cobblers&keys Posted January 28, 2010 Report Share Posted January 28, 2010 Doe's anyone know how long an unclaimed repair has to be kept in the shop before they can be disposed of? I have heard 6 months, 12 months etc. But what is the Legal time limit? Also how would you stand if the said repair has been part/full paid for and not collected whilst you still have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahamparker Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 We asked this question to our local trading standards about 8 years ago and we were advised of the following. Any customers property wether paid for or not still remains the property of the owner not the shopkeeper, repaired work must be kept for a minimum of 7 years and we must try at least twice to contact the owner in writing to let them now we would be disposing of there goods.(no mention of what to do if we could'nt contact the owner). After hearing this we decided to take for all work up front and it paid massive dividends for us. o.k. we lost a couple of long standing customers but we have one pair of shoes (paid for) which have been left with us for over 1 year.(they can live in the back of our cupboard forever if need be as we have already been paid). As i mentioned earlier we asked this question over 7 years ago and things may have changed but if a customer can return after 6 years to reclaim goods you have disposed of, then you may be held responsible for replacing the customers goods. I would personally recommend you contact your local trading standards for clarification of the law and have it in writing to show customers who turn up a ridiculous amount of years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k4mrc Posted January 30, 2010 Report Share Posted January 30, 2010 As i mentioned earlier we asked this question over 7 years ago and things may have changed this is as we were told, you also have to send your letter by special delivery, and (i think) 3 months apart. even after all of that you still may have to pay a claim - and even despite having a disclaimer i;e repairs only kept 6 months -you might have to pay oh and + compensation! what a farcical load of rubbish! customer always wins! beware.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted January 31, 2010 Report Share Posted January 31, 2010 But if they have no ticket then surely they have no claim because they could just be trying it on!! Good idea to change your ticket colours evey now and then so you can say " not my ticket, could be any repairers" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithm Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 I would assess each pair of shoes left and make a judgement. If they were a £30 to £50 pair of shoes, I think I would sling them after 1 year. If they were a pair of churches, then I would be inclined to keep them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers&keys Posted February 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 The problem is, Them pairs that cost 30-50 pounds all of a sudden cost the customer a whole lot more when anything goes wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St.Am92 Posted February 1, 2010 Report Share Posted February 1, 2010 http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/consumption/g ... 048230.pdf As long as you have a notice up stating your preferred length of time of when your going to dispose of uncollected items usually 3/6 months and also a notice giving warning of intended disposal when you actually come to do it you should cover yourself legally as like many repairers i don't take addresses a public notice in your shop window will suffice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted February 6, 2010 Report Share Posted February 6, 2010 Just read all this thread for the first time, and I was going to say exactly the same as stam.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discodave Posted February 8, 2010 Report Share Posted February 8, 2010 http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/consumption/groups/public/documents/general_resources/NCC048230.pdf As long as you have a notice up stating your preferred length of time of when your going to dispose of uncollected items usually 3/6 months and also a notice giving warning of intended disposal when you actually come to do it you should cover yourself legally as like many repairers i don't take addresses a public notice in your shop window will suffice. not sure this would be a good idea to advertise that you are going to throw a customers shoes away in the window just chuck em in a box and forget about them. take payment upfront from then on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobblers&keys Posted February 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 correct discodave since xmas I take payment upfront most accept this. Repairs are mostly collected within a week now \:D/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenB Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 I've started taking payment up front this month & the feedback from customers has been almost all good. People generally are amazed that shoes are left & not collected. The odd one who's grumbled has received a cheesy smile , plus the winning line that "you're not paying any more for them, plus you now get to pick your shoes up for free" - the mention of something for free seems to have done the trick. General public, don't you just love 'em! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 I have been taking money up front now for a couple of years. Funny isn't it, the customers that insist on not paying are the ones that leave the repairs on your shelf. But these are few and far between now. Gone are the days when I had boxes of uncollected repairs. My advice would be take the money up front, if not a deposit and if they won't pay that then don't do the work. I counted up one year and i had £500 of uncollected repairs in one year from then on I vowed i would not do it any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenB Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 The odd ones that won't pay, or didn't expect to, so haven't got any money on them, I'm taking name & phone numbers & a quick phone round once in a while - anything that's been waiting more than a month perhaps- should sort things out. That's the plan anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Does't always work Steven you can phone them and they still won't come for them then it's just costing you more if you keep ringing, and you end up feeling like a phone perv. I always take the customers names and what I did do one year that worked well before I started taking money up front was to print a list of all the uncollected repairs and the customers names, and put it up in the window, sort of a name and shame list. That worked quite well and I cleared out a few old repairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Does't always work Steven you can phone them and they still won't come for them then it's just costing you more if you keep ringing, and you end up feeling like a phone perv. I always take the customers names and what I did do one year that worked well before I started taking money up front was to print a list of all the uncollected repairs and the customers names, and put it up in the window, sort of a name and shame list. That worked quite well and I cleared out a few old repairs. Talk about self destruct button.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 No mate rlj has money in bank. Not sitting on shelves. Self destruct? don't think so. Think about it. The customers that had left the work in uncollected for so long until you had to remind them. Are they really the kind of customers you want? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 I thinks theres better ways than naming and shaming............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenB Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 I'm with UK on this one - naming & shaming isn't the way to develop goodwill & happy customers. Even if you say it doesn't matter as you don't want them as customers, what about the impression it gives to everybody else walking past... Just my opinion, of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 No-one walks past his shop...........................it's in Wales...lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 I have plenty of goodwill and happy customers. The impression it gives to everybody else? What would that be then? Don't take your repairs in there because if you leave them over 2 years he's going to put your name up in his window? Surley the shame is with them not me. Oi Planet i'm not half way up Snowdon you know. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironplanet uk900 Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Shut it Valley dweller................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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