Uncollected board, how long would you keep it

General Discussion
1

Here the senario;

I did a repair for a guy who wanted it done in time for a trip abroard, (I don’t take any money upfront) got it dont in plenty of time, called the guy to arrage a date/time for him to pick it up, he said he was working out of town and would let me known.

Didn’t hear from him in a week so called him back, he said he needed the board by the end of the week as he was going away, there was only one day he could make it over before then so I rearrange my plans with the Mrs to accomadate him (which I got it in the neck for). He never showed up, or called.

That was 2 months ago, tried to get in touch sevrral times since with no luck.

I have a feeling I’m not going to see this guy again and the board it taking up room and I’m getting sick of the sight of it, so I could move it to the loft.

Wondering how long I should hold on to it. I think 3 months is more than fair. Its an old board and not worth much but I could recoup the cost of the repair if I sold it.

One option would be to loan it out to the local surf club as a beater for the groms to abuse on the pretence that if the guy does ever show I can have it back.

What do you guys think, any one been in a similar situation, what was the out come

2

Woody,

If he has an answering machine or cell phone, I would leave a message telling him he has “X” amount of time to come get the board or you will have to either - A: Sell it to recoup the investment you have in it for your time and materials (and storage) or - B: Strip it for the blank and make yourself a board 'cause you could use the free foam or - C: Donate it to the club for abuse, like you mention.

Write a note to yourself of when you called and the time he has to respond. If you dodn’t hear from him, follow through with A, B or C after the date you set. If he shows after that looking for the board, show him the note and tell him " Sorry, I felt like I was being stiffed and needed to recoup my losses."

After 3 months, if he’s a friend, he’s abusing the friendship. If not a friend, he’s just rude. Either way he obviously didn’t need the board for the trip and just made you bend over backwards to rush the job for nothing…

3

I think 45 days is fair as a rule, plus maybe the max overdue you’ve ever been on a repair or new board

Minus, in this case*, four days (4 = you, your wife, and your ears)

*“so I rearrange my plans with the Mrs to accommodate him (which I got it in the neck for).”

4

If you have room, move it to the loft. It’s not your board. But don’t give it up without the bucks or the owner’s approval to do otherwise.

Ride on,

Tom

5

Make a note to self:

Don’t accept repair jobs…

Only fix things for close buddies…

there are ding doctors that do this type of work…

Unless of course being a ding doctor is your type of work, in which case you should ask payment up front, ask the client to sign a paper that reads something like uncollected boards become property of “doctor ding X” within 3 months of non-collection, 2 written notices and a frijole fajita… or some legaleeze to similar effect…

6

Sell it & take your wife out to dinner.

Don’t apologize, don’t explain. :slight_smile:

7

That’s what I meant to say.

; )

8

Thanks Guys.

Unfortunately there is no way to leave a message. I’ve never met the guy before, just a customer.

I’m not hard to find and pretty easy to get in touch with, I work through the surf shop and have my number up on several websites.

I have a small workshop on my own property where I do most the repairs and get 90% of the boards dropped off to my house by the customers, as I live very close to the shop. I also give any customers a few business cards to keep and pass on. So I’m sure he could get in contact if he wanted to. Even if he’s still aboard, if it was me, I’d at least call.

I can’t be bothered to strip it for the foam, got a new board almost finished, just not worth the time and effort, blanks are cheap enough here.

I’m not too bothered about the money really, I could stick it in the loft but if I still can’t get in touch, then I’m not going to hang on to it indefinitely. If it were your board what’s the maximum amount of time you would expect me to keep it?

From now on I’m going to tell customers that if they can’t make an agreed appointment to collect a board they need to give me 24 hours notice or I’ll add a £5 “hassle charge” and if I can’t get in touch or don’t hear from them in 3 months the board will be sold or destroyed.

