Terms and conditions

Last updated: [07.01.2025]

By sending your device to Dragon Data Recovery Ltd. for evaluation or recovery, you agree to the following Terms and Conditions. These are available on our website, can be emailed upon request, or provided in person at our premises.

1. General Terms of Service

• Submitting your device constitutes acceptance of these terms.
• All data is considered lost before arrival. Dragon Data Recovery Ltd. makes no guarantees of recovery success.
• We assess all devices upon arrival. Following evaluation, we’ll contact you with our findings and a recovery quote.
• No recovery work will commence without your explicit approval.

Please refer to your individual Service-Level Agreement (SLA) for specific expectations related to your case.

2. Liability & Risk Disclosure

Dragon Data Recovery Ltd. acts as a last resort service provider. By instructing us to proceed, you acknowledge and accept that:

• Recovery attempts may result in further degradation, media failure, or permanent loss of any remaining data.
• Our work may void manufacturer warranties or render devices unusable for future use.
• We are not liable for any data loss, corruption, or consequential damages — regardless of outcome.
• We do not undertake hardware repairs intended to make devices usable again. In successful recovery cases where internal procedures are required (e.g., opening the drive, replacing heads, or imaging in degraded conditions), the original device may be disassembled, damaged, or rendered inoperable as a result.

In such cases, the original drive is not returned, as it cannot be reused and may pose a risk if powered on again. However, if recovery is declined or unsuccessful and the device remains intact, it will be returned on request.

Shipping Disclaimer

Dragon Data Recovery Ltd. is not responsible for any damage, delay, or loss that occurs during return shipping once your job has been dispatched.
We will choose a suitable courier (typically UPS, DHL, or Royal Mail Special Delivery) based on your location, destination type, and parcel value. All return shipments are tracked and handled with care.

Once your data or equipment has been collected by the courier and leaves our premises, responsibility for the shipment passes to you as the recipient.
While we are happy to provide tracking numbers and assist with confirmation of dispatch, please note that we are not the named sender or contractual party on the shipment, and therefore cannot raise or manage courier claims on your behalf.

3. Service Categories & Starting Prices

Standard Data Recovery
For logical issues such as deleted files, reformats, file system damage, or minor hardware issues (e.g., light bad sectors, minor firmware faults).
From £350

Advanced Data Recovery
For drives with clicking heads, head stack damage, severe sector degradation, or advanced firmware faults requiring internal work.
From £450

RAID Data Recovery
For all RAID configurations (hardware/software-based), whether involving logical corruption or physical member drive failures.
From £750

Custom Data Recovery
For rare or extreme cases requiring extended imaging, multiple cleanroom procedures, or complex manual reconstruction.
Price on application

4. Payment Terms & Abandonment Policy

All recovery fees are payable in full before any recovered data is released or returned to the customer.

Partial or staged payments may be considered only by prior written agreement and in exceptional cases. These agreements will outline specific payment dates, amounts, and final due date for full release.

Please note that recovery cases remain on hold and data is not dispatched until the balance is cleared in full.

Unless explicitly agreed in writing, we do not offer credit, open-ended payment terms, or post-recovery invoicing.

If you decline recovery after evaluation, your original device will be returned unrepaired.

Abandonment clause:

If we do not receive any customer response within 28 days of evaluation completion, we will consider the job and associated media abandoned. In such cases:

• The original device and any recovered data may be securely destroyed or repurposed at our discretion.
• No further notice will be provided.
• This policy is enforced to protect privacy and manage storage logistics.

In cases where a customer has confirmed their intention to proceed but has not made any payment or maintained meaningful communication for an extended period, the case may also be treated as abandoned.

If no payment is received within 28 days of approval to proceed, and no alternative arrangement has been agreed in writing, we reserve the right to cancel the recovery and securely destroy the associated data and media without further notice.

5. Data Handling & Privacy

All recovered data is processed and transferred sight unseen by default — meaning we do not browse or inspect the file contents unless you specifically request us to. This is to protect your privacy and reduce unnecessary handling.

If you would like us to confirm the presence or condition of specific files (e.g. family photos, project folders, or documents), please notify us during the recovery process and we’ll do our best to assist.

However, we do not manually open or check large datasets (e.g. thousands of photos or videos) to confirm their content or usability. This is outside the scope of standard recovery and is not feasible on a file-by-file basis.

Dragon Data Recovery Ltd. does not guarantee the functionality, integrity, or completeness of individual files, even if recovery is successful at the media level.

Any temporary recovery data is held securely and is permanently deleted 14 days after data delivery or dispatch.

Physical components (e.g., faulty drives or parts) are securely destroyed or recycled unless returned to you as part of a declined recovery.

6. Additional Notes

• We reserve the right to refuse service in cases of abusive behaviour, suspected illegal content, or unacceptable risk to our staff or business.
• These terms are subject to change. The most up-to-date version is always available on our website.