I know this has been discussed before but maybe it's worth it again. There's so much free stuff around these days.

"No data - no cost to client" does not equate to "FREE" diagnostics. The is no link between the two concepts.

The client would assume - "No data - no cost" - means lot's of free TIME from the DR in the event of no data for the client.

Who gives free time to any client? - I think not a pro, nor an expert.

My conclusion - "no data - no cost" - this is drag and drop DR.

Sure, I think there are some pros who give some minutes of their time for free.

So now, you've diagnosed the problem -->> say "heads" --->>> and after 3 hours doing some bits and bytes extraction,
the heads meet a hidden chasm on the surface, bang - click, click - no pst file. What then ??

New heads stack? new try? more hours? - Somehow I think not.

Somehow, I think no data - no cost jobs become such quite quickly - say within one hour then amateur moves on to
more easy "drag and drop" - little work (skill) good pay. I think that's how it works in reality.

Clients who are prepared to pay for professional time - they get professional service (mostly).
So if you a client pay the pro for his valuable time

Now everybody knows why pro's charge 300-600EURO/POUND/DOLLARS for recvories- whether they offer no data fee or not.
When you loose some- you make up for it on another.
Any way- somebody already said business is like sport- only results count. So if you are experienced DR technician and lots of resources- you can promise whatever you want for free- as long as they pay for the recovered data
I dont know what you meant by your post anyway? Goind down the ladder to unexperienced people it more of a 'cover up' - he tried to recover the data- did not work send it back with a nice letter saying sorry we cannot recover- no fee.

That works in many ways dont you think.

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It seems that the unluckiest people in the world are those that don't backup.
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