What should I ask about a computer repair shop’s abandoned machines?
Ask how many machines are sitting unclaimed, how long each has been there, what the intake paperwork says, and whether anyone has tried to reach the owners. Then ask where their data is and who controls it. Unclaimed machines can be a liability, not stock.
Walk the back room with the owner. Each machine should have a ticket, a date and a note of what was agreed. Machines without paperwork are the hardest to deal with. Ask whether notices were sent to owners and whether the shop’s intake form says anything about uncollected items. Your lawyer can tell you what that wording does and does not allow.
Next, ask about the data. Customers’ files may be sitting on drives. Who has access, and has anything been copied? A buyer taking over those devices also takes over the responsibility to protect them, so ask whether the shop has a routine for wiping or returning them.
Finally, ask what the seller expects to happen to them at closing. Will they be cleared before the sale, left for the buyer, or handled under an agreement? Do not count them as inventory, and do not allow them to be sold or recycled until your lawyer has confirmed how to proceed. Also note the space they take up. Ask how the shop would feel about customers turning up after the sale to collect something old. A buyer who has no record of the item and no plan is left apologizing for a problem they never created.
Key takeaways
- Match every machine to a ticket, date and agreed terms.
- Treat customer data on the drives as something to protect.
- Settle in writing who handles unclaimed machines at closing.
Related reading
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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