Terms of Service for Suspected Faulty Electronic Devices with Micro Fix

1. Definitions

  • 1.1 “Micro Fix” means Micro Fix, an electronics diagnostics and repair laboratory operating in Lynnwood Glen, Pretoria, South Africa.
  • 1.2 “Customer” means any individual (including general public clients) or corporate entity submitting a Device for assessment, diagnostics, repair, or related technical services.
  • 1.3 “Device” means any electronic, electrical, or electromechanical equipment, including consumer electronics, board-only items, or industrial electronic equipment submitted to Micro Fix.
  • 1.4 “Services” includes technical diagnostics, component fault tracing, microscopic analysis, micro-soldering, board-level repairs, integrated circuit (IC) analysis, software troubleshooting, firmware/BIOS reprogramming, and related technical procedures.
  • 1.5 “CPA” means the South African Consumer Protection Act, 68 of 2008, as amended.
  • 1.6 “POPIA” means the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013.

2. Scope of Services

  • 2.1 Micro Fix provides specialized diagnostic, micro-soldering, and technical repair services on consumer, commercial, and industrial electronic equipment.
  • 2.2 Services are performed using reasonable care, technical skill, and industry-accepted laboratory practices, subject to these Terms and Conditions and applicable South African law.
  • 2.3 Due to the microscopic and delicate nature of semiconductor-level architectures, Micro Fix gives no upfront guarantee that every submitted Device or fault is technically repairable or economically viable to salvage.

3. Acceptance & Application

  • 3.1 By submitting a Device to Micro Fix for assessment or repair, the Customer explicitly acknowledges and accepts these Terms and Conditions.
  • 3.2 These Terms apply to all assessments, quotations, diagnostics, and repairs unless otherwise agreed upon in a signed written contract.
  • 3.3 IMPORTANT NOTICE (CPA Section 49): Clauses in these Terms that limit the risk or liability of Micro Fix, or impose specific obligations or risks on the Customer, are highlighted or drawn to the Customer’s attention to ensure informed consent before technical intervention.

4. Diagnostic & Technical Assessment Fees

  • 4.1 Standard Diagnostic Fee (General Public Clients):
    • For standard consumer electronics, a diagnostic fee is applicable. Where this fee is collected upfront, 100% of the diagnostic fee will be credited towards the final repair cost if the Customer authorises the recommended repair.
    • If the Customer rejects the quotation or elects not to proceed with the repair, the diagnostic fee is non-refundable and covers the technical labour, bench space, and non-invasive testing completed up to that point.
  • 4.2 Advanced Technical Assessment Fee (Complex & Industrial Equipment):
    • For highly complex electronics, including board-only sub-assemblies and industrial electronic equipment requiring component-level fault tracing, thermal imaging, or schematic-driven analysis, a specialized technical assessment fee is applicable.
    • Where an upfront technical assessment fee is paid by general public clients, it will be partially credited towards the final approved repair cost, subject to the complexity tier disclosed at intake. The remaining uncredited portion covers specific laboratory materials, single-use consumables, and baseline technical diagnostic time.
  • 4.3 High-Risk Technical Interventions:
    • Devices showing signs of liquid ingress, extensive corrosion, prior third-party repair attempts, severe physical destruction, or systemic power-surge shorts carry an elevated risk of failure.
    • The Customer acknowledges that the diagnostic process itself requires delicate physical and thermal stresses. Consequently, pre-existing underlying faults may cause a high-risk Device to become partially or completely non-functional during testing. Technical fees for authorized diagnostic labour remain payable if the diagnostic process was performed with reasonable care and skill.

5. Quotations & Repair Authorisation

  • 5.1 Micro Fix will provide an itemised quotation (where applicable) via formal electronic communication before executing any technical repair work.
  • 5.2 Quote Validity Tiers: In compliance with quote-estimation expectations under the CPA, quotations remain valid from the date of issue according to the following assessment tiers:
    • Standard Diagnostics Tier: Valid for 7 (seven) calendar days.
    • Advanced or Industrial Assessment Tier: Valid for 14 (fourteen) calendar days.
  • 5.3 Explicit Customer approval must be recorded before Micro Fix proceeds with a repair. Valid authorization may be provided via signed documentation, Email, WhatsApp messaging, or recorded verbal confirmation (e.g. WhatsApp voice note).
  • 5.4 If further latent defects are uncovered during active repair that require additional parts or labour outside the scope of the original quotation, a revised quote will be issued. No work will proceed without explicit secondary authorisation.

6. Repair Outcomes & Technical Limitations

  • 6.1 Micro Fix undertakes to perform authorized services using appropriate diagnostic tools, high-grade logic-board consumables, and precision micro-soldering skill sets.
  • 6.2 The Customer recognizes that component-level micro-soldering involves inherent technical variables. Successful rectification of a primary power fault might reveal a secondary, latent failure in an unassociated integrated circuit.
  • 6.3 Precision heat-based repair procedures on structurally compromised logic boards may alter cosmetic finishes or permanently lower factory-spec liquid/dust-resistance seals.

7. Replacement Components

  • 7.1 Depending on component availability, global supply constraints, and technical feasibility, replacement parts may comprise new, refurbished, or high-quality compatible equivalent components.
  • 7.2 Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts are supplied solely where explicitly stated on the quotation and where available within South African or international distribution networks.
  • 7.3 Micro Fix is not liable for turnaround delays resulting from supplier component backorders, global freight backlogs, or discontinued semiconductor manufacturing lines.

