Who wouldn't want their laptop to work forever? Unfortunately, things wear out and break down, so you need to eventually either repair it or replace it. Experts claim that if your laptop is five years or even older, there's really no point in getting it fixed; a new one is your best bet.
It might be hard to believe, but sometimes people forget they even have a laptop. At least this young woman did, when she brought it to an electronics repair shop and forgot to collect it for almost nine months. When she finally remembered, the laptop was already sold to someone else. So, she felt it's only right the repairman pays her back so she can buy a new one.
Bored Panda reached out to the person who posted this story, and he kindly agreed to have a chat with us about it. Read our conversation with u/GoblinandBeast below!
A young woman asked an electronics repairman to fix her laptop, but didn't show up to collect it
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle (not the actual photo)
She came back almost nine months later, when the laptop had already been sold as refurbished, and demanded a refund
Image credits: Blake Cheek (not the actual photo)
Image source: GoblinandBeast
"His lawyer said he had nothing to worry about," Nate's brother told Bored Panda
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
We all forget things sometimes: our keys, where we put our phone, and maybe even friends' birthdays. But forgetting a thing like a laptop can seem strange. Indeed, as many commenters under this story pointed out, how do you not notice that such an integral part of your student life is missing?
The repair shop owner in this case didn't do anything wrong legally. If the young woman signed the 90-day clause, she can't really demand any money. "The 90-day policy is the state minimum required for an item to be considered abandoned," the Redditor u/GoblinandBeast tells us. "Nate's lawyer helped him set up the contract and the policy to make sure everything was above board."
In another comment, the author clarified that his brother Nate has this 90-day policy because of limited storage space. He didn't just sell the young woman's laptop out of spite and didn't look for buyers specifically.
"Nate said he left it as is until someone made him an offer," u/GoblinandBeast tells Bored Panda. Of course, before selling the computer, Nate reset it to factory settings.
We asked the Redditor whether his brother was at all worried about the woman taking this up with the authorities. "I know her mom said she was gonna contact a lawyer for small claims court but since then he ain't heard a word," he tells us.
And Nate isn't losing sleep over this drama either. "His lawyer said he had nothing to worry about. It's been close to a month since he heard from them last."
Sometimes it pays off to ask customers for more information than just their phone number
Image credits: Christiann Koepke (not the actual photo)
Customers forgetting to pick up their things is a big pet peeve for many small business owners. I know I've forgotten my fair share of jackets from the dry cleaners, repaired zippers from the seamstress, or fixed shoes from a shoe repair shop. But an item like a laptop is way more expensive, both to the customer and for the repairman to leave abandoned and never used again.
The customer can try to sue like the mother in this story insinuated they will, but it's very unlikely to be successful considering that the daughter agreed with the 90-day policy in writing. Still, the small business owner might want to demonstrate that they were acting in good faith and tried to reach out to the customer.
That's why it's always a good idea to get more information about the customer than just their phone number. Royer Advisors & Accountants point out that sending them a reasonable notice via registered mail, email, or even a phone call might urge them a little bit.
If the small business owner decides to sell the customer's property, they should also inform the customer about it one last time. "This sometimes gets the customer's attention to pay and pick up their property," the experts at Royer Advisors & Accountants note.
The author clarified why Nate couldn't just hold onto the laptop: "He has very limited storage and space and to limit the chance it gets damaged in his shop"
The majority of the commenters sided with the brother: "It's her responsibility to read the contract"
A couple of people shared how they dealt with similar situations
But some folks also thought he could've done more to contact her: "It just sounds bad for business"
