Terms & Conditions

01Acceptance of Terms and Eligibility

These Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) form a legal agreement between you and Data Recovery Doctor (“we”, “us”, “our”, or “the Lab”). They apply when you visit our website, request a free evaluation or quotation, hand over a device, approve a quotation, or use any of our services.

By doing any of these things, you confirm that you have read, understood and accepted these Terms together with our Privacy Policy, the job sheet or check-in receipt for your device, and the quotation you approve. If any of those documents contains a specific term for your job (for example a price, a timeline or a special instruction) that specific term prevails for that job.

• You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter into a contract. If a device belongs to a minor, a parent or guardian must submit it and accept these Terms.
• If you act for a company or another person, you confirm that you have the authority to bind them.
• If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not use our services or hand over a device.

02Definitions

Device

Any storage device or equipment you give us, such as a hard disk, SSD, laptop, desktop, pen drive, memory card, phone, tablet, DVR/NVR, NAS, RAID or server, together with its accessories.

Data

All files, folders, databases, e-mail, photographs, documents and other information stored on the Device.

Job

Your service request, identified by a job number given at check-in.

Evaluation

Our initial examination of the Device to find out what is wrong and whether recovery is likely.

Quotation

The written estimate (on paper, PDF, WhatsApp, e-mail or portal) that states the price, scope, expected time and any special conditions for your Job.

Recovery Fee

The service charge in the approved Quotation for recovering your Data, excluding approved third-party or parts costs and taxes.

Recovered Data

The Data we are able to retrieve from your Device, in whatever condition it is recovered.

Working Copy

An image, clone or extract of your Data created in the lab for the purpose of recovery.

03Our Services

We provide professional data recovery and related services, including logical recovery (deleted, formatted or corrupted data), physical and clean-room recovery for failed hard disks and SSDs, RAID and NAS recovery, laptop, pen drive and memory card recovery, and recovery from other digital media. The services offered and their descriptions are shown on our Services page.

We use professional tools, a Class 100 clean-room environment for work that needs it, and experienced engineers. We may decline or stop a Job that is unlawful, unsafe or technically impossible (see sections 7 and 18).

04Free Evaluation, Quotation and Approval

• Free evaluation. We examine your Device and tell you what is wrong, the chance of recovery, the likely cost and the expected time, at no charge. If the Device must be opened to diagnose it, we explain this and ask for your consent first.
• No paid work without approval. We begin chargeable work only after you approve the Quotation in writing, by WhatsApp, e-mail, through the customer portal, or by signing the job sheet.
• Estimates are indicative. A Quotation is based on the condition we find at evaluation. If we discover a new problem that changes the cost or the scope, we will tell you and get your approval before going beyond the approved amount.
• Validity. A Quotation stays valid for 7 days from the date it is issued, after which prices and timelines may change.
• Online quote tool. The price ranges shown by the quote tool on our website and the estimate PDF are indicative only. They are not a binding offer until we confirm them in a Quotation for your Device.

05Your Authorisation and Declarations

By handing over a Device, you confirm and declare that:

• you are the owner of the Device and the Data, or you are authorised by the owner to give it to us and to instruct us;
• you authorise our engineers to access the Data to the extent needed to diagnose the fault and recover the Data, and to make Working Copies;
• the Data does not include anything unlawful, and you have the right to ask us to recover it, including any permission needed from your employer, clients or other people whose information is stored on the Device;
• you have told us everything you know about the failure, including liquid, fire or impact damage, earlier repair or recovery attempts, software run on the Device, and any password, PIN or encryption used;
• the name, mobile number, WhatsApp number, e-mail address and address you give us are correct, and you will tell us if they change.

06Pickup, Shipping and Transit

• Free doorstep pickup is available where we offer it. Our representative or an authorised courier will collect the Device. A check-in record lists the Device, its visible condition and your job number. Please keep the job number safe.
• Pack the Device properly, ideally in anti-static and shock-proof packaging, and remove any accessories, SIM cards or memory cards that you do not want us to hold.
• If you send the Device yourself, for example through a courier of your choice, you are responsible for the packaging and for any loss or damage in transit until we receive it and record it. We recommend that you insure valuable shipments.
• You can follow the progress of your Job in the customer portal (Track Job) or by contacting us.

07Nature of Data Recovery and No Guarantee

Data recovery is a specialist process on Devices that have already failed. We work with great care, but you understand and accept that:

• the result depends on the physical and logical condition of the Device. Recovery may be complete, partial or not possible, and we cannot guarantee any particular outcome;
• success rates and figures we mention, such as “up to 98%”, describe our past results in general and are not a promise for your Device;
• data that has been overwritten, or Devices with severe physical damage, may not be recoverable;
• recovered files may be incomplete, corrupted or have lost their original names or folder structure;
• opening a drive, replacing parts or changing firmware may void the manufacturer’s warranty, and the Device may not work normally again or be returned in its original condition;
• despite due care, there is an unavoidable risk that further deterioration of a failing Device occurs during recovery, and prior attempts by other people or software can reduce the chance of success;
• we are not responsible for the content, accuracy or lawfulness of the Data.