8. Data Protection & POPIA Compliance

  • 8.1 POPIA Disclosure: Micro Fix collects, stores, and processes the Customer’s personal information (name, contact details, and device identifiers) strictly for business operational necessity, communication, billing, and compliance records. No personal data will be shared with third parties without express consent, unless required by law.
  • 8.2 Customer Responsibility: The Customer remains exclusively responsible for backing up, securing, or erasing highly confidential or sensitive personal data prior to booking in the Device.
  • 8.3 While Micro Fix takes reasonable operational precautions, it does not guarantee data preservation during low-level logic board repairs or firmware/BIOS reprogramming. To the extent permitted by law, Micro Fix is not liable for data loss or data corruption, except in cases of proven gross negligence.

9. Turnaround Times

  • 9.1 All technical turnaround times communicated at intake or during quotation are estimates only. While Micro Fix aims to resolve repairs efficiently, micro-soldering and intricate fault tracing cannot be bound to rigid delivery timelines due to the complexity of the circuits involved.

10. Storage, Collection & Uncollected Devices

  • 10.1 The Customer must collect their Device within 30 (thirty) calendar days following formal notification that the Device is ready for collection, or following a declined or expired quotation.
  • 10.2 Micro Fix reserves the right to charge a reasonable daily storage fee for Devices left uncollected past this 30-day window.
  • 10.3 Abandoned Goods: If a Device remains uncollected for more than 90 (ninety) calendar days despite multiple reasonable communication attempts via the contact details provided, the Device will be legally deemed abandoned.
  • 10.4 In compliance with South African common law principles regarding agreements and cost recovery, Micro Fix may lawfully dismantle, recycle, or sell abandoned Devices to recover unpaid technical assessment, labour, and storage costs.

11. Payment Terms

  • 11.1 Non-VAT Vendor Status: The Customer explicitly notes that Micro Fix is not a registered VAT vendor under South African tax regulations. All pricing schedules, assessment rates, and final repair quotes are gross amounts, final as stated, and do not include or attract Value-Added Tax (VAT).
  • 11.2 Payments are due prior to Device collection or immediately upon the formal rejection of a quotation where a diagnostic or technical assessment fee is outstanding.
  • 11.3 Right of Retention (Debtor and Creditor Lien): Micro Fix exercises a lawful right of retention over all Devices submitted to its laboratory. The laboratory will not release any Device until all authorized technical assessment fees, parts deposits, repair fees, and accrued storage fees are settled in full.
  • 11.4 Acceptable payment channels include Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) reflecting cleared into Micro Fix's bank account, or verified credit/debit card transactions.

12. Repair Warranty

  • 12.1 Statutory Repair Warranty (CPA Section 57): Micro Fix provides a 3 (three) month technical warranty on the specific repair intervention performed and the specific component parts fitted during that service. Shorter or no warranty will apply to PRA (Prior Repair Attempts), severe liquid damaged or corroded electronic equipment on a case-by-case basis.
  • 12.2 Warranty Exclusions: This technical warranty does not extend to, and is immediately invalidated by:
    • Subsequent liquid ingress, chemical exposure, or internal corrosion;
    • Accidental drops, physical impact, structural stress, or user negligence;
    • Power surges, lightning damage, or electrical instability originating from external charging accessories or municipal grid fluctuations;
    • Software, operating system modifications, or malware infections occurring post-repair;
    • Any unauthorized third-party tampering, opening, or secondary repair attempts after the Device leaves the Micro Fix laboratory.

13. Limitation of Liability

  • 13.1 Nothing within these terms aims to limit, exclude, or modify any statutory consumer protections or implied supplier responsibilities mandated under South African law or the CPA that cannot legally be contracted out of.
  • 13.2 Subject to applicable legislation, Micro Fix is not liable for any indirect, incidental, economic, or consequential damages—including but not limited to loss of business profits, commercial downtime, or operational disruption—resulting from a device failure or repair delay.
  • 13.3 To the maximum extent permitted by South African common law, Micro Fix's total financial liability for any proven claim arising out of its technical services will be limited to the exact value paid by the Customer for that specific service.

14. Customer Obligations

The Customer warrants and agrees to:

  • 14.1 Provide an accurate, honest history of the Device, including explicit disclosure of prior liquid contact or past third-party repair attempts;
  • 14.2 Supply system passwords, PIN patterns, or firmware unlock profiles where technically essential for post-repair diagnostic verification and component testing;
  • 14.3 Assert lawful ownership or clear authorized proxy rights over the electronic equipment submitted for repair;
  • 14.4 Retain SIM cards, micro-SD cards, detachable protective cases, and peripheral chargers prior to intake, unless explicitly requested by the technician for diagnostic isolation.

15. Communication & Digital Consent

  • 15.1 The Customer consents to receive operational updates, quotes, technical alerts, and collection notices from Micro Fix via Email, SMS, or WhatsApp messaging platforms.
  • 15.2 Digital interaction, digital signatures, and written electronic approvals via the channels listed above constitute legal, binding records of authorization under South African law.

16. Right of Refusal

  • 16.1 Micro Fix reserves the absolute right to decline, halt, or refuse technical services if a Device presents severe laboratory safety hazards, if necessary micro-soldering schematics or proprietary replacement IC components are unavailable, or if the Customer exhibits hostile or uncooperative behaviour.

17. General Legal Provisions

  • 17.1 Severability: If any individual subsection of these Terms is deemed invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that specific provision will be severed, and the remainder of the terms will continue in full force and effect.
  • 17.2 Governing Law: These Terms and Conditions are governed by, interpreted under, and subject exclusively to the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
  • 17.3 Website Updates: The definitive, binding version of these Terms is hosted on the Micro Fix website, and customers are encouraged to review it prior to submitting hardware for laboratory work.