Not every customer lives near a workshop that suits the job. When the best match is further away, a laptop can travel by post or courier. Mail-in work is not complicated, but it is unforgiving of poor packing, so this page sets out the routine we recommend.

When mail-in makes sense

• The fault needs board-level work, and the workshops near you do not do it.
• The model is unusual, and the workshop that knows it is in another region.
• Liquid damage needs patient cleaning, and the nearest bench is not set up for it.
• You are happy to be without the laptop for the travelling time in exchange for the right bench.

Before the laptop leaves you

1. Back up what you can. A repair should never touch your files, but a drive that is already failing can finish failing in transit. Back up first if the machine still starts.
2. Sign out and step back. Sign out of your accounts, remove cards and any physical media, and note down anything you need later. If the laptop will not boot, say so in the request so the workshop knows not to expect a login.
3. Keep the charger at home only if asked. If the fault involves power or charging, the charger and any adapters should travel with the machine, clearly labelled.
4. Tell us the fault again in writing. A short note inside the box helps the workshop confirm it has the right machine and the right fault.

Packing that survives the journey

• Use a rigid box with at least five centimetres of padding on every side. Bubble wrap alone deforms under load; a rigid outer box does the real work.
• Put the laptop in a soft sleeve, then wrap it, then fill the gaps so it cannot move when the box is shaken.
• Keep the charger and any adapters in their own padded compartment, not resting against the lid.
• Seal the box with strong tape on all seams, including the base, and write the address clearly.
• Keep the tracking number and a photograph of the sealed box.

What happens at the other end

When the parcel arrives, the workshop logs it, checks it against your request, and confirms the machine has arrived safely. Diagnosis then runs exactly as it would for a local job: a written estimate, your authorisation, the repair, and testing. On the way back the laptop is packed to the same standard it arrived in, and the return tracking number is sent to you. If a laptop is damaged in transit, report it to the carrier as well as to the coordinator, because the carrier’s records are what a claim rests on.

Costs and what is not covered

Postage and insurance are arranged by you and are separate from the price of the repair, unless the estimate states otherwise. The workshop insures the laptop while it is on its own premises, and we ask you to insure the parcel in transit. Packaging and carriers are your choice; the guidance above is a recommendation, not a requirement, and any serviceable rigid box works.