Case files, chargebacks & legal evidence
Every ticket can export a case file: a timestamped PDF audit trail of everything that happened on that repair. Use it to answer chargebacks, defend against “I never approved this” claims, or hand a complete record to a lawyer or small-claims court.
You do not have to prepare anything in advance. Working the ticket builds the record, the case file is just the download.
What is in a case file
Section titled “What is in a case file”- Customer and device details
- Signed estimates and invoices
- The full conversation transcript, every email and SMS, timestamped
- Status history and shipping records
- A chargeback defense summary on page 2, structured the way a processor’s dispute team expects
- Optionally, internal technician notes (off by default, see below)
The PDF is tamper-evident: it is hashed with SHA-256 the moment it generates, and the hash is stored in the ticket’s audit log. Any modification to the file invalidates it, so you can prove the document is the original.
Download a case file
Section titled “Download a case file”
- Open the ticket and find Download Case File in the right-hand rail (marked 1).
- Choose whether to include internal technician notes (marked 2). These are notes that were never shown to the customer. They stay out by default; when included, they print on their own clearly labeled page. Leave them out when sending the file to a payment processor or the other side of a dispute.
- Click Generate & Download (marked 3). The PDF downloads and the generation is recorded in the audit log.
Answering a chargeback with it
Section titled “Answering a chargeback with it”- Download the case file for the disputed ticket, leave internal notes out.
- In your processor’s dispute response, attach the PDF and point to page 2, the defense summary covers authorization, communication, approval, and delivery.
- Add a one-paragraph cover note: who, what, when, and that the attached record is a tamper-evident export from your shop management system.
The approvals and timestamps do the arguing for you.
Good habits that make case files stronger
Section titled “Good habits that make case files stronger”- Photograph devices at intake, the pictures ride along in the record.
- Get estimates approved through BenchKey (portal or message), not verbally, so the approval is timestamped. See Estimates & approvals.
- Keep customer-facing replies in BenchKey instead of a personal phone, the transcript can only contain what the system saw.