A customer comes into your repair shop and accuses you of charging more than the price quoted initially. You open their ticket on your cell phone repair POS system only to see that the initial price quoted and the charged amount are the same.
You may frequently deal with such dissatisfied clients who accuse you of trying to defraud them.
Even if you are the most honest person on Earth, there may be some who will accuse you of fraud and try to report you. Unfortunately, things usually don’t work out, but the good news is that you can defend these scam allegations in court.
Even if the situation begins under legal jurisdiction, you may take a few basic steps to correct it.
So, let’s discuss some ways you can defend your repair shop against such allegations brought forward by disgruntled customers or those with ulterior motives!
What Kind of Scam Accusations Can You Face?
To combat a fraud allegation, you must first understand what sorts of fraud allegations you may face.
When it comes to restoring their $1,000 phone, many individuals are highly suspicious. They will pay close attention to every detail and want guarantees that the repair is genuine. There’s nothing wrong with that there.
The difficulty is that they feel you are lying because of a lack of knowledge or understanding. This may encourage them to falsely claim that you are swindling them and will try to pursue legal action.
Here are some of the scams that they can accuse you of pulling.
1. “The cost went up considerably from what I was told.”
This is a widespread scam which customers tend to do. The customer enters a store to inquire about the cost of a repair. The shopkeeper provides them with acceptable pricing after checking from their cell phone repair POS system that they believe is fair.
Customers who leave dissatisfied are likely to post negative reviews on Google or Yelp. In addition, customers will discuss the poor service they received and how long it took them to get their product back. They might even feel a little enrage by this sort of treatment and share what happened in the wrong way online.
This is a typical type of fraud, and people frequently accuse reputable repair shops of high costs if they aren’t vigilant. However, with a few modifications to your workflow, you may manage this sort of claim as a repair business with ease.
The most crucial element is to keep your consumers informed of their alternatives and the expenses that will run them and obtain their consent. You can accomplish this by providing them a work authorization document through your repair shop software. This protects you from liability in such cases. In addition, you may demonstrate that the customer was aware of the costs ahead of time.
2. “The components used in my repair were not new or genuine.”
According to this type of fraud, customers worry that you have applied used, substandard parts intended to fail. The majority of people have a concern about the materials utilized in their phone’s repairs.
The average person may not understand the technical processes behind phone repair. Still, they will know that it’s no longer the same once you open a device for repairs. Instead, they’ll believe it’s slower, less durable, more prone to issues, and ultimately hold you responsible.
It’s important to defend oneself against this sort of allegation by, once again, informing the customer. Let them know where you’re getting the components from, whether it’s directly from the manufacturer or through a verified third-party service. This increases consumer confidence and allows them to feel secure that they are dealing with a reputable company. You can easily show them this through your cell phone repair POS system.
Plus, if things go to court, you’ll be able to prove that your suppliers were genuine.
3. “My device was never returned to me.”
Usually, when a customer brings a complaint regarding an unsolicited call or text, it’s because they have been defrauded by a repair shop or technician. It’s not uncommon for individuals to submit their phones for repair, only to never see them again.
It’s critical to ensure that customers get their phones through mail-in services.
Providing a legitimate receipt is the greatest method to show that you’ve returned a customer their gadget. This could be a form the consumer signs in your POS software when they take the device back or the original phone sent by courier service to the client.
Make sure you keep a record of any necessary exchanges on paper and get a signature to avoid any problems. It will be helpful when you need proof later.
Best Defense to Use In Cases
There’s no need to get worked up if you find yourself accused of fraud. In many situations, you can defend yourself in court by making legitimate claims and defenses.
Here’s what we suggest doing.
1. Misunderstanding
Some people indeed have difficulty grasping the idea of repair. Because repairing is a technical discipline, it has much complexity for the average person to comprehend.
Professionals in the repair industry have their own jargon, processes, and workflow that are not widely understood. As a result, it’s often challenging for a non-specialist to explain it.
When a person is frightened enough to make an insurance claim, they usually make a mistake or misunderstand something. The fact is that the individual either lacked the required knowledge about the situation, failed to comprehend it correctly, or simply made a blunder.
In such scenarios, your attorneys can assist you in resolving the issue and persuade the individual to withdraw their allegations. However, when such an issue arises, make sure you have a lawful option available to you.
2. Lack Of Intent
The court of law will evaluate whether the repair shop or technician intended to deceive customers when deciding if a fraud case is valid. It’s a typical approach for courts to convict someone of fraud in legal action. Therefore, there needs to be evidence that clearly exposes the intention to prove that you willfully defrauded a client.
Scams don’t just happen by chance; there must be a clear cause behind them. In this situation where you unintentionally get involved in something, your attorneys can fight back against the charges. The solution is to show that you had no desire to defraud someone by showing your repair ticket from your cell phone repair software.
You can ensure accuracy to prevent being misquoted and having the technician’s labor charges deviate from industry norms. You may only be charged with a crime if there is evidence of intent beyond a reasonable doubt.
Read about: Advancing Your PT Practice with Multi-Use Software
3. Consent
In a repair scam scenario, this is the most crucial element of any defense. If a person claims to have been defrauded by you through dubious means, they must have been unaware of it. However, if you had already given your consent beforehand, there isn’t much else to go on.
Consent is crucial when repairing a device since it avoids so much trouble for the customer. Make sure you obtain permission to work on someone’s device before every time you do it. Give them an idea of what you’re about to do, how you’ll go about doing it, and what the cost will be.
When you’ve finished, get them to sign it so you can demonstrate their agreement. This is comparable to what other professionals in the field do. It’s for a good cause, and it’s there for a reason. Your client cannot assert that they were unknowingly defrauded since consent was recorded correctly.
Final Word
Reports of repair scams are unlikely to go away anytime soon. While the fear of repair scams is legitimate, many genuine companies may be caught up in a phony claim and must defend themselves. To disprove a scam accusation, you’ll need to exercise caution and thoughtfulness.
Be sure to establish a repair procedure that keeps adequate checks and balances on everything. Make sure you’re ordering parts from a reputable supplier who can cover you if something goes wrong. Have CCTV in your store, as well as ask for client consent before fixing anything.
Several measures will benefit you in the long term and, in some situations, prevent trouble from ever developing.
If you are arrested, keep in mind that your attorneys will handle the situation in a few instances. Build your case around proving that your repair shop has a good reputation by providing proof of precautions and authenticity.
There are many reasons you should have an attorney. First, litigation can be expensive, so it may be time to consult an expert if the situation goes out of hand. Second, cases might range from simple misunderstandings to counter-lawsuits, and there’s nothing to worry about as long as you’ve got the paperwork.
