contract-law consumer-protection liens
(Canada, BC) Camera Repair Shop taking 3+ months
<p>It has been 2ish months since the camera shop received my order to fix an issue. This is not including time required give me a quote and receive a reply on the quote, which was admittedly about a month turnaround because I was busy with school. I emailed them last week and they said it would be ready to ship back on Monday, but I have not heard back from them.</p>

<p>TLDR Camera shop is taking 2ish months to fix my camera.</p>

<p>What are the relevant laws around this? I've found the repairers lien act, but this seems to apply mostly to cars, boats and planes. What are the repairers obligations? What are mine? What should be my next course of action?</p>

<p>Your and the repairers obligations are whatever you agreed in your contract subject to any consumer protection law.</p>

<p>"But I don't have a contract" I hear you say. "Oh, yes you do" I reply. At the very least you have a contract under which they repair (or make their best efforts to repair) your camera and you give them some money. more than likely, there are specific terms of the contract drafted by the repairer which you agreed to, either by signing something or by clicking on something on a web page (you know all that stuff nobody reads? That's a legally binding contract)</p>

<p><strong>So, what does the contract say about time?</strong></p>

<p>If it says nothing then there is an implied term that the repair must be done in a <em>reasonable</em> time. What is a reasonable time? Its the time that a reasonable person who knows all the circumstances would consider neither too short nor too long. Is 2 months a reasonable time? Right now we don't have the information to say: it probably is a reasonable time if parts were required to be sourced etc. 2 years would definitely be unreasonable, 2 months? [shrug].</p>

<p>If it is an unreasonable time you can sue for damages (i.e. whatever the absence of your camera has cost you) or seek a court order forcing them to complete the contract by a certain date. In general, time is not a basis to cancel a contract unless the delay is so long that it can be argued that the repairer has repudiated the contract i.e. has no intention of completing it.</p>

<p>However, before doing that, call them and tell them that you don't want to be jerked around anymore and when will you be getting your damn camera and see what they say.</p>
