1. What is your data recovery success rate?

Statistics can be rather deceptive as they can be doctored to appear better than they truly are.

Success rates are deliberately mentioned in online advertising - designed to capitalize on the knowledge that your data is invaluable to you and that you need a guarantee that you will get it back. They know this and will tell you exactly what you want to hear about their recovery success rates. At Seagate we know that if your data is recoverable, there is no doubt we WILL get it back. However, if we deem your data UNRECOVERABLE, we'll be up front about it.

As the world's leading digital storage provider, you are guaranteed that we have the best technology on earth to get your data back. If Seagate cannot get it back, then no one else can get it back either.

2. What do I get for the price I am paying?

When making the BIG decision to buy data recovery services... ask yourself "Who do I trust most to recover my important data?"

If it is too cheap... then double check what you're paying for. Most data recovery services that offer you $500 data recovery services have limited success rates. Often because they are restricted to certain types of recovery options such as PCB damaged; partition tables & boot record corruption and MFT records restorations. Even the file structures they work with may be restricted to NTFS file systems only. It's always a good idea to check if they are committing to recover deleted files only.

Seagate believes in value for money. If you need a cost-effective data recovery solution without risk of any further damage to your media, try our FileRecovery for Windows first. When you try it out, you will know exactly if your data can be recovered by the software. Only on confirmation thereof do you buy it for only US$129.00.

If Seagate's DIY Software Solution cannot recover your data, you will need a professional data recovery lab service to get your data back.

3. Will I only get my data back?

Don't be afraid to ask what you get for the price you're paying. It's your data, your money and you deserve the very best service!

Always compare service providers in terms of what you are being promised for the money you're spending. If your money only buys your data back, you're not getting a good deal.

And don't forget that there should be a clear No Data - No Charge Guarantee. If they cannot get your data back, why should you be charged for the service?

4. What are the quote and payment agreements?

Payment options, including when and for what you are being charged, should be clearly explained. And always up front!

All commitments and promises should always be confirmed up front and must be met at time of invoicing. Data recovery is no different from any other service you purchase - you should know in advance exactly what you're getting for the price you pay.

Seagate Recovery Services commits to providing a firm quote before work commences. The price quoted is the price you pay. There are no extra charges, hidden shipping or evaluation fees. Every Seagate data recovery case is delivered within the context of a firm service and price commitment setout in the terms of the agreement.

Obtain a clear commitment on how the data will be returned to you. As an absolute minimum, your data should be returned on media that you can easily access and integrate into your existing system.

At Seagate, we will return your data on a Seagate disc drive covered by a 2-year warranty at no additional charge, if you choose our Priority Service. For removable media (flash drives, memory sticks, USB memory etc.) we return your data on a Seagate Pocket Drive. The end goal is always to ensure your data is easily accessible and usable the moment it's returned.

A data recovery attempt may void the warranty agreement you have with the manufacturer. Honoring a third party / drive manufacturer warranty may cause delays in recovering the data. For example, waiting for confirmation that the warranty will be honored.

Ask your service provider about how they honor your media's warranty. If they don't provide you a clear warranty statement, you may have to purchase a new hard drive after your data is recovered.

Seagate honors all manufacturers' warranties by replacing the media with comparable Seagate media. Should Seagate Recovery Services void a non-Seagate and / or non-Maxtor product warranty, Seagate Recovery Services will replace the competitive drive with an equivalent Seagate drive free of charge. The Seagate drive will be covered by a new 2-year warranty.