It shouldn’t come as a surprise that those unfortunate enough to have issues with their hard drive, memory card, etc. immediately hop on Google, Bing, or Yahoo in search of a data recovery company that can help.
Most search for phrases like “hard drive data recovery” or “data recovery services,” but those who are bargain-minded will make sure to include the word “cheap” (e.g., “cheap data recovery,” “cheap data recovery services”). Not wanting to risk getting ripped off in an industry known for ripping off is understandable, but “cheap” can also be “dangerous.”
Many of our customers ask why it isn’t a good idea to look for cheap data recovery services. The answer is this: you can lose all your data permanently! Take a look at the image below for an example of what can happen if you go with a company that offers cheap data recovery services. The company tried to force the data off of a hard drive with damaged read/write heads (they should have replaced the read/write heads, first), which resulted in rotational scoring on the device’s top platter severe enough to render all the data unrecoverable.
There’s a famous proverb that goes, “I am not rich enough to buy cheap things.” Remember to always favor quality over cost.
Good data recovery is not cheap, cheap data recovery is not good!