The Geek & The Grammar Queen

I brought my laptop in for repair and was told it would be over $500. When I came back my laptop was gone.I brought my laptop in for repair in May 2015. I was told I would get a call in a few days with a quote but I didn't. After weeks, I called and was told by a man that is would be over $500. I said I needed to think about it and saved up money. He said no problem and call back when I made a decision. A few weeks later, I called a woman back and asked if I could have more time to save money and decide what to do. She said to take as much time as I needed and I could leave my laptop there as long as I liked. I offered to come get it but she said I didn't need to. No one ever called me after that but I called a few times to check if I needed to pick it up and stopped by a few times and was told I didn't need to pick it up and could have all the time I needed. In February 2016 I finally decided to pick the laptop up and just take it home. When [redacted] went to go find it in the back he could not find it. He said he would call me. After a week I called back but he still could not find it. I asked for the owner to call me but no one called me. After a few more weeks I kept calling but the owner would not speak to me. I was offered his email. Today, [redacted] told me that my computer was recycled because I left it there longer than 30 days and that there is a sign in the store that says that computers become store property after 30 days so I should have known this. I told him that I had been in the store multiple times and had never seen a sign of this sort and besides this, I was never given any paperwork stating this (which he acknowledged) and I was told that my computer could stay at the shop for as long as I wished. He said that someone gives courtesy calls to clients before their computers are recycled and I asked why on Earth I was not given one and he said he didn't know. He said he would figure it out if I would let him off the phone. I was never given any written repair order and I trusted this repair shop because it is run by a local couple. The only thing I saw going in the store was a picture of the couple with their kids playing soccer and I was continually reassured my computer was safe until I decided what I wanted to do about the repair- until it was lost... And then apparently trashed without my permission. Desired SettlementI demand a new [redacted] computer because I am now without one. This in no way makes up for the loss of my family and wedding photos that were so thoughtlessly discarded.Business Response Customer brought in an older [redacted] for a free diagnosis on 5/11/15. Diagnostics were performed on the [redacted] 5/11/15. Customer was called on 3/16/15 with a quote and diagnosis. The customer's [redacted] needed a new logic board and hard drive. The customers information on hard drive was unrecoverable and customer did not have a backup of files. Total quote was $426.19 for new logic board, hard drive and labor. The customer told technician she would call back with a decision. Technicians called customer on 6/15/15, 7/15/16 and 7/23/15 and left messages for customer. Our facility is not a storage facility. We do not have the space to store computers for 11 months. We have a sign stating, if you leave your equipment in our store for more than thirty days without contacting us, it becomes our property. A person cannot leave a car, boat or lawnmower at a repair facility for 11 months without contacting the facility. The customer states to rectify the situation, we need to purchase her a new [redacted]. The customer's [redacted] was older and her pictures were not recoverable. I do not feel our store should purchase her a new [redacted].