Processing method
In short
Make the online request and send us the device; for hard drives (HDD), SSDs, RAID and NAS, collection is free in mainland Portugal. The laboratory carries out the diagnosis, in 2 hours for hard drives and SSDs, and sends you the final quote. The recovery only begins if you accept it. At the end, you confirm the file list of the recovered data, make the payment and receive your data.
The 9 steps of data recovery
- 1
Make the online request the customer
In the online request, tell us what happened to the device and which data is most important to you. Our aim is to recover everything; if the condition of the device does not allow it, we give priority to what you told us and then try the rest.
After the request you have a page of your own, where you follow the case from beginning to end.
- 2
Send or drop off the device the customer
We always need the device at the laboratory. Send only the device, without the computer, NAS enclosure, cables or accessories (how to pack the device).
- Free collection (mainland Portugal), for internal and external hard drives (HDD), SSDs, RAID and NAS. You confirm the address and the packaging on your request page, print the label there, and Nacex comes to collect it. USB sticks and memory cards do not have free collection.
- With your own courier: transport is at your own expense and risk, so we recommend insurance.
- In person, at the laboratory, in Carcavelos, Monday to Friday, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00 (except public holidays).
If you used the free collection, returning the device has a cost and it is not possible to pick it up at the laboratory.
- 3
Arrival at the laboratory the laboratory
We register the brand, the model, the capacity and the serial number, and the device is labelled with your case number. From here the technical team starts the diagnosis.
- 4
Diagnosis and final quote the laboratory
In order of arrival and within opening hours, we analyse the device and place the Technical Diagnosis and the final quote on your case page, with an email notification. We state the fault and the final quote for the recovery.
Timeframe: 2 hours for hard drives (HDD) and SSDs*.
* RAID: 2 hours per device. USB sticks and cards: 12 hours. Deleted files and formatted drives: 2 to 4 days. Ransomware: 2 to 15 days. On devices previously tampered with or with logical faults a different diagnosis fee may apply, always stated beforehand. See all the diagnosis timeframes and costs.
- 5
You decide whether we go ahead the customer
You have 15 days to reply to the final quote.
- If you go ahead: you accept the final quote and the Terms and Conditions on your case page, and we start the recovery. Some quotes require an initial amount before starting, always stated in the quote.
- If you do not accept, or if no quote is possible for the device: the Technical Diagnosis costs 30 EUR + VAT per device. You state on your case page how you want the device back: sent back with shipping costs, your own courier, pick-up (if you delivered it in person) or free recycling.
If you decline or do not reply by the deadline, you are notified and have 7 days, at no cost, to state how you want the device back. After that, the device goes into storage, at a cost of 1 EUR + VAT per day; after 60 days in storage with no reply, it enters the free recycling programme.
- 6
Recovery and file list the laboratory
When the recovery finishes, we place the file list of the recovered data on your case page, with an email notification: the success rate, the size of the data, the total number of recovered files and the files with errors, if any.
You have 5 days to confirm the file list on your case page. Without confirmation, the file list is considered approved at the end of the deadline.
The recovery is considered successful when you confirm the file list or when the success rate is equal to or higher than 80%. If you accept and there is no recovery, you have nothing more to pay.
- 7
Payment the customer
- Bank transfer: Millennium BCP or Santander.
- Multibanco or cash (up to 1,000 EUR), at the laboratory.
- In 2, 3 or 4 interest-free instalments, when the final quote offers them (the data is delivered after the last one).
- 8
Delivery of the data the laboratory
Once payment is confirmed, you choose on your case page how you receive the data: delivery by courier, at no cost, pick-up at the laboratory or download.
- 9
7 days of safekeeping the laboratory
After the data is delivered, we keep the device and a backup copy of the recovered information for 7 days, in case we need to go back to them. At the end of that period, the copy is deleted and the device follows the return option you chose.
The timeframes at a glance
| What | Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Diagnosis of hard drives (HDD) and SSDs | 2 hours (in order of arrival, within opening hours) |
| Diagnosis of USB sticks and memory cards | 12 hours |
| Replying to the final quote | 15 days |
| Saying how you want the device back, if you do not go ahead | 7 days at no cost, then 1 EUR + VAT per day |
| Free recycling, with no reply | after 60 days in storage |
| Confirming the file list of the recovered data | 5 days |
| Backup copy and device kept after delivery | 7 days |
Frequently asked questions
How long does data recovery take?
The diagnosis is done in 2 hours for hard drives (HDD) and SSDs. The recovery depends on the fault and on the service you choose in the final quote, with more or less urgency; the timeframe is stated in the quote.
Do I have to pay before knowing whether the data can be recovered?
No. The recovery service is paid at the end, before the data is delivered, and only when the recovery is successful: when you confirm the file list of the recovered data on your case page, or when the success rate is equal to or higher than 80%. If you accept and there is no recovery, you have nothing more to pay. Some quotes require an initial amount before starting (for example, urgent service or complex work), always stated in the final quote: if there is success, it is deducted from the price; if there is not, it covers the recovery attempt and is not refunded.
Where do I follow my case?
On your case page, available straight after the online request. That is where you receive the diagnosis and the final quote, accept the quote, confirm the file list and choose how you receive the data; we notify you by email whenever there is news.
What happens to my device if I do not accept the quote, or if no quote is possible?
The Technical Diagnosis costs 30 EUR + VAT per device, and you state on your case page how you want the device back: sent back with shipping costs, your own courier, pick-up (if you delivered it in person) or free recycling. You have 7 days at no cost to decide; after that, the device goes into storage, at a cost of 1 EUR + VAT per day.
Is my data kept at the laboratory?
Only for 7 days after delivery, in a backup copy, in case we need to go back to it. At the end of that period, the copy is deleted.
Still not convinced? See what our customers think
Data recovery laboratory in Portugal since 2004, with a cleanroom and ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certification. Your satisfaction is our priority, and that is what the more than 1,900 reviews from our customers say.
