Story: Does this repairman have your camera?

bmattock

bmattock

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Well, maybe not. But perhaps you have a camera out for repair that you ought to go pick up?

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/out-of-focus/557058/

Ghaus is patiently waiting to return the 500 odd cameras that customers gave him to repair and forgot to collect

Zenza-bronica, Rollie-flex, Rollie-cord, Carl-zeiss and many more – Shaikh Mohammad Ghaus is in possession of more than 500 cameras, lenses, binoculars and such other equipment. He is not a photography enthusiast who likes to collect cameras. In fact, he wants to get rid of them as soon as possible. For, he is a camera technician and all these cameras belong to his once-upon-a-time customers, who got these cameras to him for repair work but never turned up to collect them.

But today, 64-year-old Ghaus is a worried man, because this ‘collection’ has become a burden for him. Correcting you on the word ‘collection’ he explains, “It is not my personal collection, they do not belong to me. It is the amaanat of my customers and I want to return them.”
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Ok, where is he located? I can relieve him of some of that collection. :)

I wonder if the people who gave it to him even have their receipts.
 
My father has a frame shop and the same sort of thing happens. Its truly bizarre the things people forget. Valuable pieces of art, diplomas, and family photos are all actual examples of stuff that's been left in my fathers possession.
 
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A lot of film cameras probably got abandoned when people decided to go digital and decided it wasn't "worth" paying for repair on an old film camera, despite having dropped it off to the repairman for service and accepting his repair estimate.
 
Same thing happens all the time at my friend's bike shop, how you forget your bike is in for repair is beyond me.
 
One of the places I get film developed has a policy that if not picked up within three weeks, it's not their responsibility what happens next. I agree this guy would have been wise to have a similar policy clearly stated.

However, seems at some point the property would be considered abandoned, contractual clause or not.
 
I know the people who wrench my bikes and fix my cameras. I don't leave them high and dry, and they return the favor. :)

As far as this repair person is concerned, I think someone should get n touch with him. Somehow, I see lemons being made into lemonade here, if you get my drift.


- Barrett
 
I think this good man should consult someone versed in Indian law (he is in India right?). There must be something in there that after x days people can no longer claim rights to their cameras to be repaired.

On the other hand, now probably hundreds will claim their cameras are with him, even if they never before heard of the man. Such is human nature too. I guess it all cancels out.

I like the classifieds idea though. I think Mr. Ghaus will be extremely relieved in record time :D
 
I have to confess to sending my Canon AE1 to someone for a CLA and picking it up some three or five years later ... I can't actually remember how long it was now. The guy had actually closed his business and gone on to a different career but luckily for me he'd hung on to the Canon.
 
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Just curious Keith, if the repair guy had sold your camera, or just couldn't find it after that period of time, would you be upset?

After this length of time I don't think Mr. Ghaus has any responsibility to the original customers. And, if a customer shows up I think he/she should pay an additional storage charge on top of the repair costs.
 
John Rountree said:
Just curious Keith, if the repair guy had sold your camera, or just couldn't find it after that period of time, would you be upset?

After this length of time I don't think Mr. Ghaus has any responsibility to the original customers. And, if a customer shows up I think he/she should pay an additional storage charge on top of the repair costs.
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When I eventually managed to track him down I was quite prepared for the fact that he may have sold it to cover the cost of the work and wouldn't have minded. Nice guy actually and he was telling me that when he did close his business he had a lot of gear that hadn't been claimed by owners ... from memory he sold a lot of it on eBay.

I was in an obscure repair business my self many years ago and was amazed at how often I was left with items that I'd put hundreds of dollars worth of parts into ... after two years I'd strip them and reclaim the parts or just sell them complete!
 
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