How to deal with Dead Beats!

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baccart

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I am a startup repair service, but been in Corporate IT since 1997.

I Did a Windows Re-Install on a PC for reasonable price. Guy told me he will pick it up Next Thursday. This continued for every week for about a month. I then leave a VM telling him I would have to charge $5 per day for storage after a deadline. Deadline passes, he calls making up a story about someone passing away(fumbling to make up relations i.e. wife's sisters husbands nepehews mother etc). I give him another week, this goes on for another 3 weeks. I then tell him if he does not pick it up by "deadline" it will be recycled due to shortage of space. He was ******, but the deadline came and nothing. I still have the PC, what should I do with it? Can you guys tell me how to handle this in the future?
 
baccart said:
I am a startup repair service, but been in Corporate IT since 1997.

I Did a Windows Re-Install on a PC for reasonable price. Guy told me he will pick it up Next Thursday. This continued for every week for about a month. I then leave a VM telling him I would have to charge $5 per day for storage after a deadline. Deadline passes, he calls making up a story about someone passing away(fumbling to make up relations i.e. wife's sisters husbands nepehews mother etc). I give him another week, this goes on for another 3 weeks. I then tell him if he does not pick it up by "deadline" it will be recycled due to shortage of space. He was ******, but the deadline came and nothing. I still have the PC, what should I do with it? Can you guys tell me how to handle this in the future?
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First, you should have him sign off on terms of service, stating that any equipment left after XX days will be considered abandoned and become your property. Make sure you look up laws pertaining to you, because there can be legal requirements to do such a thing..such as sending a certified letter, or whatever.
Next, do what you say you'll do with it. We say 60 days, it's ours...but honestly, we usually wait a lot longer. After a while, we just pull good parts, mark it in the records, and we're done with it.

As for this one, if he owes you money, you (again) should consult laws about what you're allowed to do with it. Either take your parts out of it, and recycle it or whatever, after making your final contact with him.
 
baccart said:
I am a startup repair service, but been in Corporate IT since 1997.

I Did a Windows Re-Install on a PC for reasonable price. Guy told me he will pick it up Next Thursday. This continued for every week for about a month. I then leave a VM telling him I would have to charge $5 per day for storage after a deadline. Deadline passes, he calls making up a story about someone passing away(fumbling to make up relations i.e. wife's sisters husbands nepehews mother etc). I give him another week, this goes on for another 3 weeks. I then tell him if he does not pick it up by "deadline" it will be recycled due to shortage of space. He was ******, but the deadline came and nothing. I still have the PC, what should I do with it? Can you guys tell me how to handle this in the future?
Click to expand...

Our process is...

14 days after the customer has been advised their job is ready (unless they tell us when they'll be in), they get a letter advising them to collect their kit.

30 days after we send the letter (as per the legal requirement in NSW), their equipment is recycled.

After a while, you'll get enough people who want to use your shop for storage - you don't have much choice but to have a streamlined process for dealing with these jobs.
 
You will need something in writing

Either a service agreement you had him sign at start of work or a letter as described above.

Before proceeding on any course of action you should check the local state/federal laws of the area you are in to see where you stand.
 
he doesn't need any "course of action". it's a re-install. everything is wiped out on the rig...

as far as i'm concerned, all he needs is a buyer. I'd sell it, or use it. I'd throw it behind a beer joint before the owner got it back without paying.

what's the guy gonna do...tell people that baccart stole his computer because he woudn't pay him....REALLY?
 
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baccart said:
I am a startup repair service, but been in Corporate IT since 1997.

I Did a Windows Re-Install on a PC for reasonable price. Guy told me he will pick it up Next Thursday. This continued for every week for about a month. I then leave a VM telling him I would have to charge $5 per day for storage after a deadline. Deadline passes, he calls making up a story about someone passing away(fumbling to make up relations i.e. wife's sisters husbands nepehews mother etc). I give him another week, this goes on for another 3 weeks. I then tell him if he does not pick it up by "deadline" it will be recycled due to shortage of space. He was ******, but the deadline came and nothing. I still have the PC, what should I do with it? Can you guys tell me how to handle this in the future?
Click to expand...

Here is how I deal with deadbeats:

My Work Order said:
Any computer (includes system, monitor, peripherals, and related devices that were serviced) not received by client after 90 days from date of service will be considered abandoned and become the property of JAG Computers.
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This is part of my work order which is signed before I do any work.
 
