Getting a receipt on putting a bike in the repair shop

[ontodva]

Is it weird to ask for a written or electronic acknowledgement that your bike is now in their custody when leaving it in the shop for servicing?

 

[vickster]

Not weird no, I’m sure my LBS would give or send me something if I asked (I don’t think they do as a matter of course but they might do!)

 

[night cycler]

Is it weird to ask for a written or electronic acknowledgement that your bike is now in their custody when leaving it in the shop for servicing?

No, but I have a general question, or rather a cautionary tale.

Back in the 80s I took a video recorder to a repair shop. When I went to collect it after being repaired, I was given someone elses machine. Identical model, but dirty and older. No prizes for guessing who had been given mine.

Recently I took a bike to the cycle shop. When I went to collect it, I described my bike-model & colour etc.

What if there was another black Triban 540 in for repair, but in crappy condition. Would the other customer say anything if presented with my bike! Or would he ride away on mine?

 

[Nibor]

My LBS has repair worksheets with a tear off receipt

 

[vickster]

My LBS sticks a receipt with name and details on the handlebars that stays on until collection so that wouldn't happen and my bikes are quite personalised / different so the likelihood of two bikes in at the same time being identical is miniscule!

 

[figbat]

Many years ago I used to work in a photography shop that took cameras, lenses etc for repair. We would give a receipt which included the serial number, which avoids any doubt about provenance.

I’d either ensure the frame number was on the receipt or would make sure I have a record of it.

 

[a.twiddler]

I don't get much work done at an LBS as I can usually do it myself but this year I happened to have a couple of jobs which were beyond me. After they did a good job on the first one I got them to do the second one too. Both times I was given a numbered receipt the other half of which was attached to the bike or part so there could be no mistake. I just assumed that this was standard practice.

I would be surprised to find that any two bikes are identical once they've been owned for a while, even of the same year or model since riders like to fit their own choice of pedals, saddle or grips, and other accessories such as bells.

If someone else claims your bike the bike shop can surely trace them via till receipts, transaction records or local knowledge. It would get expensive replacing customers' bikes otherwise, they must protect themselves somehow.

 

[presta]

I took a video recorder to a repair shop. When I went to collect it after being repaired, I was given someone elses machine. Identical model, but dirty and older.

When I took my video in I got the same one back, but it was locked with someone else's postcode & PIN where they'd used a refurbished PCB to repair it.

 

[mustang1]

Its not odd to request a receipt but i cannot recall the last time i got one.

Come to think of it, I do not get a receipt even when dropping a car off for service.

 

[T4tomo]

Its not odd to request a receipt but i cannot recall the last time i got one.

Come to think of it, I do not get a receipt even when dropping a car off for service.

Cars are quite easy to identify on account of having number plates though!!

 

[oldwheels]

When I was a crew member on a yacht we went to collect the boat after winter. The Avon rubber dinghy was also left. We were late collecting and only one dinghy was left. Told it must be ours as it was the only one left. Our dinghy was clearly marked with the boat name and was nearly new but the only one left was piece of crap. We checked every boat dinghy we came across that whole summer but never found our one.

 

[Scotchlovingcylist]

My LBS has repair worksheets with a tear off receipt

Same here and I would always ask for something, like anything I have dropped off for repair etc.
Have been given other people's keys when picking cars up over the years but think there would be a knock on the door from someone if I'd taken a decent car instead of mine 😁

 

[classic33]

There's not that many cargo trikes, much less quads in this area, but the bike shop have still given me a receipt when taking them off me.

On a bike, they make a note of the frame number and put that on the receipt.

 

[Chislenko]

Cars are quite easy to identify on account of having number plates though!!

Seems that those people who reckon that bikes should have number plates are on to something!!

 

[biggs682]

My LBS has repair worksheets with a tear off receipt

Same here