Selling a device with its repair history

What is worth keeping before you sell

• Proof of purchase (date and place of purchase).
• Each repair or service: date, problem, work done, parts, and who did it.
• Invoices and job sheets, and any warranty that still applies to a repair or part.
• Notes on anything unknown, for example repairs made before you owned it.

What you may choose to share

Usually the most useful items for a buyer are the dates, the problems and the work done, and whether evidence exists. What you must tell a buyer, and how, depends on where and how you sell; this guide does not cover those legal duties. Whatever you share, be accurate: describe the history as it is, including what is unknown.

Keep private details private

Invoices and records often contain your name, address, phone number, account details and the device's serial number. A buyer rarely needs these to judge the product. Share the facts of the repair rather than whole documents, or hide personal details before showing a document.

Showing that evidence exists vs handing over the document

You can tell a buyer that a repair has an invoice without giving them the invoice itself. That shows the claim is supported, while the document — and your personal details on it — stays with you. Neither option turns the claim into a verified fact.

The buyer view

In the Repair Passport concept, a buyer view is a read-only page that shows only the records and details the owner chose to share, each with its own trust state. It does not show the owner's identity, the serial number or the documents. It shows what was shared, not a complete history.

Controlled sharing, step by step

1. Choose which records and details to include.
2. Preview exactly what the buyer will see.
3. Confirm, and only then send the read-only link.

Revoking a share

When the sale is done — or if it falls through — you can revoke the link so it stops working. Be aware that revoking cannot undo what a buyer has already seen, noted or saved before that.

Handing on the history: ownership-transfer history

When the product actually changes hands, its history can go with it. In the Repair Passport concept, you offer the passport to the new owner and they accept it; the transfer is recorded in the passport's history. Inside Repair Passport, a transfer records who holds the passport — it is not legal proof of ownership.

What a history can and cannot do

A good history can help a buyer make an informed decision. It does not guarantee a higher price, a faster sale or a buyer's trust, and it does not prove that the product has no other faults.