Complaint Review: Fields Data Recovery - St Louis Missouri

This company pulls you in with low initial quotes, promises you that they have found all of the files you needed, charges you HUNDREDS of dollars and then doesn't deliver what they promised. Their customer service is terrible and they make no effort to fix their wrong doings. They return your property in broken shape so that you cannot even try to have someone else fix it. DON'T believe their trust pilot score or the reviews on their website. They delete any bad reviews that they can. I filed a complaint with BBB and they still refused to even attempt to fix the problem. Very disappointed. *Full Story/Complaint is below*

After reviewing my drive, Fields Data confirmed that they had an integrity recovery of 99.5% “which is the highest it can possibly get. It basically means a perfect recovery" (email 4.18.17). Upon quoting me a whopping $940.00, I asked if the files I needed were recovered, specifically a folder with multiple sub folders. I told them that while there were a lot of files on my hard drive, the only ones of any value to me were the ones in that main folder and sub folders. The rep, Eric Keck, stated that he found “tons of info on the rhythm and rhymes…you did have 20,000 files that were recovered” (email 4.18.17) in which he attaches a screen shot of multiple files. I told him that $940 was quite a bit more than the “average” price of $250 they quoted me over the phone; he said that he’d look for discounts (bringing the price to $760). I told him that I’d like to look over the list. He sends me a link and says that I can’t see any files, just the list, but that my “recovery was very successful” (email 4.18.17). I told him that I didn’t see the folder I was needing from the link he sent me.

He then sends me cut off screen shots of a rhythm and rhymes folder with a few files listed underneath. I ask him “files on the rhythm and rhymes folder were fully recovered?” and he said “yes, they were” (email 4.18.17). He then sends me an email saying that they are moving storage facilities and that if I pay today, they will reduce the price to $700.00. I pay the amount under the impression that my precious files (1000s of hours of work) were salvaged.

When I received my USB drive (not my hard drive), I opened the files. There were literally only 10 files when I searched for rhythm & rhymes (mostly pdfs and corrupted copies of the same file over and over) and maybe 30-50 picture files. No full Rhythm & Rhymes folder (like pictured in the screenshots) and NOT ONE single document or file of any kind. There were only a few files that were even dated from this YEAR! I emailed them right away stating that the files I needed, that I specifically told them I needed, were not there and that they had basically told me that 99% of what was on my drive was recovered. Eric replied with “from everything I have seen they have [were recovered]” (email 5.1.17). They referred me to a new customer service rep, Dan Rapp. He logged in to my computer and searched for the files, stating that he found them. I looked at them and told him that those were a few pictures, not the documents or mass number of files I was told were on there. He couldn’t find anymore and told me that he’d speak to the customer service department about a refund.

5.8.17-I emailed. He said they were “actively working on my case”. 5.17.17-I emailed. He said that they were continuing to work on my device. 5.31.17-I emailed, fully frustrated at this point and told them that I felt this had been a fraudulent act and that I would like the files I was promised, or a refund. I received no other response. I decided to call the company and ask to speak to a manager; they sent me to a voicemail. I called or emailed every week and was either sent to voicemail, told that I would be emailed immediately, or given an excuse to why I couldn’t speak with the manager on the phone (conference call, he went home for the day, he’s on the other line, etc.), told they were still working on it, or ignored.

On 7.12.17 I sent an email stating that I would be calling my credit card company with the fraudulent charge. They referred me to their district manager, Todd Taylor. He told me that he would be working with a senior engineer and that there was “some confusion, it seems, with what you asked about being present because of the similar folder names in pictures. If we cannot get this data for you in the next few days I will be in touch to discuss a refund”. (Confusion because they lied about the files that were recovered) On 7.14.17 I received an email stating that no refund would be issued because they did what they said they’d do and I shouldn’t have paid before taking time to look over the list (I literally asked them specifically about the documents I needed and they rushed me into paying before I could do extra research, and then they ignored me and told me they were working on it so long that I couldn’t even report it to my credit card as fraud any longer!!). I responded with the above stated comments. He told me “I’m satisfied that we made every good-faith effort possible to let you know what data was recoverable…these files were shown to you in the file list, in full” (email 7.14.17). I even told him that I couldn’t find the files I needed and when I asked the rep about it, he assured me that they were all there (20,000, 98% recovery). He stated that “if you had doubts about what was recovered it was up to you to tell us at that time, so we could have done the additional work necessary to see if that data was there before you made payment. We were transparent at every stage of this process.”

(Email 7.14.17). I DID have doubts and asked about them, they reassured me and then pressured me to pay right away! Upon the files that were recovered (almost all from 2012-2014, which have no value), many are corrupt and won’t open. I even offered to receive a partial refund because I did receive some files back; they stated that that was not an option. I asked to have them return my hard drive so that someone else could look at it and they sent it back to me with missing/broken pieces. I tried to post a review for their business online and they disputed it and removed it from the website due to the fact that I “got what I asked for”. When you go online to look up their reviews (which I did before I used them, although I should have done better research in hindsight), Trust Pilot puts them at a “great, 4 star” status. They have a 7.6 trust score review (there is no way this is accurate as I've already had them remove one of my reviews) I never would have thought to check BBB to see their awful reviews there, especially when their initial quote was so affordable and they made it seem like they did perfect work.