I think over here that if someone leaves something in you possession for 90 days with out making any attempt to recover it then it legally becomes yours, (I should get my copy of sprout of my mate asap) but that won’t help if a piss off surfer turn up at my place wanting to know where his board is so maybe I’ll hang on to it for a while longer on this occasion.

As far as friends go – inner circle if I’m not too busy and its small I’ll do it for free. Outer then I may knock a bit off or bump them up the waiting list or give them some materials if they want to have a got at fixing it themselves.

I don’t like taking money upfront, there’s less motivation to get it done on time and less reward when its finished, the way I’ve always seen it is most boards are deposit enough in themselves, plus its harder to add any extras if you’ve already taken cash. ( I do usually call before I start any extra work).

If it were a decent board I’d be laughing. I guess if it goes in the loft I can forget about it for a while, then lend it out, give it away, or sell it in the winter when the work thins out.

9

my friend is a professional ding repairer, he services about 3 local shops and anyone who comes in directly. He has boards that have been there since september 2005. give it an additional 6 months in storage if nothing is heard, give it to the camp. You could sell it (my friend does) but in the future you should let people know that boards stored x months past their pick up dates are going to be disposed of.

10

I do ding repair for the shop here and this happens all the time, but I live at a place where 90% of the surfers live at least an hour and a half from the beach. The “put it in the rafters” advice is the best at this point. When the person comes charge accordingly, you are not a storage service.

Before selling or giving someone elses board away exhaust EVERY option to get it back to them and your money due.

My advice is hold onto it for a year, if he doesn’t show sell it with a good conscience knowing you waited and did everything you could.

If you sell it now and he comes to get it no amount of arguing or reasoning is going to justify it in his mind. He’ll be running around telling everyone what a crook you are; be sure that your side of the story will get no mention.

11

Decide how long would constitute “bad faith” on his part.

Wait that long.

Then sell it via the shop. Note the cost of the ding repair and the sale price.

If he comes around, tell him you considered it “bad faith” when he exceeded whatever time limit you decided on, so you sold it. And give him the money from the sale minus the ding repair cost (if there is any left over). It would be even cooler to show him the sale receipt for the board so he could tell you were making a conscious decision to be on the up-and-up about it, but you were not going to be walked on. And of course apologize for the misunderstanding.

And in the meantime spend the money on more beer.

Mmmmm, beer.

12

I’d say this time around you can’t go wrong by storing the board, maybe until next summer. You probably had nothing in writing and didn’t set an agreed upon time for holding it. You may not have any idea where the guy went or for how long he was planning to be gone. Most people won’t think it fair that “you decided” on how long you would hold a board. If you sell it and the guy shows he’ll expect the money, and he’ll also expect something if you’ve given it away. If it’s still around when next summer starts, it seems reasonable that you held onto it for a more than reasonable period, and the onus is on him, and if you sell it then you’ll get more money than selling it now.

More beer, here here

13

Store it and if he comes back charge him an appropriate storage fee. I have a small ticket to give to customers that says I’m not responsible for fins, traction pads, stickers, artwork, etc. It also says they have 1 week max to pick up their board after we phone them; 30 days beyond that and it’s ours (to cover storage and repair costs). It got out of control when guys would leave 11’ SUP’s and 10’ LB’s for a month in my tiny shop.

14

I’d keep it indefinitely. He’ll be back some day and will be stoked to have it back. Act REAL mad, call him a few choice names and mention that you should be charging him a storage fee. Then you can both laugh it off and have a beer.

Sell it out from under him and it could… complicate the friendship.

15

Is it a business or is it a hobbie?

I’ve had to ask myself this question several times. For me it’s a hobbie. The money doesen’t matter. Can’t lose any sleep over a small amount of money. Don’t want the bad vibe hanging over me because someone else is a jerk. Three times in the past 2 years I’ve had this sort of problem. Hang on to the board…

One guy was a total flake but when the word got out one of his friends came by and paid for the work…

Second guy just got too busy…after 2 months he paid me an extra $20 bucks and was stoked. We still do business …

Third guy , Missed the pick up appointment , seemed strange because he surfs hard and we’re friends. Well… he works on a fishing boat… When the fish are biting and the rich guys want to fish…I got my money.

All short boards…easy to store…

If I had a real business I would act different. ( Like what Pete C says)

I now have a note book on my work bench and I keep track of every board. Every phone number. And every board gets a price and completion date before I start. I always complete my work on time.

Hope it all works out

Ray

16

Maybe this guy right now has some problems in fis life (health, work, family …) and coming to pick up his board is not his priority. We do not know why he hasn’t come yet. I would just wait and keep the board for him. Being honest and nice with others makes for a happier life.

17

Hey Wood-top

bring it down to Croyde this weekend, meet me in The Thatch and I’ll look after it for you. Tell your customer it’s in your Midlands storage facility and he’ll have to pick it up from there. If he turns up to collect it I’ll stick a big yellow clamp on it and charge him an extra £80.00.

18

I instantly think of the trifin fish I have that was left by a published poet.

shaped by a true underground Icon

burried in my shed

mort than twelve years

and then the ""unka duke’s boad’‘’

left by the 60+ year old waikiki beach kid

then fat bob’s last board and then that old strada

all never picked up maybe traded by now

then there’s the old dickie green tint deck winger pintail

left by vic and waiting…

Do I own them?

possession is 9 points of the law

then there’s the 62 hobie sunset board

I own that… bought it fair and square

mebe I’ll trade it for a canoe…

the original owner makes canoes…

keep it for ever.

just the story is making it worth it.

people who pretend to care for boards when they get

your precious time invested in them

and proceed to Depreciate your time and concern should be taken to task.

perhaps this board is keeping this pretender from bringing you more busy work

I am suspicious they use these boards for street cred

""I AM GETTING X TO FIX THIS OLD BOARD ‘’

‘‘I SCORED FOR ONLY @)TEEN BUX! ‘’’’

Its a mork wrigglsturp twin wing swallow

from A grumble template

with original fins

when My brudder in law grew a beard

I knew it wasnt hip any more to grow a beart.

whole offices having meetings in the surf …

and many are just kuks…

thats over…

what surfing was and what surfing is

are truely diffrent.

keep it for ten years and charge the guy hundreds

if not thousands…

may the posuers squirm

and pony up and pay their due…

…ambrose…

hey pro-sold guys who are all your friends?

they just took all your waves

the rest are for me and lunchmeat

because they all surf just like you.

they watched all your movies.

bitchin! aint somthing people who just complain do.

DO DO DOOT TA DOOT

do doot ta doot

do …

19

Hey Woody…

Yes, its a hard one to decide…

A pro lam and ding shop I worked with stated in writing three months then a fee…

His basis for this, apart from years of experience with waiting for people to show up, was :- " Would a panel shop allow your car to sit around for three months…?"

This only kinda solved the problem, as the dude was still required to hassle the latecomers, making calls to chase them.

Throw it in the rafters…If he does’nt come back you get a freebie.

Josh

20

It sounds like he was rushed before his trip, I’d guess he’s still away. I reckon it would be fair to charge him some extra for storage, commercial rates in Bristol aren’t exactly cheap, one of my mates was paying nearly 50 quid a week for what was basically a large cupboard.

If you want to avoid the hassle in future how about printing yourself of some repair order sheets. Diagram of surfboard to mark areas to be repaired on, spaces for contact details, phone, email etc. And at the bottom in small print you can put your terms and conditions including your storage rates if the board is picked up late, and state at what point the board will be sold to recover costs. I’d go a tenner a month storage (to be charged at end of each month after agreed collection date) and after 6 months the board goes in the shop to be sold. That way everyone knows what the penalty for being flakey is.

Also if you start using these you have something to back yourself up with if he shows up in a few months time and doesn’t want to pay the extras.

I definitely wouldn’t give it away though, can imagine all sorts of nastiness coming out of that.