TERMS AND CONDITIONS
You should carefully read these terms, as they contain important information about your rights and responsibilities when entering into any contract for service with TechBuddy (“We,” “Us,” or “Our”) (ABN: 19 283 768 210). These terms apply to all transactions between Us and You, covering all work performed by our technicians. They are not intended to limit or reduce your statutory rights under the Australian Consumer Law (“ACL”), and the ACL shall prevail wherever inconsistencies occur.
Payment Terms
We accept card payment in person, online, bank transfer (payID), or cash. A 1.6% surcharge applies to card payments made in person for most cards, and a 2.2% surcharge applies to online payments. Afterpay incurs 6% + 30c surcharge. Card payments over the phone are only accepted for reputable repeat customers and incur a 2.2% surcharge. There are no fees for bank transfer or cash payments. We will not release any item back to you until payment is received for work performed.
Estimates/Quotes
While we strive to be as thorough as possible with all estimates, we do not guarantee that our estimate is all-inclusive and final. It is often challenging or impossible to identify every problem affecting a device until some work is performed. Our estimates may evolve or change during the course of servicing your device. If our technicians need to update the estimate, we will inform you as soon as possible before proceeding further. All changes MUST be approved by you before we proceed with any work. Our initial estimate will remain valid within the scope of the services it was originally attached to, though we may advise you that the original service may have become unnecessary or unlikely to resolve the issue.
Minimum Service Fee & Repair Attempt Fee
We charge a repair attempt fee for most devices that involve motherboard repairs, data recovery, or devices that had prior repair attempts. If repair is unsuccessful, data recovery is not possible, or the device was previously worked on before it arrived at our shop, you will be charged a repair attempt fee starting from $55 to cover the time spent working on your device.
In many situations, schematics are not available, or we are performing labor work only (such as replacing a damaged connector), and thus cannot guarantee the outcome will be a working device.
Replacement Parts Procedure
If a service requires parts to complete, we will contact and inform you of the need before ordering any parts. We will explain the part needed, why it’s necessary, any associated costs, and give an estimate of when the part will likely arrive. Due to shipping times being beyond our control, our estimate is a best guess and is not intended to guarantee arrival by a specific time. If you would like to hold on to your device until parts come in, a non-refundable deposit of the total cost of the ordered parts will be required. TechBuddy may refuse the use of parts not provided by TechBuddy. This is due to our inability to verify that the parts are functional and will provide a good fit for your device. Any replacement parts not supplied by TechBuddy are not covered by any kind of warranty or guarantee except that which might be provided by the part manufacturer. Warranty on parts is dependent on the manufacturer warranty or as stated during the service. By providing your own parts, you acknowledge that you understand and agree that any work we provide is not covered by the TechBuddy warranty or any other guarantee or assurance, explicit or implicit. You also agree to waive any liability for damage to your device caused by faulty parts or other part incompatibilities.
Personal Preferences & Software
We do not have specific knowledge of your computer and its configuration. While we use our best efforts to minimize disruption to your system, we cannot be held responsible for any unforeseen consequences of our services, including any loss or corruption of data, information, or records; any loss of goodwill, or any loss of business or contracts; any failure by you to follow our reasonable advice, recommendations, or instructions; any losses you may suffer arising from your use (or failure to use) any anti-virus and internet security software and any loss that is not reasonably foreseeable.
If your device’s operating system is reloaded, programs such as Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, Anti-Virus Software, etc., may not be present on return of your repaired device, and you will need to provide the original installation media if TechBuddy is to reinstall your software. Additional fees may apply for any extended work beyond the initial repair. Programs that may require reinstallation after repair will need their respective registration/licensing keys. It is not the responsibility of TechBuddy if you no longer have the required registration or proof of purchase information necessary for the program to operate.
Privacy
We will never share or discuss your personal information with anyone who is not expressly authorized by you in writing.
If you dispose of your property to TechBuddy, you must let us know in writing, and any data remaining on the device will be securely erased with zero chance of recovery.
We do not care to look through your data and pledge only to utilize what is necessary during service. Your photos, videos, and confidential documents are your own and none of our business when it comes to repairs. We make every effort to transfer any data around in a secure manner and utilize encryption wherever possible for your privacy.
Repair Risks
Although everything possible is done to ensure a device is not damaged during diagnosis/repair, some non-user-serviceable and sealed devices (such as iPads/Tablets) are difficult to dismantle, and as such, the device may incur some minor pry marks or damages during disassembly, which cannot always be avoided. Screens are very delicate and can crack or break during the prying process, especially if damage to the glass or frame already exists.
Your device may be beyond repair or may be permanently damaged during repair and rendered useless. Circuit board components deteriorate over time and can fail without warning, especially on liquid-damaged devices where components can short circuit, oxidize, corrode, and rust over time.
