1. General Information
1.1. In these terms and conditions:
1.1.1. "Data Recovery Expert" refers to a subsidiary of Data Recovery Expert (USA) LLC whose registered address is 1010 Market St. Suite 590, St Louis, MO 63101.
1.1.2. "Client" refers to any business, charity, or other legitimate entity with the necessary authority to agree to these terms and conditions who has sent, or may send, digital media and associated peripherals to Data Recovery Expert for data recovery services to any of its offices or postal boxes worldwide.
1.1.3. "Media" refers to any hard disk drives, floppy disks, USB disks, external hard drives (where the hard disk remains securely attached to the enclosure), laptops, personal computers, tapes, or any other digital storage device sent to Data Recovery Expert.
1.1.4. "Peripherals" refers to any items associated with the media such as wires, leads, controller cards, or unattached external enclosures which can be readily detached from the media without affecting its ability to store digital data.
1.2. These terms and conditions apply only to the return of the digital media originally sent to Data Recovery Expert by the client and do not apply to the carriage of any recovered data, which is covered by the general terms and conditions available on our website.
1.3. While Data Recovery Expert will use reasonable care to safeguard your media while it is in our custody, we disclaim all liability and responsibility for any harm or destruction caused to any caddy when it is necessary to open them to access the internal HDDs, which could result in irreparable damage. Only the internal HDDs will be returned, excluding the damaged external caddy.
1.4. Data Recovery Expert is not responsible if a warranty is nullified as a result of work required to provide the data recovery service.
1.5. If no request has been made at the time the inquiry is submitted or via a written letter enclosed in the package, any peripherals supplied by the client, such as cables or original boxes, may be discarded. Data Recovery Expert is not responsible for replacing any discarded peripherals, including the device's original box if required for a warranty claim.
1.6. The client acknowledges that if the original media are not requested back within seven (7) days of declining the quotation or the shipping of recovered data, the media will be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. The company cannot be held responsible or liable for any ongoing warranty claims where the original media needed to be returned if a request is made beyond the 7-day period and the media has already been disposed of responsibly.
2. Shipping Services
2.1. Data Recovery Expert undertakes to offer a free return shipping service to paying and non-paying customers in accordance with advertisements made on its website. However, the client accepts that this free return shipping service does not apply to laptops, media that came with peripherals, or media whose combined weight exceeds 2kg.
2.2. The client accepts that standard mail returns are processed once per calendar month on the last working day.
2.3. The client accepts that the expected delivery time via standard mail is 21 days and via courier service is 3 days, and that this timeframe is calculated from the date of recovery plus 14 business days.
2.4. The client accepts that the delivery times quoted in 2.3 are not contractual and that Data Recovery Expert is not responsible for any loss associated with late deliveries either by standard mail or by courier service.
2.5. The client accepts that, in accordance with the general terms and conditions of service, the media and/or peripherals may be located at one of Data Recovery Expert's offices worldwide and that the free return shipping service is for standard mail only — it does not include courier service. The client therefore accepts the following:
2.5.1. The free return shipping could be provided by any of the following: Deutsche Post (Germany), Royal Mail (UK), Parcelforce (UK/EU), La Poste (France), Correos (Spain), Poste Italiane (Italy), and Priority Mail (USA/Canada).
2.5.2. A signature may not be required, and the client therefore accepts that Data Recovery Expert will only be required to provide proof of dispatch.
2.5.3. The client accepts a photocopy of the front of the parcel showing postage and address label affixed as proof of dispatch or a tracking number from any of the carriers listed in 2.5.1.
2.5.4. The client accepts that tracking numbers may not be available for standard mail services.
2.5.5. Providing Data Recovery Expert can provide proof of dispatch, the client accepts that Data Recovery Expert is not responsible for loss of the media and/or peripherals resulting from the postal service.
2.6. Shipping Charges
All other shipping requests are subject to the following charges:
All Media (up to 2KG) — USPS: Free
All Media (up to 2KG) — UPS: $35 (CAD) incl. taxes
Multiple Drives + Small RAIDs (2KG - 4KG) — UPS: $55 (CAD) incl. taxes
Multiple Drives + Large RAIDs (4KG - 10KG) — UPS: $69 (CAD) incl. taxes
Laptops (2KG - 10KG) — UPS: $69 (CAD) incl. taxes
Large Towers / Servers / Monitors (10KG - 30KG) — UPS: $110 (CAD) incl. taxes
Please note: Large towers, servers, and monitors have a minimum cost. Each item will be assessed individually and a cost provided upon request.
2.6.1. Data Recovery Expert accepts credit or debit card (VISA, Mastercard, AMEX), as well as PayPal or bank transfer, for payment of shipping services.
2.6.2. All parcels dispatched using courier services will be via DHL, Parcelforce, Royal Mail Tracked 24, or UPS, and the client accepts a tracking number from any of these carriers as proof of dispatch.
3. Redress for Lost Media or Peripherals
3.1. The client accepts that, provided Data Recovery Expert can provide proof of dispatch, it is not responsible for any financial loss resulting from the loss of items while with any postal or courier carrier.
3.2. The client accepts that any media or peripherals sent to Data Recovery Expert were faulty and their tangible value is therefore a maximum of $1, €1, or £1. This is the full extent of Data Recovery Expert’s liability if items are lost prior to dispatch.
4. Legality
4.1. The client agrees that all media and its content provided to Data Recovery Expert is legal and the lawful possession of the client and that the client has the legal right to request data recovery services, as described under Federal, State, and Local Laws.