Free assessment · then one fixed price
The fault gets named first. The price comes second.
The checker is simply two questions and nothing else. Back comes a probable cause, a blunt warning of what you should not do next, and a rough estimate of the bench cost. The form is further down the page. After this the device is assessed by an engineer at our lab for free, and the amount we write on paper is the amount you pay.
You will be talking to an engineer
0800 6890668
Two questions, a probable cause.
How the job runs →What are we looking at?
Pick whichever is closest.
Just two taps, a straight answer, and one step you should take before anything else. The free diagnosis is different: that needs the drive itself in front of an engineer. Think of this as the answer you would get if you rang us, but it's still available at three in the morning.
Then the detail.
What follows after that.
A reply inside one working day
What you send will be read by a person, not categorised by a script. Back comes an honest first opinion: the realistic chances, the one thing not to touch, and where to post it.
On the bench, fault identified Free
When a device arrives, it gets its own case number and then goes onto the bench. That is when the real fault is identified and we determine how much of the platters or flash memory can still be read.
Then the figure, and your call
Your quote arrives in writing. If you accept, the bench work starts. If you decline, we return your device at our expense. Either way the assessment was free, and there is no clause anywhere that takes that back.
The address, and the forms.
Rather have it on paper? →All of the information you enter here will appear on the printed form as well. Prefer paper? Download the PDF and fill it in by hand. Either works, as long as one copy goes in the parcel.
Boxing it up.
Run through this before sealing it
- Write down every password: all Windows logins, FileVault passwords, BitLocker recovery keys and so on go on the shipping form. No lab can bypass encryption. Without the key we will only get as far as you did.
- Tell us which files cannot be lost: name those folders and we will read them first once the work begins.
- Externals come whole, with the cable and power supply too: with a WD My Passport (or similar), the bridge board inside the enclosure is married to that particular disk, so both need to arrive together.
- Keep the mains lead from a laptop or PC unless we tell you otherwise. If a piece has snapped off or worked loose, pack it in a small bag and send it with the drive. Don't throw anything away.
Saying it twice: whatever the checker says, keep the device switched off and unplugged. A lot of the damage arriving on our bench started with one last try.
Questions asked before posting it.
Does the checker count as a diagnosis?
No, they are completely separate. A diagnosis means one of our engineers has your hardware and works through it in stages until the fault can be named. The checker simply mirrors the boxes you ticked and suggests what might be wrong. Treat the first as evidence and the second as a pointer. Quotes follow evidence.
What does the work usually cost?
This depends on the hardware, and the checker names the band. Cards and pen drives start at £250 + VAT. A single hard disk is £300 + VAT. Recorders, DVRs included, are £400 + VAT. Two disks or more start at £500 + VAT. Every band and its prices are shown on the pricing page. Once the free assessment is done, the band becomes one written price.
Do I only pay if you recover my data?
Most of the time, yes: in most cases you only pay if we recover your data. Where a job is an exception, this is explained before you agree to anything. The usual exceptions are drives with physical or electrical damage, and anything another company has already opened up.
How soon do you reply?
Within one working day. 30 minutes is typical if your message arrives while the desk is manned; anything sent overnight gets a response the next morning. Once a single disk is on the bench, diagnosis typically takes around 48 hours.
Two minutes, and you have a price.
Checker, form, then post it or take it in person to Bristol. After that it's entirely your decision whether to go further, and having it assessed costs you nothing.