Ship it in. We'll track it from there.
Every repair order includes a prepaid to/from shipping label — domestic or international, standard or priority. Your place in the repair queue is set by when your unit arrives, not when you ordered.
To/from labels, domestic and international
| Method | Transit Time | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 1–2 weeks | Domestic & International | Included in service price domestically; international orders ship DDU (Delivery Duty Unpaid) — any customs duties or import fees are billed directly to you by the carrier on delivery, not collected here. |
| Priority | 1–3 days | Domestic & International | Priority fee applies; recommended if your unit is off the road. |
A prepaid to/from shipping label is emailed to you after your order is submitted on the Repair Services page. Ship your unit using that label — return shipping back to you is already included.
Declaring your package for customs
If we've emailed you a prepaid shipping label, you can skip this section — the customs paperwork is already filled in correctly on our end. This is only for customers arranging their own shipping into the U.S. (for example, if a prepaid label isn't available for your country, or you're using your own courier account).
⚠️ Declare it as a repair, not a sale
Your unit is being sent to us temporarily, for repair, and will be shipped back to you — it isn't a sale. Customs forms have a specific option for this, and using it is what keeps your package from being treated as a taxable commercial import. If your package is declared as a general import or sale instead, U.S. Customs may assess duties, taxes, or brokerage fees on it when it arrives.
If that happens, we'll bill you separately for whatever the carrier charges us on your shipment. We don't collect anything for this upfront at checkout — every country has a different duty arrangement with the U.S., so there's no accurate flat fee to charge in advance. But if your package wasn't declared correctly and it comes with a customs or brokerage bill attached, that cost gets passed on to you after the fact rather than absorbed by us. This has happened with a few past orders, so please double-check your customs form before you ship — it's the only thing standing between a free clearance and an unexpected invoice.
What to put on your customs form:
- Reason for export / purpose of shipment: "Repair and Return" or "Temporary export for repair" (most postal and courier forms have this as a selectable category — look for it before defaulting to "Sale of goods" or "Gift").
- Description of contents: "Used electronic control module (ECM) — sent for repair, to be returned to sender. Not for sale."
- Declared value: the realistic value of the unit in its current, non-working condition — not the cost of the repair service. Most cores are worth $50 USD or less in non-functional condition.
- Country of origin: where the part was originally manufactured (check the part's sticker/stamp) — this is not the same as the country you're shipping from.
Postal service vs. private courier
Where possible, use your national postal service (e.g. Canada Post, Royal Mail) rather than a private courier (UPS, FedEx, DHL) for this leg — postal shipments typically clear U.S. customs with lower fees than private couriers, which often add their own brokerage charge on top of any duty.
Not sure how to fill this out for your specific courier or country? Contact us before you ship and we'll walk you through it — much easier to sort out before the package is in transit than after.
Queued by arrival, not by order date
We work units in the order they physically arrive at the shop, using the tracking number on your shipping label — not the order in which forms were submitted. Shipping a unit priority moves your transit time, and by extension your place in line, ahead of a unit still in standard transit.
1. Order submitted
You submit a repair request and receive a prepaid shipping label by email.
2. Unit in transit
We watch the tracking number on your label. Priority shipments naturally land — and queue — sooner.
3. Arrival sets your queue position
The moment your unit arrives at the shop, it's placed in queue by arrival date — first in, first repaired.
Track Your Repair Order
Enter your Order ID from your confirmation email to see your unit's place in the bench queue and return tracking details.