Our courier network functions as our branch network. Anywhere in the United Kingdom you are located, a parcel (containing your failed drive, SSD, RAID set, NAS disks, memory card or laptop) may be shipped via a tracked and insured courier. Upon receipt of your parcel we will diagnose your failed drive at no cost to you. The diagnosis will take place within 48 hours of receipt. Prior to any repairs taking place, we will provide you with a written quotation based upon the findings of the diagnostic.
The success in recovering your data is based upon the quality of the equipment and the engineer performing the recovery, not on the mileage travelled. Next day delivery allows us to reach every postcode in the UK; therefore, every customer is just one box away from our equipment and engineers.
All of our services start with sending an item to us, which is why we have included this information upfront.
When addressing the package containing your failed drive, please ensure it is addressed to Bristol Data Recovery, Castlemead, Lower Castle Street, Bristol BS1 3AG. You may use any tracked and insured courier or Royal Mail service. Include your name, postal address, email address, and telephone number in your note, or you may print out our shipping form and include that in lieu of a handwritten note. The note/shipping form contained within your package is how we book in your device immediately upon its arrival.
Unless there has been a problem identified with one of these items related to a faulty cable/power supply, etc., do not send any caddies/cables/power supplies with your failed drive. For external drives, enclosing the entire case with the drive is useful; however, bare drives, memory cards/sticks require absolutely nothing else than themselves.
Sixty seconds of care taken when packing your parcel eliminates all of the transit risks associated therewith.
Single drives and SSDs need very rigid packaging (a box) & an unmovable packing system (bubble wrap around the drive, filler around the bubble wrap). For RAID and NAS disks put a sticker on each disk identifying which bay or slot number it belongs in & space them far enough apart to prevent accidental contact; the chassis & controller can usually remain with you. Cards and USB sticks should be taped to a piece of cardboard for shipping via a padded envelope. If a USB stick breaks, ship the two broken pieces bagged together. A water-damaged drive breaks this rule. Ship the hard drive wet (sealed in a bag); don’t let it dry out, because drying out is what starts the corrosion.
We will receive approval from you prior to us starting the process.
Upon receiving your device, it’s logged and placed directly into the diagnostic queue: free diagnostics within 48 hours. A detailed written quote is provided outlining what was damaged, what can be recovered, & the exact cost of recovery; in most cases you only pay if we recover your data. Physical repairs at the drive level (head swaps, board rebuilds etc.) require a 50% deposit towards replacement parts & bench time; the remaining balance isn’t due until your data is recovered. Upon completion of your job, your recovered files will be delivered back to you on new media; return shipping arrangements are also outlined as part of your quote.
Finally, regarding sending vs taking locally: much of “local” hard disk recovery is already postal; many shops that accept a drive over-the-counter actually send the drive off-site to a specialist lab for recovery. Therefore, by sending it to the lab yourself, you’re simply shortening the chain.
Send us your device for a no-obligation free diagnostic and let us know what went wrong. One of our engineers will inspect it and confirm your exact quote in writing prior to doing any work.
To get started with recovering your data, first get your device to us. Wrap it securely, write your contact details on a slip of paper inside the package, include a brief description of what happened and post it to us. After running a complimentary diagnostic we will write to you confirming the exact price prior to starting work.
Do you want to post the device to us? We highly recommend using a trackable postal service with insurance. Would you prefer to deliver it yourself? That’s fine too. Our office hours for accepting deliveries are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm. Please make sure to wrap the device as described previously.
Need some additional information regarding our data recovery services? Fill out the form and provide further detail about your problem and one of our engineers will review it and offer you a personalised quote.
We’ll be in touch shortly. For anything urgent, call 0117 332 1137.
It’s less daunting than it sounds. The read head on your drive when turned off sits parked away from the platter; therefore standard vibration caused by transit does not make contact with the surface of your data. In a sturdy box place your drive so it cannot move and have it booked via a tracked and insured courier service to ensure that upon arrival at our Bristol drop-off point, it will be in the exact condition as it was before shipping. Every working day we receive drives into our premises from all over the country for recovery; they are typically sent here in a stiff box.
Your free diagnostic will be completed within 48 hours after your device arrives. And included with the written quote will be a timescale for the actual recovery. Single drives usually return within days. RAID sets/servers take longer. Urgent jobs can also be flagged upon contact.
Distance does not change anything. Memory cards and USB sticks are £250 + VAT. Single drives (internal or external / laptop or Mac) are £300 + VAT. Multi-disk RAID/NAS/server work will have a price quoted after the free diagnostic. All prices are listed on our pricing page.
Yes, if you are local to the area please feel free to bring your item to Castlemead in Bristol on a weekday between 9am and 5:30pm. Our postal service is available to anyone that cannot make it locally; we will offer the same bench and the same team of engineers at the same price as our local customers, regardless of how you send us your device.
Pack it today, and you will receive a free written diagnostic assessment of your device within 48 hours after we receive it at our Bristol location. There is no charge associated with this service until you accept it.