08“No Data – No Charge” Promise

Our promise is simple: if we cannot recover the data you asked us to recover, you do not pay the Recovery Fee. To keep it fair for everyone, these conditions apply:

• What it covers. The promise applies to the Recovery Fee for the Job you approved. It applies when none of the important data you identified (recorded on the job sheet or Quotation) can be recovered in usable form.
• Partial results. If the recovered files include what you asked for, in whole or in part, the Recovery Fee applies as quoted, or as we agree with you after you have verified the results (see section 10).
• Approved extra costs. The promise does not cover costs we incurred with your prior approval, such as donor drives or parts, third-party specialist services, courier charges outside our free pickup area, priority or urgent charges, and new storage media bought for delivery. These are shown in the Quotation before you approve.
• What voids it. The promise does not apply where the Device or the facts were misdescribed, where required passwords or keys are withheld, where the Device was tampered with by someone else after check-in, or where you cancel a Job after approved work has started (section 12 applies).
• If the promise applies, we return the Device to you and refund any advance you paid, less the approved extra costs above.

09Turnaround Times

Many cases are completed within 24 to 48 hours after approval. These are estimates, not guarantees. Complex physical failures, RAID and server recovery, large capacities, badly damaged media and cases where parts must be sourced take longer, and we will tell you when we expect this. Urgent or priority handling may be available for an additional fee stated in the Quotation. We are not responsible for delays caused by waiting for your approval, payment, information or passwords, or by third parties.

10Verification and Delivery of Recovered Data

1. Remote verification. When recovery is complete, we share a file list or preview so that you can check the results. Please review it promptly and tell us what you find.
2. Approved payment. The approved fee, including taxes and agreed extra costs, is to be paid before the Recovered Data is released, unless we have agreed otherwise in writing.
3. OTP-verified secure delivery. We send a one-time password (OTP) to your registered mobile number. Give it only to our authorised delivery representative. We may also ask to see a valid photo ID. We hand over the Recovered Data on media agreed with you (your own media, or new media supplied by us and charged as quoted).
4. Someone else collects it. Delivery to another person is made only with your written authorisation and the OTP.
5. Check on receipt. Once the OTP is verified and the data is handed over, delivery is complete. Please check the data on receipt. We return the original Device to you unless we agree otherwise.

11Fees, Taxes and Payment

• All prices are in Indian Rupees (INR). GST and other taxes are added as applicable and shown in the Quotation or invoice.
• We accept the payment methods stated on the Quotation or invoice, such as UPI, bank transfer, cash or card where available. An advance may be requested where parts, donor drives or third-party services must be purchased.
• We issue an invoice for every payment. Extra work is charged only after you approve it.
• We may hold the Recovered Data and the Device until dues are paid (see section 14).

12Cancellation and Refunds

• Before you approve the Quotation: you may cancel at any time at no charge, and we return your Device.
• After approval, before work starts: you may cancel, and we refund your advance less non-recoverable costs we already incurred, such as parts ordered or courier charges.
• After work has started: you pay for the work done and costs incurred up to the point of cancellation, in a fair proportion to the Recovery Fee.
• If we cannot recover your data: section 8 applies.
• Approved refunds are made to the original payment method, normally within 7 to 10 working days.
• Once the Recovered Data has been delivered and the OTP verified, payments are not refundable, except where the delivery does not match what we agreed because of our error. Please raise any such concern within 7 days of delivery, with details.

13Data Protection and Confidentiality

We treat your Data as strictly confidential. Our engineers are bound by confidentiality, access the Data only as needed for your Job, and do not copy, share or use it for any other purpose. Working Copies are securely erased within 7 days after delivery or closure of the Job, unless you ask for earlier erasure or the law requires otherwise. The details of how we handle personal information, WhatsApp messages and your rights are in our Privacy Policy.

We may disclose information only where the law, a court or a competent authority requires it. If your Device holds data that is protected by law or by contract (for example client, patient or company records), you are responsible for having the authority to hand it to us for recovery.

14Retention of Devices and Unclaimed Property

• Right to hold. We may keep the Device and the Recovered Data until all approved amounts due for the Job are paid.
• Please collect on time. Once a Job is complete, or a Quotation is declined or unanswered, we will notify you by phone, WhatsApp or e-mail. You should collect the Device (or arrange delivery) within 30 days of our final notice.
• Unclaimed Devices. If a Device is still unclaimed 90 days after our final notice, we may securely erase and dispose of, or recycle, it and any Data on it, without liability to you. Reasonable storage charges may apply after the collection period, if we told you about them in advance.

