Mail-In Repair Request Form: What to Ask Customers Before They Ship (Fields, Wording and Terms)
1. The fields to include
Name and phone number
To reach the customer if the email bounces or a question can't wait.
Example: Emily Carter, (555) 014-2290
How they'd like to hear from you, and their email
Estimates, payment requests and tracking numbers all go out by message. Ask once, at the start.
Example: Email: emily@example.com
Return address
Where the item goes back to. Ask for it now, not when the repair is done.
Example: 1234 Elm St, Apt 5, Portland, OR 97205
Item type
A short list to choose from keeps requests sortable (watch, camera, guitar…).
Example: Watch (mechanical)
Make, model and serial number (as far as they know)
Lets you check parts before the box arrives and match the item on unboxing.
Example: Seiko automatic, serial 48K21
The problem and what they want done
The estimate depends on it. A good question here saves a round of emails (see the next section).
Example: Losing about 2 minutes a day since spring. Would like a full service.
How they'll pay at the end
Decided now, the payment request after the repair is one message instead of a conversation.
Example: Card (online)
Agreement to your terms
A checkbox to your drop-off terms, so the agreement exists before the item leaves their hands.
Example: ☑ I agree to the terms above
2. How to ask about the problem
- What happens, and when did it start?
- Does it happen all the time, or only sometimes (cold, after charging, at certain speeds)?
- Has it been dropped, wet, or repaired before?
- What would you like us to do: fix only this, or a full service?
- Is there a price above which you'd like us to call you first?
What good answers look like (examples):
| Watch | Automatic, stops overnight if not worn. Last serviced about 6 years ago. Please estimate a full service; check with me if over $300. |
|---|---|
| Camera | Film rangefinder. Shutter sticks at 1/15 and slower. Light seals are sticky. Not dropped. Please do a CLA if parts are available. |
| Guitar | Electric. Output cuts in and out when I touch the cable. Also buzzing on the 3rd string at frets 5–7. Please fix both and do a setup (10–46 strings). |
| Phone | Screen cracked after a drop, touch doesn't work at the bottom. Battery drains fast. Data is backed up; passcode will be sent separately. |
3. Terms customers agree to, in plain words
- We'll inspect your item and send an estimate before any work. Work starts only after you approve.
- If you decline the estimate, there is an inspection fee of [amount], plus return shipping.
- Return shipping is added to the estimate as its own line. We ship once payment has cleared.
- Please pack the item well. We record its condition when we open the box and contact you if anything arrived damaged.
- For devices that store data, back up first. We are not responsible for data loss during repair.
- If we can't reach you for [number] days after the repair is finished, we may [what you do with unclaimed items].
Rules for services sold at a distance, unclaimed items and refunds differ by country and state. Check the ones that apply where you and your customers are.
4. What to send right after a request
The request number
Ask them to write it on a slip in the box. It's how the box finds its record.
Where to ship
Your shipping address, or that it follows by email once you've checked the request.
How to pack
A link to your packing instructions, with any notes for their item type.
What happens next
You'll confirm when it arrives, send the estimate, and start once they approve.
5. Common mistakes
- A free-text box for everything. Item, problem and return address end up in one paragraph. Separate fields are faster to read and to search later.
- No return address until the end. Asking at payment time adds a step and a delay. Ask in the request.
- Terms only on a web page. If customers never tick a box, it's hard to show they agreed. Put the checkbox on the form.
- Asking for passcodes in the form. A passcode stored with the request is a risk. Ask for it separately when you need it, or ask the customer to remove it.
6. Try it in Repair Karte
Share your request link
Customers fill in name, phone, how they'd like to be contacted and email, the return address, item type (from your shop's list), make and model, the problem, and how they'll pay. Each request gets a number and is listed for you.
The same terms as your counter
The checkbox agrees to the drop-off terms customers sign at your counter, kept with the request date. They are the terms printed on your claim tag.
Confirm arrival, and it's a repair record
When the box arrives, match the number and press Confirm arrival. The check-in screen opens filled in with the request, and the customer is told it arrived.
Get paid the way the customer chose
Card through your own Stripe account or bank transfer. Card payments show on the repair list.
Next: packing instructions to send customers, 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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