The lab · price bands
Every band is published. Your own figure comes in writing.
Our pricing model starts at £250 + VAT (value added tax) with all bands beyond being detailed further below. Therefore you will never have to call to find out what price your unit falls into, and establishing where your device falls within our pricing bands costs you nothing. In most cases you only pay if we recover your data.
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Every band, printed.
| Band | Type of job | What the band covers |
|---|---|---|
| £250 + VAT | USB sticks & cards | SD, microSD and CompactFlash (and USB) flash media |
| £300 + VAT | One disk, any type | Hard disks, SSDs & NVMe drives out of a machine or in a case |
| £300 + VAT | Apple Mac & MacBook drives | FileVault, APFS, HFS+; T2 or Apple silicon devices not taken on |
| £400 + VAT | CCTV / DVR / NVR | Recorder drives: Hikvision, Dahua, Swann etc. |
| from £500 + VAT | Network attached storage (NAS), RAID systems and servers | Companies like QNAP, Synology, WD, HP, Dell & Lenovo; RAID 0/1/5/6/10 |
| from £500 + VAT | Email stores and databases | Exchange, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL etc. |
| £800 + VAT and up | VM volumes | Files with extensions such as VMDK, VHDX, VHD and QCOW2; corrupted folders, lost snapshots |
| £800 + VAT and up | Forensics and investigations | Reports ready for court and workplace-based cases where the custody of evidence has never been broken |
| from £1,250 + VAT | Enterprise SAN storage systems | Multiple arrays that make up a single pool |
Can't see which row is relevant to you? A free diagnostic will identify all three: the band you're in, along with your actual problem and the next step after that.
How the table should be read.
- None of the prices listed above include VAT. This will be added at the standard rate in the United Kingdom.
- Each figure is a floor, but not the final bill. The amount of actual money owed depends upon what actually failed, and that decision (and the associated amount) will be written down after the diagnostic process has been completed, prior to starting any chargeable work.
- In most cases you only pay if we recover your data. There are three specific job categories where this does not apply.
- Three job types demand a 50% deposit: forensic instructions, embedded recorder work, and repair jobs requiring the installation of donor components inside the drive. Each takes up the same number of bench hours regardless of success; the remaining 50% is only invoiced when your files/data are in hand.
What decides your place within a band.
Once quoted: what can follow.
| The scenario | The likely cause | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| You agree | We start work at the price agreed upon by both parties | Payment must be made after you have confirmed the contents of the list |
| You state 'no' | The device returns to you with the results of our investigation | There are no charges for the diagnosis; there are also no charges for returning via post |
| Data does not come back | In most cases you only pay if we recover your data | In most cases there is no cost associated with attempting to recover data from your system |
| An unexpected issue arises | We will contact you prior to doing any further work | The price agreed will be honoured |
| Forensic, recorder or mechanical work | Payment of a fifty per cent deposit at the start of work; balance upon successful completion of the data recovery process | All prices are given in advance of us doing the job |
| Your disk has been previously opened/attempted somewhere else | Prices are calculated on an individual basis after inspection | In some circumstances, our standard guarantee does not cover disks already opened elsewhere |
A low headline figure seldom stays low
- A £49 headline is bait to get you to take the opportunity to have another company look at your drive first. It does not represent the actual cost of recovering your data, but rather allows them to place your drive on their workbench until they determine whether they can retrieve your data. At that point, once the case is open, the actual recovery price will be presented to you, just when it is hardest to back out.
- Always ask how much it will cost should the recovery fail: unless you only pay if the lab recovers your data, a laboratory gains nothing by calling you immediately to tell you there is no hope of recovering your data.
- Ask if there is going to be any movement in what you've agreed as to cost: with us, there isn't. Any issues that come up after you've signed off will fall into our lap. Your agreed amount will remain unchanged.
- Ask where the benches actually reside: many companies act as middlemen (adding their margins) and then send the job to someone else. We have no third party involved. All work remains within our own laboratory.
Plainly stated, about all listed costs: these prices reflect exactly what is said. If one disk has a logical error (as opposed to physical), you'll be charged £300 + VAT, not somewhere close to £300. A table cannot predict if a mechanical case needs one donor part or three; the diagnostic results determine how many parts need to be replaced. Therefore, once you have a written quote prior to us doing anything, you know how much money you're paying for your recovery.
The things people most want to know, answered.
Data recovery: what does it cost?
As for cost bands, the initial value is determined by what has failed. For example, memory cards and flash drives are £250 + VAT; each individual disk (be it an SSD, a hard drive, or the drive from a laptop or Mac) is £300 + VAT; disks from a DVR or CCTV recorder are £400 + VAT. When two or more disks are involved (NAS, RAID set or server), the minimum charge begins at £500 + VAT, and virtual machine images and forensic instructions start at £800 + VAT. Every charge band is included in the table above, and your own figure goes in writing the moment the free diagnosis ends.
What does the diagnosis cost?
No cost. That holds true even if you decline the quote. The only expense will be sending the device down to our laboratory, and the return postage will be covered by us.
Which jobs ask for a deposit, and why?
The three types of jobs (repairs requiring matched donor parts, embedded recorder work, and forensic instructions) consume the same amount of bench time and require the same materials regardless of success. These jobs take half of what was originally quoted at the beginning of the job, and the balance when your files are handed back. Otherwise, in most cases you only pay if we recover your data.
When is the money due?
After you review and approve the list of files that were recovered from your storage media, and before we send the media back to you, as our terms outline. A typical job requires no payment until completion.
Are there hidden extras?
There will be none. Our diagnostic services are free, we pay for postage to return your media, and the fee that you previously agreed to will be reflected on your invoice. Priority service is the only thing that can be added, and it is priced and agreed upon prior to starting.
Another lab has quoted less?
Ask them three things. Will the fee they quoted remain valid once they open the drive up and look inside? How much do you owe if there are no files? Is the bench used to perform the evaluation and recovery their own? With us, the answers are yes; in most cases nothing, as you only pay if we recover your data; and yes.
The bands are printed above. Finding your own figure is free.
First get a quote either via phone or using our quote form, and then send us your storage media. The initial diagnostic service is free; the fees go into writing; and it's your decision on what happens next.