15Service Warranty

We carry out our services with reasonable skill and care. Recovered Data is provided “as recovered”. If you find that delivered files are damaged because of our recovery process, report it to us within 7 days of delivery and we will re-check them at no extra charge. New storage media supplied by us carry the manufacturer’s warranty. We give no warranty about the future reliability of a failed Device, or about problems caused by your later use, virus attacks, or accidental deletion after delivery.

16Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent the law allows:

• our total liability for any claim connected with a Job is limited to the amount you paid us for that Job;
• we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, business, income or goodwill, or for Data that was already lost or damaged before it reached us;
• we are not liable for loss or delay caused by information you did not give us, by third parties such as couriers, or by events described in section 22;
• we are not responsible for warranty that is lost when a Device is opened or repaired as part of recovery, which you accept under section 7.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including liability for fraud, wilful misconduct or gross negligence, or your rights as a consumer under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. If your Device or Data is of exceptional value, please tell us before you hand it over so that we can agree special arrangements.

17Your Responsibilities and Backups

• Stop using the failed Device straight away. Do not run repair tools, disk checks, formatting or re-installation, and switch it off if it makes clicking or grinding noises. Further use can permanently destroy data.
• Keep regular backups of important data in more than one place. A backup is the only reliable protection against data loss, and recovery is a last resort.
• Give us accurate information, respond to our messages, review the recovered files promptly and keep your job number and contact details safe.

18Acceptable Use and Right to Refuse Service

You must not use our website or services for anything unlawful, and you must treat our staff with respect. We may refuse, suspend or stop a Job, and return the Device, in these cases:

• the Device or Data appears to involve unlawful content or activity, or a stolen or lost device (we may ask for proof of ownership);
• you ask us to bypass a password, screen lock, activation lock or account of a device you do not own or are not authorised to access;
• the work is unsafe, cannot reasonably be done, or you do not provide the information or approvals we need.

Where the law requires, we will cooperate with the authorities.

19Communications and WhatsApp

By giving us your contact details you agree that we may contact you by phone, SMS, WhatsApp and e-mail about your enquiry and Job, including quotations, pickups, status updates, approvals, OTP, invoices and delivery. We use WhatsApp only as described in our Privacy Policy. We send promotional messages only with your separate consent. You can opt out of non-essential messages at any time by replying STOP, although we may still need to contact you about an active Job. Please make sure the number and e-mail address you give us are correct.

20Website, Content and Intellectual Property

The text, design, logos, images and other content of this website belong to us or are used with permission. You may view and print them for your own use, but you may not copy, sell or reuse them without our written consent. Other people’s brand names and trademarks belong to their owners. We work to keep the information on this website accurate and up to date, but prices, timelines and descriptions may change and are not offers until confirmed in a Quotation. We do not publish any customer’s data or identity, in stories, photos or testimonials, without their consent.

21Third-Party Services and Translated Versions

Some parts of our service depend on third parties, such as couriers, payment providers, WhatsApp and Meta, and Google. Their own terms apply to their services and we are not responsible for them.

The language menu on this page uses Google Translate to show the page in other languages. Translations are automatic, are provided only for convenience and may contain errors. If a translation differs from the English text, the English text applies.

22Force Majeure

We are not liable for any delay or failure caused by events beyond our reasonable control, such as natural disasters, fire, flood, epidemic, power or network failure, courier disruption, strikes, government orders, war or cyber attack. We will tell you when this affects your Job and will resume work as soon as we reasonably can. If the delay is long, you may cancel the Job, and section 12 applies.

23Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of India. If you have a complaint, please contact us first and give us a fair chance to put it right; most concerns can be settled with a conversation, and we will aim to resolve them within 30 days. If a dispute cannot be settled that way, the courts at Aurangabad, Maharashtra have jurisdiction, without affecting your right as a consumer to approach a consumer commission or another forum that the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 allows.

24General Terms

• Changes. We may update these Terms from time to time. The updated version applies from the date shown at the top of the page. A Job is governed by the Terms in force when the Device was checked in.
• Severability. If any part of these Terms is found to be invalid, the rest stays in force.
• Entire agreement. These Terms, the Privacy Policy, the job sheet and your approved Quotation are the whole agreement between us for your Job.
• No waiver. If we do not enforce a right straight away, we have not given it up.
• Assignment. You may not transfer your rights under these Terms without our written consent.
• Notices. We may send notices to the phone number, WhatsApp number, e-mail or address you gave us.

25Contact Us

If you have any question about these Terms, or a complaint about our service, please contact us: