Packing Instructions for Mail-In Repairs: A Template to Send Customers, by Item Type
1. Packing instructions template
| Thanks for your repair request. Your request number is [No.]. |
| 1. Write your request number on a piece of paper and put it in the box. |
| 2. Remove anything we don't need for the repair: cases, straps, memory cards, accessories. If something must come with the item, list it on the same slip. |
| 3. Wrap the item in bubble wrap or soft cloth, and put it in a sturdy box with at least 2 inches (5 cm) of padding on every side. It shouldn't move when you shake the box. |
| 4. Use a shipping service with tracking, and add insurance for valuable items. |
| 5. Ship to: [your shop's shipping address]. |
| 6. Reply to this message with the tracking number once it's on its way. |
| We'll let you know when it arrives and send your estimate before any work begins. |
2. Extra notes by item type
| Watches and jewelry | Put the watch in a small box first, then in the shipping box. Don't send the original presentation box unless you need it back. Note any links or parts included. |
|---|---|
| Cameras and lenses | Put the body cap and lens caps on, remove the battery and memory card, and wrap body and lens separately. For film cameras, take out any film. |
| Guitars and instruments | Use a hard case inside a box if possible. Loosen the strings a little, pad the headstock and the space around the neck, and remove detachable parts like straps and tremolo arms. |
| Phones, tablets and laptops | Back up your data, and turn the device off. Remove SIM and memory cards and cases. Check your carrier's rules for shipping lithium batteries. |
| Shoes and bags | Stuff shoes with paper to keep their shape and put each item in its own bag. Empty pockets and remove detachable straps you don't want repaired. |
3. Checking a box in when it arrives
Match the request number
Open the box with the slip in view and match it to the request before you do anything else.
Photograph while unpacking
The box as it arrived, the packing, and the item from each side. This is your record if something was damaged in transit.
Note the condition and what came with it
Scratches, dents, missing parts, and every accessory in the box. Write it on the repair record.
Tell the customer it arrived
A short message with anything you noticed, and when to expect the estimate.
4. If something arrives damaged
- Stop, and photograph the box and the item before moving anything else.
- Tell the customer right away, with the photos, and ask them to start a claim with the carrier (the sender usually files it).
- Keep the box and the packing until the claim is settled.
- Agree with the customer whether to repair the transit damage too, and put it on the estimate as its own line.
Who files the claim and what's covered depends on the carrier and the insurance chosen. Check your carrier's claim rules before you start offering mail-in repairs.
5. Try it in Repair Karte
Confirm arrival
Match the number and the request becomes a repair record; the customer is told it arrived.
Record the condition
Write it on the record, and on Pro add photos from unpacking and draw on them to mark scratches or dents.
The customer approves the estimate
The estimate goes out by email and the customer approves it on their status page. Add return shipping as its own line.
Ship it back with a tracking number
Enter the carrier and tracking number, and the customer gets a shipping notice they can track from.
Related: what to ask in the request form, how to start a mail-in repair service, mail-in repair feature.
Doing this in Repair Karte
- Mail-in Repairs Take repairs by mail, without the back-and-forth. (Standard / Pro)
The Free plan covers up to 100 repairs a month for 1 staff login, with no credit card, and stays free. Automatic email updates to customers start on Standard. Every new account gets all Pro features free for 30 days.
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