Phone repairs and the law: quote, approval and invoice in your shop

You have probably lived this: the customer picks up the phone and says, "I never agreed to that price," or "you changed something and didn't tell me." It usually starts with something said across a busy counter that nobody wrote down.

Egypt's Consumer Protection Law, number 181 of 2018, has a article on service and repair centers with a few simple steps. Here is what it says and how to apply it in your shop without slowing the work down. This is general information, not legal advice.

What the law says about repairs

According to Article 33, a service and maintenance center must do the following:

• Tell the customer what repair work the device needs.
• Tell them how long it will take.
• Tell them the cost.
• Get their explicit approval before starting the work.
• Issue an invoice that shows what was repaired and which parts were replaced.

So the order is: diagnose, state the price and time, get a yes, then work. Not the other way round.

When the repair doesn't hold

The law also covers the soundness of the repair. If the conditions for liability are met, the center either refunds what it charged for the service or redoes the service at no extra cost to the customer.

There is an exception: if the defect came from an outside cause or the customer's own fault, this doesn't apply. Think of a phone that comes back wet, or a screen cracked again after handover. That's why the condition of the device at drop-off needs to be on record.

Does this apply to a small shop?

The text speaks about "service and maintenance centers." Whether your shop counts as one is a legal question; ask a lawyer or the Consumer Protection Agency if you need certainty. The steps are good practice for any shop that repairs phones either way: they protect you in disputes and bring customers back.

A side note: Article 34 requires the supplier (the agent or manufacturer) to provide service centers and original or approved spare parts. That duty sits with the supplier, not with a small repair counter.

Applying it step by step

1. At drop-off: record the fault and the condition

Write the fault as the customer describes it, plus the condition of the device (scratches, cracks, locked or not). Note the IMEI and the passcode if you need it. This is what protects you if someone says the screen was fine.

2. After diagnosis: give price and time

Tell the customer the work needed, the cost (part plus your labour) and when it will be ready. If you find another fault that changes the price, call again before continuing.

3. Get approval before you start

A WhatsApp message saying "OK, 1,200 EGP" works as practical proof. What matters is that it comes before the work and matches the price you will charge.

4. At handover: an itemized invoice

The invoice should show the work done and the parts replaced. Name the part you changed, and hand over the old one if the customer asks for it.

How this works in Mobilat

In Mobilat repairs every device gets a ticket:

• You record the device, fault, IMEI, passcode and deposit in seconds.
• If you sold the phone, its sale date and warranty show up.
• You add parts from your stock or ones bought for the job, plus your labour.
• At handover the deposit comes off by itself, the rest is paid in cash or by wallet, and the invoice makes itself.
• A WhatsApp button gives you a ready "your device is ready" message with the amount due.
• Customers check their repair on your shop page with the ticket number and their phone, without calling. Costs, parts and other customers' details never show.

So the ticket covers drop-off, parts and the invoice. The customer's approval of the price is something you collect yourself (WhatsApp or face to face) before starting, and you can note it on the ticket. The app doesn't do that part for you.

If the device can't be fixed, close the ticket as returned unfixed with a reason, then refund the deposit from the cash box or keep it as customer credit.

Limits to know

• Mobilat doesn't check that you comply with the law and doesn't give legal advice.
• The repair invoice inside the app is your shop's invoice. It doesn't replace an e-receipt if your shop is in that system.
• Getting the price approved is your job; the software records the rest.

Small habits that save arguments

1. Put a small sign on the counter saying devices are handed over against the ticket number and phone.
2. Photograph the device at drop-off if there are cracks or scratches.
3. Never start work that wasn't agreed, even if it's "something small."
4. Agree the warranty on the repair with the customer up front, and write it down.

To try tickets on a demo shop without signing up, use try it without signing up. Plans are on the pricing page.