Disposal of uncollected repairs

When a cycle has been left for repair, at any time after the repair has been completed, the retailer can impose an obligation for the owner to collect it. This is normally done in writing and either hand delivered or sent by Recorded Delivery. Sufficient details of the repair and invoice should be included, the address where the goods are being held and a specific date by which it should be paid for and collected. If storage charges have been accumulating, a total for this should also be included. At this stage, it is possible to state that if the goods are not collected within the specified time, then they will be put up for sale to defray the costs. The time allowed should be ‘reasonable' - around four weeks as a rule of thumb.

Customer cannot be contacted

If the current address is not known, there is only one course of action left. A notice giving details of your intention, as per the above paragraph can be posted in your own window, or put into the personal column of the local paper.
A longer time for recovery should beallowed in this instance. It is very important that you keep a record of the steps taken to try and contact the customer. In the case of a dispute arising at a later date, this information will be invaluable if the case ever went to court.

Selling the Goods

Once the notice has been displayed, or the letter delivered, and the specified date has elapsed, the goods can be offered for sale. Try and ascertain that the goods do belong to the customer and are not subject to a credit agreement. You are morally bound to try and obtain the best price at the current market value. Again, it is important to keep a record of the price obtained and the buyer's details. You must also record details of the original repair cost, any further work that was required before sale as your costs, then this should be deducted from the price and any balance due to the customer identified. All these records must be kept for the statutory period of 6 years.