Garages: quotes accepted by SMS and extra work with a signature
· 3 min read
The classic argument at the counter: “I never authorised that repair”. The regulations for garages and consumer law have said the same thing for decades: without an accepted quote —or an express waiver— there is no repair you can invoice with peace of mind. And verbal acceptance over the phone is worth exactly what can be proven of it: nothing.
The flow that works
- The vehicle comes in; the garage diagnoses it and prepares the quote.
- The customer receives an SMS with a link to the full quote — parts, labour, timing — and signs it from their phone by entering a one-time code that reaches them by SMS. Two minutes, without coming back to the garage.
- A new fault turns up halfway through the repair: the extra work is sent through the same channel. Another signature, another evidence file. The job does not stop while waiting for the customer to come in and sign.
- At handover, the “vehicle ready” notice goes by ordinary SMS or WhatsApp — that no longer needs a certificate.
What is proven
The file records which exact document was sent (its cryptographic fingerprint), when the SMS was delivered, when it was opened, that the content was read and that it was signed with a code bound to the customer's number. It is a simple electronic signature with a file to back it up: it presumes nothing on its own (the presumption in art. 326.4 of the Civil Procedure Act belongs to qualified services, and this one is not one and does not pretend to be), but if challenged it is proven with the file and an expert report (art. 326.3 of the Civil Procedure Act) — and it is admissible as evidence under art. 43.1 of eIDAS.
For a €400 claim over a cylinder head, that practical difference decides the consumer case.
Beyond the repair
- Parts the customer brings in: a signed disclaimer of liability.
- Vehicle not collected: a certified demand before charging storage — like any payment demand.
- Quote rejected: a record that the cost of the diagnosis was communicated, if you charge for it.
No integration needed: it works from the dashboard. With your garage software, through the API. Published prices and test mode at no cost.
Counter objections, answered
“My older customer does not know how to sign with a phone.” Receiving an SMS and typing a six-digit code on the screen that opens: that is the whole procedure. And for anyone who really cannot, paper still exists — this adds a route, it does not remove the other.
“What if someone else signs with their phone?” The file proves that it was signed with the code sent to the customer's number: the same strength —and the same limits— as when the bank sends them a code to authorise a payment. Whoever shares their code answers for what they authorise with it.
“Yet another program.” No: it works from the browser, and if your garage software can call an API, it integrates where you already work — the quote leaves your system with its data and comes back signed with its evidence file.
“How much?” The carrier SMS plus a fixed supplement per certificate, both published. Compare it with a single disputed invoice a month.