Phone repair shop refuses to give back phone

[Juanita]

Hi,

 

My mum's phone recently got damaged as the screen cracked.

 

She took it to a mobile phone shop which offered a repair service. She told the staff what the problem was and he told her to come back in a week with her receipt to collect it once it's been repaired. No money was exchanged at this point as she was told she could pay upon repair.

 

Now my mum is not very good at keeping receipts and she lost the receipt the shop had given her. Nevertheless, she went back a week later to find out if her phone had been repaired. The manager in the shop remembered her and told her that her phone had not been repaired as they were unable to find the correct parts for it but refused to give back her phone because she couldn't produce a receipt!

 

They told her the only way she could get her phone back is if she gave them a copy of her passport! What nonsense!

 

My mum was able to tell him exactly what phone it was (it's not a popular phone the brand is Alcatel I believe) and exactly what the fault was and it was obvious to the manager that the phone belonged to my mum but he still refused? Can he do this?? Surely not.

 

My mum really would like the faulty phone back as it is still useable despite the fault with the screen.

 

Thanks in advance for any help on this matter

[colin11]

she should ring her mobile provider and get the IEMI of the phone so that she can prove it is hers, then if they still wont give her it back, report it stolen

[steampowered]

Can't she just give them a copy of her passport or driving licence? Seems easier, and I can understand that they would want to verify her identity.

[fkofilee]

This is normal... Its proof of name to prove the phone belongs to her. Simple.

Security checks.

[jacktheband]

Surely if it was the other way round and they had given your mother's phone to someone else you would be asking them why they hadn't checked the identity of who they were giving it to?

 

 

 

I'm assuming it doesn't have to be a copy of her passport, it could be other ID. But this was they would then have some retainable proof for audit purposes in case their was an issue in the future. Seems sensible.