Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions govern the services provided by Tecleo Cyber Solutions CC t/a Tecleo Data Recovery and Digital Forensics Lab (“TECLEO”). By submitting any device, media, credentials, or information to TECLEO, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.

1. Authorisation and Legal Rights

• By sending or handing over information storage media ("ISM"), user credentials, or any other materials or information ("ITEMS"), including all data contained therein, you:
  • authorise TECLEO to perform those technical steps reasonably necessary to evaluate, access, image, recover, repair, or examine the ITEMS for the services requested, including, where lawfully authorised and technically necessary, steps to bypass or disable security measures for the purpose of data access or recovery;
  • warrant that you are the lawful owner of, or are duly authorised to submit, the Items and the data contained on them, and that the requested work is lawful; and
  • agree to these Terms and Conditions.

2. Liabilities

• TECLEO is not responsible for pre-existing defects in the ITEMS or for pre-existing data loss, corruption, inaccessibility, or incomplete data.
• Subject to applicable law, TECLEO shall not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss, including loss of profit, revenue, business opportunity, or goodwill.
• Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability to the extent that such exclusion or limitation is not permitted by law.

3. Free Initial Consultation

• TECLEO offers a free initial consultation for digital forensics and data recovery services to provide preliminary guidance on your matter.

4. Free Collection and Delivery for Data Recovery

• Free courier collection and delivery are available for qualifying, pre-approved data recovery jobs within South Africa, subject to the exclusions below.
• If you require a preliminary quotation, please complete our online quote request or contact us directly.
• Please note:
  • if you reject the quotation after the media has been shipped, you will be invoiced for the shipping costs;
  • courier collections and deliveries generally take two to three (2–3) working days;
  • the free collection and delivery option applies to one attempt only, and any further collection or delivery attempts will be charged; and
  • the collection of additional drives or media may attract additional charges.

5. Data Recovery: Free Initial Evaluation and Quotation

• TECLEO offers a free initial evaluation and quotation for standard data recovery cases, subject to the exclusions below.
• The following are excluded from the free initial evaluation and may attract a non-refundable fee:
  • servers, including RAID, NAS, and SAN systems;
  • tapes;
  • CCTV storage;
  • fire- or water-damaged media;
  • previously opened or encrypted devices;
  • broken cell phones; and
  • off-site recoveries.
• TECLEO offers different data recovery service options to suit different budgets and urgency requirements.
• There is no quotation rejection fee for standard cases.
• A binding agreement comes into effect, only once TECLEO has received the client’s written acceptance of the quotation and these terms.
• Any turnaround times provided are estimates only and are not guaranteed unless expressly agreed in writing.
• For certain electro-mechanical recoveries, the original faulty drive may not be returnable, depending on the recovery method used. Where applicable, this will be specifically highlighted during the quotation or approval process.

6. Pricing and Payment

• All quoted prices include value-added tax (VAT), unless expressly stated otherwise.
• Quoted prices exclude, unless expressly stated otherwise, bank charges, import or export taxes, freight, courier charges, insurance, postage, and other third-party delivery or logistics costs.
• Quotations remain valid for seven (7) days unless stated otherwise.
• Payment in full must reflect in TECLEO’s bank account before work or recovered data is released by shipment, collection, or download, unless the client has approved account terms.
• If urgent release is required, an instant payment method may be required.
• A data retention fee may be charged on unpaid jobs remaining unpaid for more than seven (7) days after invoicing and may accrue monthly.
• To the extent permitted by law, TECLEO may retain possession of recovered data, destination media, and/or client media pending payment of all outstanding amounts.
• General pricing may change from time to time, but accepted quotations remain valid for the period stated in the quotation.
• TECLEO accepts bank transfers, cash, and credit card payments, online and in store.

7. Up-front, Non-Refundable Fees

• Up-front non-refundable fees apply to all investigations and to certain data recovery services, including:
  • priority and high-priority recoveries;
  • server, NAS, and RAID evaluations;
  • encrypted drive recoveries;
  • drives that have been opened or physically tampered with before being sent to TECLEO;
  • hardware-related recoveries involving elevated cost or risk; and
  • drives where the operating system has been reinstalled.
• These fees will be specifically identified in the quotation, must be accepted in writing, and paid before work commences.

