Some Common Questions:
Q. Can I speed up my recovery?
Yes. Please make reference to the list of services that have been sent to you. We can custom tailor a service to fit your needs and budget, so if you need it done quickly don’t hesitate to ask.
Q. When will I receive my quote?
If you do not choose to expedite your recovery, or simply do not respond in the given time we will assume that you have chosen standard service. With standard service, a quote will arrive by email to the primary address provided in the ‘request for quote’ form. This quote will arrive within 72 hours of the arrival of the drive; however, it may arrive sooner.
Q. I have received my quote. What do I do now?
At this point you may choose to either proceed with the recovery based on the amount quoted, or decline and have it sent back. If you choose to proceed with the recovery, there maybe a deposit required for certain scenarios. If we require a deposit for your case, you will be made aware at the time of the quote.
Q. I would like to proceed. What do I do?
In order to proceed we will require either a verbal or written statement instructing us to proceed. At the moment you give us instruction to proceed, we will begin work and let you know an approximate time frame. Some cases with extensive mechanical damage may require a deposit to start work. This is a rare case scenario and is usually only required when parts or utilities for the recovery have to be custom ordered. In these cases, we will begin upon payment. All deposits are non-refundable.
Q. What does this quote reflect?
The amount quoted is for a full 100% verified recovery. It includes the parts, repair, and extraction of your data as well as engineering time and effort. The price quoted does not include transfer media or shipping.
Q. I am due for an update but have not heard anything?
The data recovery process can vary in length of time. If your drive contains mechanical problems, then parts must be replaced. If there are logical issues, often custom programming or utilities must be obtained. This does not always work the first time. We may have to order multiple sets of parts, multiple times. This depends on the drive's cooperation with the donor parts. Please be patient, and we will help you as soon as we can. We constantly have a very high call volume, and so an update will be given when one is due. We prefer contact by email but welcome phone calls as well. A request for an update is possible by email.
Q. The recovery is beyond the 5-10 day mark. Why is that?
Not all recoveries fit under the normal guidelines for a recovery. More typically than not, drives do not work optimally with replaced parts or bad sectors. Drives often fail multiple times before we reach success. If the recovery goes beyond 5-10 business days, it is because the drive requires special attention and the slow scan & copy process must be watched.
Q. I only want 1 folder or file recovered/Is partial recovery possible?
Data recovery is an all or nothing situation most of the time. The amount quoted is for a full recovery. If a full recovery is performed, you are obligated to pay the full amount. If we perform a full recovery, but you just need one single file or folder, the quoted price stays the same as the amount of work stays the same.
Q. My recovery has been completed, what now?
Once a recovery has been completed, a file structure will be emailed to you. This is a file directory viewer in which you will be able to see a directory tree listing of all recovered data. If the file has been recovered, it will be in that structure. Certain files and folders appear in a different colored folder; this signifies system or hidden files/folders. Once you have a chance to look through the structure, we will ask to do a verbal verification of the data. You may forgo this option and take the data as is.
Q. How will I get my data back?
Once the verification process is completed, you will decide how you want your media sent back to you. If under 5 Gigabytes, we will be able to put it onto a single DVD for $25.00. If the data is more than 5GB or you would like a more reliable and lasting transfer media, we carry external hard drives available for purchase. These drives range in size from 500GB up to 15TB, as well as in price. The drives will be Hitachi, Seagate, Western Digital, Samsung or MediaMax, depending on availability, or you may provide one of your transfer media.
Q. My media has not shipped/I have not received an update.
For every transaction that goes through our system, we require an acknowledgement of terms by the client. For this reason, we send to you a copy of your invoice in PDF format. If you have received an invoice, please sign it electronically through your customer dashboard.
Q. I do not want to proceed/I would like my media returned/I would like to cancel.
We understand that sometimes we cannot cater to everyone’s needs. If we were unable to help you, we would like to send your media back to you. If you would like your drive returned, there will be a standard $25 shipping & handling fee. If you do not wish to pay us for the return shipping then you are more than welcome to arrange your own return with any carrier of your choice. The package weight will be 2LBS. You can call any carrier of your choice and advise them you have a package that needs to be picked up from our facility. Once arranged, you will need to inform our staff when the pick up shall be made so we can make proper arrangement on our side. You can also email us a return shipping label from UPS and we will gladly forward the package to the UPS carrier.