Do Data Recovery Firms "Gaurantee" Their Work?

[dataman]

Well. The fact of the matter is, that many of them don't. I've called around to several and actually had them give me a "charge" for bringing the drive in, and a "charge" for trying to repair the drive.

I feel that if a Data Recovery Firm is going to charge me a sum of $$$ for the recovery It should be gauranteed that they get paid, if they can recover the data.

[mob_dream]

well this will distinguish the professionals and make their prices reasonable.

Regards,

[scratchy]

Well, that is what we do - no recovery no fee .. Some companies will charge whatever they get back, we only charge if we can recover the critical data the customer needs. We believe this is fair.

If a customers business depends on an SQL database, what is the point of them paying for a corrupt database but an intact Windows folder ?

[scratchy]

Or an analogy ..

Lets say you run your car into a tree .. So you phone the garage, and they say - ok 2,000 dollars to fix it. So you tow the car to the garage .. A couple of days later you get the phone call saying its ready, pay the 2 grand with your credit card, and find that all they could do was emtpy the ashtray - the rest of car is a total write-off Would you be happy?

[pepe]

On the other hand:

we use parts and sometimes many hours without or with small success... Why should we remain unpaid, at least the parts used and some of our working hours...
It is not non-porfessional to charge something for non successful attempts, but surely it should not be the whole quoted amount.
I used to say the customer pays for the service, not for the data.
Sometimes when we evaluate the drive it is in such a poor condition that we tell the client the success rate is around 10-30% and that attempting the recovery costs at least the parts we used and some working hours.
It is his decission, his responsibility wether he takes this risk.
Our responsibility is to tell the facts and do what we can.
We don't charge an arm and a leg for successful recoveries, and we charge something in case of unsuccessful attempts, just because we put WORK and PARTs into the job.
The client can still accept it or not after the quotation.

pepe

[falther]

I´d like to compare this work with the work of a doctor - you try your best
to treat and hopefully heal the patient, but in some cases its not for sure.

Nevertheless the doctor gets paid for his time and efforts on the patient -
no matter whether the patient recovers, still is sick or even dies.

I saw it too often, that without charging a reasonable downpayment prior
any test - customers let you go ahead in your work. They verbally accept
a rough price estimate - but when they get the firm price - even below the
accepted estimate - refuse to contract and / or pay.

I think I have heared all existing excuses - and that stopped immediately
after charging a downpayment. And a part or all - depending on the amount
- will be kept if no final order is given.

Why should the paying customers cover the time and expenses for unsuccessful
cases?

+++

[BlackST]

I charge a diagnose fee with report - on some case I assume the risk. Otherwise....

[CK]

I had a good excuse last week......my customer was about to die and therefore no longer need his data.

[pcimage]

We operate "no-fix no-fee" on most cases. But like pepe, if the chances are considered low (due to damage etc) then we sometimes quote a charge for the attempt. But the client is made fully aware why and how much, then it's his/her decision whether or not to proceed.

If specific parts are required to be ordered in, and they are likely to die in a recovery attempt, again this is chargable but advised beforehand. Fortunately we have 1,000's of spares drives in stock so it's rare we don't have suitable parts. If the ordered in part is not likely to be ruined (for example used for a hot-swap) then it's not charged, we absorb the cost and keep it for future reference.

As far as data is concerned, if the client specifies particular files/folders then these are checked for integrity and quality. But most of the time, the client just says "I want everything", which is no help as we have no idea what "should" be on the drive!

[HDD Spaz]

I had a good excuse last week......my customer was about to die and therefore no longer need his data.

I would have still charged them. Its not your fault is it?

[HDD Spaz]

We operate "no-fix no-fee" on most cases. But like pepe, if the chances are considered low (due to damage etc) then we sometimes quote a charge for the attempt. But the client is made fully aware why and how much, then it's his/her decision whether or not to proceed.

If specific parts are required to be ordered in, and they are likely to die in a recovery attempt, again this is chargable but advised beforehand. Fortunately we have 1,000's of spares drives in stock so it's rare we don't have suitable parts. If the ordered in part is not likely to be ruined (for example used for a hot-swap) then it's not charged, we absorb the cost and keep it for future reference.