8. Data Privacy, Client Confidentiality and Data Sanitisation

• All media and the data they contain, whether delivered to us, shipped to us, examined by us, or recovered by us, are protected against unauthorised access, use, or disclosure using appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures. Personal information processed during the course of the services will be handled in accordance with applicable South African law, including POPIA, to the extent applicable.
• Access to client data is restricted to authorised personnel involved in the work and limited to what is necessary for the services being performed.
• Our personnel work in a secure environment and are bound by confidentiality obligations, including signed non-disclosure agreements.
• A separate non-disclosure agreement may also be entered into on request.
• Fourteen (14) days after the client has collected the recovered data, unless otherwise agreed in writing, the image drive is sanitised using a logical purge method intended to render recovery of the target data infeasible using state-of-the-art laboratory techniques while preserving the storage medium in a reusable state.
  • Reference standard: NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 1 and IEEE 2883-2022.
  • The fourteen-day retention period is intended to accommodate dead-on-arrival (DOA) situations and similar immediate post-delivery issues.
  • Retention periods may be extended by written instruction, for legal or regulatory reasons, or where payment or collection is outstanding.
• Where original client information storage media is not returned, it is stored in a secure environment. Non-data-bearing components that do not contain client data may, where appropriate, be retained for spare parts.
• Original client information storage media that are no longer usable may be physically destroyed by means of destructive sanitisation and recycled.
• Any unclaimed information storage media remaining in TECLEO’s possession for more than ninety (90) days after written notification to the client that the item is ready for collection may be physically destroyed by means of destructive sanitisation and recycled.

9. Data Recovery Guarantee

• TECLEO’s “No-recovery, no-charge” policy applies as follows:
• You will not be charged if TECLEO is unable to recover the data, or if the recovered data is not usable in the sense that it cannot reasonably be accessed using standard software or by agreed specialist means;
• TECLEO conducts an integrity check on recovered data; 
  • if recovered data appears to be missing, damaged, or corrupted, TECLEO will contact you before invoicing to discuss usability and available options;
  • where some recovered data is usable, TECLEO may offer a reduced charge, which will be dealt with reasonably and in accordance with the written quotation;
  • this policy does not apply if incorrect or incomplete media is supplied for recovery;
  • the amount and quality of recoverable data can only be assessed once the recovery process has been completed; and
  • some services carry non-refundable fees, which remain payable regardless of the recovery outcome.
• If a valid post-delivery issue with recovered data is raised, TECLEO will assess the issue and, where appropriate, may attempt rectification or consider a refund or partial refund in accordance with the quotation and the circumstances of the matter.

10. Destination Device Warranty

• A seven-day warranty from the date of shipment applies only to destination devices supplied by TECLEO and found to be dead on arrival (DOA).
• Any further warranty rights, where applicable, must be pursued against the original manufacturer or supplier.

11. Personal Information

• You must provide true, accurate, and complete personal information, including your name, address, email address, and telephone number, where applicable.
• You must keep this information updated.
• TECLEO shall not be liable for problems arising from inaccurate or outdated client contact information.
• TECLEO may send you service-related communications, notices, and updates regarding your matter.
• Marketing communications will be sent only in accordance with applicable law and your communication preferences.

12. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction

• These terms and conditions are governed by the law of the Republic of South Africa.
• Any dispute or related matter will be determined in accordance with South African law.
• The parties consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of South Africa, subject to any rights a consumer may have under applicable law.

13. General

• TECLEO do not perform data recovery for pornographic content.
• TECLEO does not provide fraudulent insurance reports or invoices.
• If TECLEO reasonably suspects unlawful content or unlawful activity, including child sexual abuse material, TECLEO may be legally obliged to preserve evidence and report the matter to the relevant authorities.
• TECLEO may amend these terms from time to time by publishing updated terms, but the version accepted by the client at the time of the relevant quotation or instruction will govern that transaction.

Need clarification?

If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, or want clarification before approving a quotation, please contact Tecleo Data Recovery and Digital Forensics Lab directly.

 See Also:

• Data Recovery
• Digital Forensics
• Data Recovery Prices
• How would you benefit & what can you expect from a relationship with us?