Repair Warranty Policy: What to Cover and How to Honor It
How to set a repair warranty customers trust: how long to offer by repair type, what it covers and excludes, how to handle a claim, and how to keep comebacks low.
A good repair warranty is short enough to read at the counter and clear enough that nobody argues about it later. Set a length for each type of repair, say what it covers (the part you installed and your work) and what it does not (new drops, liquid, other parts), put it on the ticket and the receipt, and handle every claim the same way: check the record, test the device, fix it or explain why it is not covered. Then watch how often repairs come back, because a warranty is also your best quality report. Below is how to set each piece, with a policy you can adapt.
Why your warranty matters more than its length
Customers rarely read the fine print, but they remember how a claim was handled. A clear warranty does three jobs for a repair shop:
- It sells the repair. "90 days on parts and labor" at the counter answers the question every customer has before paying.
- It prevents arguments. When the terms were signed at check-in and printed on the receipt, a claim becomes a check, not a debate.
- It shows you where quality slips. Every claim points at a part, a supplier or a step at the bench.
Step 1: Set a length for each type of repair
One number for everything is simple, but it rarely fits. A charging port and a full screen replacement do not carry the same risk. Many shops set a length by repair type, for example:
| Repair type | Example length | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Screens and displays | 60 to 90 days, or longer on premium parts | Defects in the part usually show early |
| Batteries | 90 days to 6 months | Capacity problems take longer to show |
| Charging ports, buttons, speakers | 30 to 90 days | Wear from daily use starts again right away |
| Board work and liquid damage | Short, or none on the parts that were damaged | Hidden damage can fail later on its own |
| Used devices you sell | Matched to the grade | A grade A phone can carry more than a grade C |
These are examples to start from, not a standard. Pick lengths you can afford to honor, and offer a longer warranty on better parts if you sell more than one quality.
Step 2: Write what it covers, and what it does not
Keep it to a few lines. Cover the part you installed and the work you did. Exclude what you cannot control:
- New physical damage: drops, cracks, bent frames
- Liquid exposure after the repair
- Other parts of the device you did not touch
- Repairs opened or changed by someone else
- Lost data (ask the customer to back up before you start)
Say what the customer gets on a valid claim: the same repair again at no charge, or a refund of the repair if you cannot fix it. Our repair ticket checklist shows where these terms go at intake.
Step 3: Put it where it cannot be missed
A warranty only protects you if the customer saw it before paying.
- At check-in, on the terms the customer signs.
- On the ticket, with the length and the date it ends.
- On the receipt, printed, emailed or texted at pickup.
If a customer disputes the charge later, those three records are your answer. Our guide to preventing repair chargebacks walks through the rest of that record.
Step 4: Handle every claim the same way
A claim is a chance to keep a customer. Use the same routine every time:
- Find the original repair by name, phone number or IMEI, and check the date and the length.
- Look at the check-in record, including the photos and what worked when it came in.
- Test the device in front of the customer.
- Decide and explain. Covered: redo the repair and note it on the ticket. Not covered: show why, and offer a fair price for the new repair.
- Record the reason for every claim, covered or not.
Step 5: Use your claims to raise quality
Every few weeks, group your warranty claims by part supplier, repair type and technician. A cluster almost always has one cause: a bad batch of screens, a supplier to drop, a step someone skips. The repair shop KPI guide shows how to track your comeback rate week to week.
How SpotsPOS Repair handles warranties
Illustration. The real app may look different.
In SpotsPOS Repair, you set a warranty on every repair, from 3 days to 1 year, or pick an end date by hand. The ticket shows how much warranty is left, so anyone at the counter can answer "am I still covered?" in seconds. If the device comes back, you open the repair for warranty with a reason and optional photos, and the original check-in record, signature and parts are right there. See how it fits into repair tracking.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a repair warranty be?
Set it by repair type. Many shops offer 60 to 90 days on screens, longer on batteries, and shorter or no warranty on board work and liquid damage. Choose lengths you can afford to honor and write them on the ticket and the receipt.
What should a repair warranty not cover?
New drops and cracks, liquid exposure after the repair, parts you did not touch, repairs opened by someone else, and lost data.
How do I handle a warranty claim?
Find the original repair, check the date, look at the check-in photos, test the device with the customer, then redo the repair if it is covered or explain why it is not. Record the reason either way.
Should I offer a longer warranty on better parts?
If you sell more than one part quality, yes. A longer warranty on the better part makes the price difference easy to explain at the counter.