I don't know. I am feeling like you should give this guy a bit more time, maybe 30 days. Who knows if he is telling the truth about a death in the family or not. It doesn't really matter what the excuse is. He already sounds like someone who is going to possibly give you trouble and put up a bit of a fight. The last thing you want to do is to end up in court, spending your valuable time, defending your decision to part out the system or resell it. The hassle is just not worth it IMO. I completely understand the advice given to you to move the computer out of the shop to recoup your costs. You can only hold so many computers before your shop becomes unruly and cluttered. However, as a computer shop owner who handles people's valued property, you need to be ultra-respectful (even though he currently is showing you no respect at all). The way the client sees it, you may as well be caring for their first born child. It seems as though people are THAT passionate about their computers these days. In the meantime, send at least 2 registered letters and continue with phone calls/e-mail. Then you know you will have done just about all you can to clear up the matter.
 
I always keep things about twice as long as I tell the customer I am going to.

Actually had it a couple of years ago, this dude brings in a box of 3 P1 laptops wants to combine them into one working laptop. He never shows to pick it up. After 6 months I put the stuff on a way back shelf that I tend to forget about. 16 months after the guy dropped the stuff off, he shows up wanting his stuff. Turns out the dude got arrested and sentenced to a year in jail. I guess he had a good excuse for not picking his stuff up ;)
 
stro said:
I always keep things about twice as long as I tell the customer I am going to.

Actually had it a couple of years ago, this dude brings in a box of 3 P1 laptops wants to combine them into one working laptop. He never shows to pick it up. After 6 months I put the stuff on a way back shelf that I tend to forget about. 16 months after the guy dropped the stuff off, he shows up wanting his stuff. Turns out the dude got arrested and sentenced to a year in jail. I guess he had a good excuse for not picking his stuff up ;)
Click to expand...

That's why you try not to do things that gets you in jail.

I need to put that term into my work order as soon as possible....
 
Look up the laws in your state/city about that. Even if you had him singe a paper, it really wouldn't matter. If you get rid of that PC and he goes to court, you can be responsible for it. Most states have a 6 months to a year policy if I'm not wrong.
 
We recently checked on the UK law on this and it was annoyingly on their side. You had to give them written notice and then wait another period of time (I think it was something stupid like 3 months) before disposing of the unit. We have a T&C where it states if they do not collect within a month after notification of the repair being completed we can dispose of it. I'm not sure if the customer signing this overrides the previous or not. We have had some customers come back after a YEAR though to ask about computers.

In once instance she had gone to prison. Why the family couldn't have picked it up I don't know but they were a nightmare afterwards as well.
 
New customers pay a deposit so they have something invested going in.
Most of the time you can probably sell the until for more than the repair bill and make a few bucks extra if it goes that far.
 
ZenTree said:
We recently checked on the UK law on this and it was annoyingly on their side. You had to give them written notice and then wait another period of time (I think it was something stupid like 3 months) before disposing of the unit. We have a T&C where it states if they do not collect within a month after notification of the repair being completed we can dispose of it. I'm not sure if the customer signing this overrides the previous or not. We have had some customers come back after a YEAR though to ask about computers.

In once instance she had gone to prison. Why the family couldn't have picked it up I don't know but they were a nightmare afterwards as well.
Click to expand...

I think its 6 months from when you first notify them here in the UK. The law is Tortes or something like that. ill look it up when im in the shop tomorrow as i have it saved. you do have to send them recorded/registered mail stating their goods will be disposed off though.
Also if you sell it for more than what the owe you then legally you have to pass that extra money onto them. Just never sell it for more than what they owe you ;)
 
I'll second the suggestion that you check the local laws. If you are in the US, try a search in your state for 'Abandoned Property' laws.

Having to hold the property for 90 days after some sort of documented reminder (certified letter for example) is the norm.

A reminder of the abandoned property rule on the property receipt they sign when dropping the system off is wise as previously recommended too.
 
I did some checking and I cannot find anything regarding unclaimed property in regards to computers and such for Nebraska. So far it looks like my having a notice on my work order is sufficient for anything not claimed in 90 days.
 
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tarik said:
I think its 6 months from when you first notify them here in the UK. The law is Tortes or something like that. ill look it up when im in the shop tomorrow as i have it saved. you do have to send them recorded/registered mail stating their goods will be disposed off though.
Also if you sell it for more than what the owe you then legally you have to pass that extra money onto them. Just never sell it for more than what they owe you ;)
Click to expand...

It is a period of 6 months, from the date you first contacted them. All letters have to be signed for.

Firstly, you send them a recorded delivery, giving them 3 months notice. Then after that has passed, you have to give them another signed for letter, giving another 3 months. From then if they have failed to respond, the item in question is yours.

I know this, as I have had to do it on 2 seperate occasions here. One was for a neighbour (10 houses away!!).

Also all notes are required to be saved ie, time and date of messages left, what was said by both parties.
 
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