As far as data is concerned, if the client specifies particular files/folders then these are checked for integrity and quality. But most of the time, the client just says "I want everything", which is no help as we have no idea what "should" be on the drive!

Same here. I agree with your business practice. Afterall, we are all trying to make a living.

[jono-ats]

We have given this situation a great deal of thought.

The customer satisfaction part is sometimes handled on a case-by-case basis. Our goal is to have satisfied clients -- not unhappy ones. Sometimes we waive the entire fee if we don't get the data the client has identified at the beginning. It's a little harder when you get back 90% of their pictures, and they are unhappy about the missing 10% after the recovery is done.

Our general policy is no recovery, no fee. Our diagnosis is free until we begin the parts swap process. The exception is that charge a client $100 if we procure a donor for parts, and use those parts without success in attempting to recover data. It is a reimbursement for an out-of-pocket expense and it is always done with the client's OK first to take the risk.

The key is to make sure that you and your customer have a good relationship and understanding from the very beginning. Then always treat a client as you would want to be treated. That is not the same as allowing yourself to be taken advantage of.

On the other hand, you sometimes have to deal with unreasonable customers. For example, we recently did a warranty hard drive swap for a client who elected not to have data recovered. There was no charge to her, and she got a working laptop back with a fresh copy of the OS.

The gal called and asked me where her copy of Microsoft Word went. When we explained that you have to buy that program, she went on to claim that we told her that she would be able to "run all her programs" except for documents and photos. I further told her that if she wanted those things, that is what data recovery is for. No one told her what she claimed we did.

Before she hung up, she had a real attitude and it was clear that she was going to complain to someone. Oh well.

It's a two way street. Good customer skills and keeping an open mind are as important -- if not more -- than technical prowess.

Jon

[rashi]

Hi,

Ya many of them don't, my system's hard drive got crashed and i had some valuable data in that which need to be recovered. I went from one firm to another to get it repaired, but wasnt satisfied with their services, but at last i found hdrc and I was pretty much satisfied with what they did. They do gurantee their services.

Thanks


Added by moderator: another spam post from HDRC

[hddmania]

Hey rashi,

You forgot to delete your footer...

[pcimage]

Blatent spamming

Please give it a rest.

[jono-ats]

Hey Rashi,

If you are with HDRC, how about giving me a refund for those crappy, useless "platter exchange tools" that I bought from you but are too risky to use?

Jono


How's that for an anti-spam reply?

[quasimodo]

We have given this situation a great deal of thought.

The customer satisfaction part is sometimes handled on a case-by-case basis. Our goal is to have satisfied clients -- not unhappy ones. Sometimes we waive the entire fee if we don't get the data the client has identified at the beginning. It's a little harder when you get back 90% of their pictures, and they are unhappy about the missing 10% after the recovery is done.

Jon

Yeah, tell me about it, I know exactly what you mean.

[rashi]

Blatent spamming

Please give it a rest.

No, I am not a spammer nor I have any link with the company...
It's just about their services. Everyone in here has a link in the footer. So, what about them, are they paying the forum to put that link that's why they are not called spammers. So, why are you all putting up a finger on a genuine person.

Thanks

[N.C.]

Blatent spamming

Please give it a rest.

No, I am not a spammer nor I have any link with the company...
It's just about their services. Everyone in here has a link in the footer. So, what about them, are they paying the forum to put that link that's why they are not called spammers. So, why are you all putting up a finger on a genuine person.

Thanks

Why?

Beacuse your previous post looks like a washing powder advertise.
(Nobody is good, except me....)

Janos

[drc]

Never mind that the original poster, claiming to be surprised that some firms "actually had them give me a "charge" for bringing the drive in, and a "charge" for trying to repair the drive", has a link in his signature that shows where his interests lie...

We offer a Free Quote for all recoveries within 24 hours and have always maintained a no data, no charge policy.

Is this not just slightly less obvious spamming?