Ship it Right – Tips for Sending in your Drives

If you’re reading this newsletter, you have probably used Ontrack Data Recovery’s service in the past. You’ve gone through the stress of a hard drive crash, realised your data was in jeopardy, and shipped your drive off to Ontrack hoping the damage wasn’t too severe for recovery. But did you know that the actual shipping process could mean the difference between a successful recovery and losing your data for good?

Sometimes people forget how delicate hard drives are and don’t take the time to properly protect them for the long (and often bumpy) journey to the Ontrack offices. Since drive components are extremely delicate, any jarring of the hardware can cause additional damage and make the recovery more difficult than necessary. But packaging isn’t the only shipping concern – paperwork can also be an oversight that causes an unnecessary delay in the recovery process.

The good news is these problems can be avoided – and to help our customers and partners work more effectively with us, Ontrack is offering a few simple tips for shipping your drive in for service.

Shipping Tips

1. Pack it tight - Your hard drive should be packaged in a box (we suggest a box twice the size of your media) that has enough room for both it and some type of packing material that allows for NO movement. If the drive can slide around at all, it is not ready to ship. The box should also have sufficient barrier room around the inside edges to absorb any impacts the box will take.
2. One at a time - We often get jobs that include multiple drives. Unfortunately, these drives will come packaged in the same box with no barrier to prevent them from smashing into each other. If you have more than one drive, ship them in separate boxes or make sure they are separated enough with packing material so there will be no contact.
3. Avoid the Shock - As we detailed in the following article, static electricity can cause significant problems with your drive. Before shipping, put your drive in an anti-static-bag or wrap in anti-static bubble wrap or foam.
4. Insure your Happiness - Consider getting insurance on any hardware that has significant value. Because you never know what actually happens during the shipping process, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Paperwork Tips

1. Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Properly filling out your paperwork is key for us to quickly process your job. Without completed forms, there will be delays and wasted time you might not be able to afford.
2. Security Concerns - Some customers neglect to fill out the payment section of the paperwork for fear of credit card security issues. If you don’t want to include that information in the forms, make sure to follow up with your Sales representative who will make sure the information is processed.
3. Make Your Mark - Make sure you mark your desired service level. All jobs without service level indicated will automatically be given standard service.
4. Do the Job - Including your job number on a shipped package allows Ontrack’s receiving department to begin processing your drive in quick fashion. This will expedite the pace at which our evaluation can begin – optimising turnaround time, especially during the evaluation phase.

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