I am a watch repairer. What do I need in my business terms and conditions?

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Table of Contents

• What are the basics?
• Unforeseen developments
• Conclusion

Are you starting your own watch repairing business? Are you looking to expand your already existing watch repair business? If so, you will need to think carefully about what terms and conditions you include in your contracts. This is because the terms and conditions in your contracts reflect the way your business operates. If your terms and conditions are unclear, rambling and imprecise it is quite possible that your business will suffer as a result. On the other hand, if your terms and conditions are clear, concise and precise, you will be able to do business in the knowledge that you are protected from any financial risk. In addition, your customers will be confident in the knowledge that they are dealing with a professional, and that all eventualities are covered at all times. Therefore, a solid set of terms and conditions will improve the efficiency of your business, as well as keeping your customers happy and coming back for more.

What are the basics?

As a watch repairer, you are dealing with a large array of products from many different makers. As a result, it would be prudent to keep your terms and conditions as basic as possible, while still making sure you are protected from any financial liability. Here are some basic terms and conditions that you should include in your contracts:

• Price: Your terms and conditions should include a section that states that the original price agreed upon will be the final price paid once the work is completed. Although this seems obvious, it is crucial, as many customers try to shirk their payments once the work is done for any number of reasons, mainly because they don’t like paying once the job is complete.
• Cosmetic Damage: Excluding yourself from liability for any cosmetic damage that may occur when you are working is an essential aspect of all contracts involving watch repair work. Many customers will try to avoid paying their bill by accusing you of scratching their watch. This is obviously very difficult to prove either way, and can deprive you of payment for weeks or months. Therefore, it would be prudent to include in your terms and conditions the fact that you are not responsible for any cosmetic damage that occurs to the watch in the course of your work.

Additionally, you should note that, even though you know what you want to include in your terms and conditions it can prove very difficult to word them correctly. As a result, you may have wide-ranging terms and conditions, but due to an insufficiency in the wording, you may be opening yourself up to liability. To help you avoid this, LegalVision has written a comprehensive guide on how to write terms and conditions, which can be found here.

Unforeseen developments

Every watch is different, and each one has its own idiosyncrasies. Therefore, your terms and conditions should account for this. It is often the case that a watch will have an issue that is unforeseeable and unavoidable. As a result, the original cost you and your customer agreed upon will need to be altered. Consequently, your terms and conditions should have a clear protocol that should be adhered to, in the event of an unforeseen problem.

This is where your terms and conditions will reflect your business practice, and a clear and concise set of terms and conditions will mean your customer will know exactly what to expect. If you ensure the customer is notified before any new cost is added, and state that agreement over the phone, in person or via email means consent to an alteration in the price of the work, you will be able to both protect yourself from liability and ensure your customer is satisfied.

Conclusion

Are you starting your own watch repairing business? Are you looking to expand your already existing watch repair business? Hopefully the tips above will allow you to create a clear, concise and precise set of conditions for your business that keep you protected and your customers coming back for more. However, without prior legal experience it can be difficult to create a set of terms and conditions that truly reflect how you want to do business, whilst also covering you from any liability. If you find that this is the case, you are invited to call LegalVision for a fixed-fee quote.