We are highly experienced and minimize these damages, but risks do exist and should be understood.
Shipping Policy
The shipping instructions you provide when filling in your mail-in form are the instructions we follow to ship your items. Failure to request insurance renders any shipping damages solely the responsibility of the customer, and TechBuddy assumes no liability in case of damages during shipping. Furthermore, devices not shipped in their original packages are more prone to damage during shipping; if you send us your device in a generic box, we will ship it back to you in a generic box at your own risk. If you are providing your shipping label, be sure to include insurance if you wish to do so; we are unable to provide insurance to pre-purchased labels.
Repair Time
We pride ourselves on the speed of our repairs; however, many factors that determine the length of your repair are beyond our control (e.g., waiting on parts to be delivered). As such, we will attempt to service your device as soon as possible in the order it was received.
We offer no guarantees of how long the service will take. Any references to service times on our website or in promotional materials are our best estimates based on previous experience and are not meant to represent an exact time frame or offer any guarantees of service time.
Health & Safety
We reserve the right to refuse service for any equipment that poses a safety or health risk.
Data
TechBuddy does not guarantee the security or safety of your data. While we take every precaution possible to ensure the integrity of your data is unaffected, we cannot assume liability for any lost data resulting from services performed by TechBuddy. If we are aware that a procedure may result in the loss of data, we will inform you of the possibility, what data may be affected, and will offer to back up your data at an additional cost. However, due to the complex nature of electronic devices, we cannot predict in advance what may happen to your data in every situation. We strongly encourage you to back up any important files and documents before dropping off or mailing in your device for service.
Cancellation
If you cancel your repair while/after we have begun work, you will be liable to make payment for any parts ordered and applicable labor fees before cancellation.
Abandoned Property
Any property left with TechBuddy for more than 3 months without prior arrangements (after it has been made ready for collection and you are notified) is considered abandoned as per the Uncollected Goods Act. Your device will be recycled or resold to recover costs. Any data on the device may be permanently erased. We will make our best efforts to contact you several times before this occurs.
On-site Booking Terms
A $55 cancellation fee applies to on-site services if you cancel with less than an hour’s notice. Credit card details will be required for the booking.
Please ensure you are available on the scheduled day and time or provide adequate notice for cancellation or changes.
On-Site Health & Safety
You must ensure the property or place our technicians will conduct work is free from any hazards or potential health dangers. Our technician reserves the right to refuse service if they feel unsafe. We reserve the right to refuse service for any equipment that poses a safety or health risk.
On-Site Attendance
You must ensure that you or an authorized person is present at the pre-arranged appointment time and is available to allow our technicians access to your property. If our technicians are made to wait an excessive amount of time or are unable to access the property or equipment, regardless of whether this is caused by you or another person you have authorized, you will still be charged a service fee applicable to the time spent on-site.
On-Site Payment
Payment for on-site work must be made before the technician leaves the premises.
On-Site Parking
Any parking or sundry expenses incurred by TechBuddy during an on-site callout will be added to the invoice. For example, if you are unable to provide free parking at a reasonable or convenient distance from your home or place of business.
Warranty
TechBuddy offers a 90-day workmanship guarantee on all labor performed.
If your device malfunctions or fails within 90 days from the time that you received the device back from service, we will perform the repair again at no extra cost to you. The issue must be related to the original work order. If the issue is unrelated, you will be notified about repair cost before we move forward with the repair.
No refunds are issued before we attempt the repair again so we can verify the validity of the claim. Refunds are only issued if we are not able to fix your device minus the repair attempt fee and return shipping. See the repair attempt fee section of our terms for more details. For mail-in, if your device qualifies for the warranty repair, you are responsible for shipping the device back to us, and we will cover return shipping.
Warranty on parts is dependent on the manufacturer’s warranty or as stated during the service.
Recurrence of original symptoms or issues caused by user error or negligence in the 90-day guarantee period, including but not limited to physical damage (drops, crushing, exposure to temperature extremes), liquid damage (spills on and liquid immersion of the device), electrical damage (improper grounding, contact with poorly performing or damaged electrical networks), and damage caused through the installation or use of harmful software components (viruses, malware, spyware), voids the TechBuddy warranty.
If your device is physically tampered with or damaged within the warranty period, the TechBuddy warranty is void. This includes but is not limited to cracked screens, dents to the casing, internal damage not present at the time of the original repair, attempts to open or modify the device, using non-original charging cables to charge your device, or any other action, accidental or intentional, that could cause our repair to fail.
Some services performed by TechBuddy may void your manufacturer’s warranty. By accepting service from TechBuddy, you understand and agree that we are not held liable for voiding your device manufacturer’s warranty.
Additional Warranty Exclusions
We do not offer warranties or guarantees, explicit or implicit, on any of the following: