RAID Data Recovery Quotations

Prices for RAID data recovery

In general our quotations for RAID data recovery are based on a per-disk basis. The fee per disk varies based on the disk capacity, type (e.g. SATA, SCSI/SAS) and other factors. Typically the quotations we provide are at £250 – £500 ex VAT per disk in the RAID array. Higher capacity and enterprise HDDs are charged at a higher rate. If your RAID array is using encryption, virtualisation, multiple LUNs or Thin Provisioning then it is also necessary to account for this into the cost as these factors can increase the complexity of the work considerably. However, we will always provide you with an exact cost before you send your RAID/media to us.

Fixed price quotations in advance

Cheadle DATA Recovery Ltd guarantees fixed price quotations in advance of receiving any RAID array or server. To provide you with a fixed quotation we will need to know a few details about the failed RAID array and the type of data you have stored. Usually, this can be covered in a 10 to 15 minute telephone call. We are mainly interested in the number of disks in the RAID array, the capacity, the type (e.g. SATA, SAS etc), whether any virtualisation is being used, and finally the symptoms/reason for failure.

Why do CDR offer fixed quotations?

If you have been trying to find a data recovery service you may have already realised that a considerable number of data recovery companies provide a price range. Moreover, some request that they can only provide a quotation once the RAID array is on their premises. This is because these companies know that once they have your business critical data on their site you are much more likely to agree with any quotation they then provide. Usually, the quotation provided by the data recovery company is considerably higher than the initial ‘price estimate’ provided in advance. They justify this by claiming that the work is much more complex than the description which you provided, or that ‘rare’ donor parts are required to complete the work.

The customer then has a dilemma. Do they pay the considerably inflated costs, or risk that if the RAID array is requested to be returned that the data recovery company may cause damage to the data, or cause significant delays in getting it returned?

CDR quotations are guaranteed

Once the over-the-telephone diagnostic of your RAID/server is completed a quotation shall be sent to you by email. The quotation covers all aspects of the work. There will be a price for the ‘Standard Service’, where disks are worked on during a 7 to 9 working day period. You will also be provided with a price for the ‘Emergency Service’, which we aim to complete in 12 to 72 hours.

If you wish to accept this quotation then all you have to do is arrange delivery of your RAID array to CDR.

Additional fees?

All of the quotations which CDR provides include the cost of required donor parts. We always state the cost of any new HDD to return data on in advance. There are no hidden costs, or additional costs which are added once the work has commenced. If it is not possible to recover the data the only fee charged is £10 + VAT to cover the return courier fee.

What is a “successful” recovery?

Many data recovery companies advertise, “no-recovery, no-fee.” However, for some data recovery companies this means that recovering any data is considered ‘successful’. Even if this is a very small amount of data, or data which you do not require.  When CDR provides a quotation you can specify what the “critical data required” is. Success is based on the recovery of the files which you specify. Once CDR has completed work on your failed RAID you shall be provided with software and a file list to examine the data which has been recovered. Only on approval of this file list by the customer will an invoice be raised. On the main CDR website you can find an example video of the file list viewer in use.

Choose a data recovery company carefully

Please note that it is only possible to provide a file list once work is completed. This is because all of the technical work is required before it is possible to extract the data in the form of files. If you see a data recovery company offering you a file list of what ‘could’ be recovered at the same time as your quotation it means that they have already performed the work and extracted your data to their server!

Always check the trading history of a data recovery company, including Google search results after the first page. Public internet forums like Money Saving Expert or HDDGuru have reliable customer testimonials. Whereas review sites like ‘TrustPilot’ can have a high proportion of fake reviews. You may notice that many data recovery websites have no physical address listed, or no company or VAT registration number listed. It is worth checking where your data will actually go.

If you are uncertain about which company to choose then Cheadle DATA Recovery Ltd is prepared to offer you the names of three competitor data recovery companies which we know will perform work in a professional, trustworthy and effective manner. We will always prefer to see your data be recovered by a reliable company, rather than you to lose out to a data recovery scam.