No. SouthBit does not charge a diagnostic or assessment fee. Every job starts with a free written assessment — delivered within 24 hours — before you make any financial commitment.

What happens during the assessment?

When your drive arrives at our Claremont lab, Nick examines it using professional diagnostic tools to determine the nature and extent of the failure. This includes checking whether the issue is logical, firmware-related, or physical. For mechanical failures, we assess whether the heads are functioning and whether platter damage is present.

The result is a clear written report telling you: what’s wrong, whether recovery is feasible, what data we expect to be recoverable, and a fixed quote in ZAR.

Why do some labs charge for diagnostics?

Some labs charge a diagnostic fee to cover the time and equipment used during assessment. We absorb that cost because we believe you should be able to make an informed decision without financial pressure. Our no-fix-no-fee policy and free assessment are both part of the same principle: you only pay when we deliver results.