Durban is a coastal city, and the coast shows up on the bench. Humidity and salt air turn into corroded connectors and boards that fail weeks after the water damage that caused them, which makes the arrival condition of a device worth recording properly.
Corrosion jobs are exactly the ones that end in a dispute. If nobody photographed the device on arrival, you cannot show which damage was already there and which appeared later, and the customer has no reason to take your word for it.
Sattotal records the condition at intake with photos and notes, keeps the declared fault and the risks you warned about, and has the customer sign the receipt. If the board fails again three months later, you both work from the same record.
Cellphone intakes with IMEI
Every handset is booked in with its IMEI, serial, make and model, so two identical devices never get swapped on the bench.
Quotes authorised before you start
Section 15 of the CPA says you cannot charge without an authorised estimate. The customer approves yours by email and the approval is timestamped.
Diagnostics that stay free
That same section stops you charging for stripping a device just to quote it, unless you agreed the price up front. The workflow keeps the two apart.
Three-month repair warranty
Handover paperwork carries the s.57 warranty on every new or reconditioned part and the labour to fit it, counted from the fitting date.
Built for South Africa
15% VAT, amounts in rand (R) and your SARS VAT registration number on every document.
Works from a phone
Cloud-based, so a power cut at the shop does not take your job cards with it. Nothing to install, backups included.
Plans and pricing
Join the public beta and use Sattotal free until 31 December 2026 (beta through September + October, November and December free). No credit card, no commitment.
Frequently asked questions
Will it work for a repair shop in Durban?
Yes. Sattotal runs in the browser, so a shop in Durban can open job cards from the counter, a laptop or a phone with nothing installed.
Does it use South African VAT, not UK VAT?
Yes. Pick South Africa as your country and everything switches to 15% VAT and rand (R), with your SARS VAT registration number on quotes and invoices.
What does the CPA say about repair warranties?
Section 57 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 warrants every new or reconditioned part fitted during a repair, and the labour to fit it, for three months. Section 56(3) goes further: if the same fault comes back within three months, the customer can ask for a replacement or a refund. Both are already on your handover documents.
Can I charge for a diagnosis?
Only if you told the customer the price beforehand and they agreed to it. Section 15(3) otherwise makes stripping and reassembling a device to prepare a quote non-chargeable, so the workflow tracks the quote and the diagnosis separately.
What happens when a customer never collects?
You get reminders and a record of every notice sent. Worth knowing: a South African repairer has a lien over the device and may hold it until paid, but may not sell it.
What does it cost to start?
Nothing. There is a free plan, and pricing per technician once your team grows.