID.
3. Important: check with a professional
What you may really do with an abandoned device, and after how long, depends on the rules of your country. Disposing of or selling a customer's property without following the correct procedure can get you into trouble.
Before you write these clauses, have the text checked by your accountant or an adviser. Once it is right, the same text applies to every repair.
4. Notify at once, remind calmly
The first message goes out as soon as the device is ready: amount due, opening hours, address and receipt number. A short WhatsApp message works better than a missed call.
Then set a fixed schedule, for example after three days, a week, and halfway through the free storage. A last, politely worded notice gives the date the terms run out.
5. Handling customers who stop answering
- Try a second channel: if they do not pick up, text; if they do not read texts, send an email or a letter.
- Keep proof of every attempt, with date and method. If it is ever needed, it shows you did your part.
- Keep these devices in a separate, tidy place with the receipt attached, so they are found in ten seconds.
- Do not give in to endless discount requests: a customer collecting after months can pay the storage fee you set.
See at once what has waited too long
The real risk is not noticing: a device ready for two months only shows when the shelf is full. You need a list of ready devices sorted by days waiting. Repair shop software like Fixverso shows the devices ready for collection and sends the customer a WhatsApp message; with paper and a notebook, a fixed weekly check does the job.