Fault found first · price quoted after
First the fault, then the figure. Never in reverse.
Answering two questions will give you a probable reason for the failure, the single thing you should not be doing, and an approximate amount of time spent on the bench. The form below comes next. Once your unit is at our facility, there is no charge for the evaluation and you will pay exactly what is quoted when the assessment is written up.
Describe the fault to an engineer
0800 6890668
Answer two, and see where it points.
How a job is handled →Which device has failed?
Choose whichever is closest.
A couple of questions, a simple response, and one action you might take before sending us the unit. This is not the free diagnosis. That requires an engineer who has access to the actual equipment (and it's on the bench). Consider this as similar to getting telephone advice from an engineer, available at three in the morning if needed.
Now the particulars.
What happens at our end.
You hear back within a working day
When we receive your input, an actual engineer reviews it (not just some scripted automation). Next, we provide you with a direct first impression and a quote: the likelihood of success, what to leave intact, and how best to get the unit to our Guildford intake lab (by post or by hand).
Assessed on the bench Free
Upon receipt, each unit gets its own case number and is placed on the bench so we can determine the root fault(s), and how much of the read area remains good.
One price, then you decide
We quote you in writing. Accept the quote and the bench process begins. Reject the quote and we return the unit. In either case, the assessment is complimentary and we don't negotiate on that point.
Filling in the paperwork.
Rather print a PDF? →Any data entered into those fields will appear on the printout. If you'd prefer to use a pen rather than typing, download the PDF form and complete it by hand. Either method works, as long as a copy goes inside the parcel.
Getting the parcel ready.
Run through this before sealing
- Please write down all passwords associated with this item: these include BitLocker recovery keys, FileVault passwords and Windows sign-in passwords. Please include these passwords on the shipping form. Encryption does not care who has the drive; without the key, we are shut out as well.
- Identify your highest priority needs: specify which folder(s) matter, as these will be evaluated first.
- Externals should travel assembled: all parts (bridge board, disk, etc.) contained within the case, along with the cable and power supply. In the case of a WD My Passport, the bridge board and disk represent a matched set.
- Leave the power supply at home, except when sending us an external unit's power supply, or unless we request it. If a piece of equipment has broken into pieces, please send us the broken components with the unit, rather than discarding them.
A repeat reminder: whatever the checker advised you about how to proceed, do not attach the device back up for "one last look". Much unnecessary damage arrives on our bench due to this very process.
The things people most want to know, answered.
Can the checker stand in for the free diagnosis?
It can't, and the difference is good to know. Your price quote is based on the no-cost diagnostic evaluation: the device on our bench being worked through by an engineer who finds the actual cause of failure. A checker simply reviews the symptom(s) you entered and makes suggestions as to where the probable problem resides. The checker gives you a signpost; the diagnosis gives you the finding.
Data recovery: what does it cost?
What you're submitting determines which band you fall into, and the checker will name yours. A memory card, or a USB stick, starts at £250 + VAT; a solitary drive at £300 + VAT; a disk from a DVR or similar recording device at £400 + VAT; and jobs created from two or more disks at £500 + VAT. More details can be found on our pricing page. Once the free review has been completed, the band then narrows down to a single written number.
Which jobs do I only pay for if you recover my data?
In most cases you only pay if we recover your data. The three exceptions are: when we are instructed forensically, when the work is on an embedded recorder, or when donor parts need to be fitted inside the drive on your behalf. These three require a 50% deposit as all bench time and parts go in regardless of success. If another company has already opened your drive, we'll quote on it based upon individual inspection.
How quickly do you reply?
Within a working day, but very often no more than half an hour after we receive your enquiry. Messages received out of normal business hours may experience slightly longer waits. After we've taken possession of your drive, a single drive diagnosis usually takes place on the same day it arrives.
Two minutes now, one figure back.
First use the checker and the form to get a quote, then go to a post office or drop it off at the Guildford intake lab. After that, everything is your choice, and the assessment costs you nothing either way.