My 250GB 2.5" SSD failed unexpectedly, so I sent it to SalvageData to see what it would cost to retrieve the data from it. I was assigned Chris Morrissey as my case manager and received an email with the drive's evaluation, which said I needed to book a phone call with my case manager to discuss pricing. I immediately scheduled a call for the following day using their calendar/scheduling app, but the appointment time came and went with no phone call.

Shortly after the scheduled time, I emailed Chris asking if I should schedule a new date/time or if emails would be better for communication, but I got no response. It was getting close to the holiday season (this took place on 12/21) so I waited 12 days until all holidays had passed, then emailed Chris again, saying that I really needed him to call or email me, whichever was easier, as soon as he could. I got no response.

Three days later I called his direct number, hoping he would just pick up so we could talk, but he didn't, so I left a very emphatic voicemail asking him to call me ASAP. I waited a bit, no phone call, so I figured I'd also send an email with the same information. He actually responded to the email, saying he could call me shortly, or any time after that for the rest of the day. I immediately replied saying I was free at any time for a phone call, but then the rest of the day passed without any phone call. Later in the day I called his direct number again but he didn't pick up.

The next day I called the SalvageData main phone number to just talk to someone else, as it was clear at that point that I wasn't going to talk to Chris anytime soon. My call was automatically put in a queue, the automated voice telling me I was next in line to talk to a representative, but then eventually that I'd been on hold too long so the call would end but they'd call me either later that day, or at the latest the following day. I received no phone call. I called the main number again a couple days later, this time I wasn't put into a queue, but was told by the automated voice after a few rings that nobody was available to take my call, and the call ended. I called again, this time it let me leave a voicemail, so I asked for somebody, anybody, to call me as immediately as possible, as I'd been unable to reach my case manager for 19 days, despite repeated and varied attempts at establishing communication. I got no response.

At this point I had tried anything and everything to talk to any human being that worked at SalvageData, and after three weeks of attempts, hadn't spoken to a single live person. The only clue I had that this was a functioning business was when Chris had emailed me to tell me he'd call me, but then didn't. Everything else was automated, and got me no closer to getting my data recovered or even speaking to another human. I didn't know what else to do now, so I just waited.

One week passed and I got an automated email saying that my case was going to close due to inactivity. The email even said "we are unable to hold onto your device without your commitment to the service." Without my commitment? You've had my device for four weeks and ignored every single one of my attempts to talk to literally any person who works at your business, yet I'm not committed to your service?

I responded to this email and CC'd Chris listing every single attempt I had made at communication, including dates and times wherever possible, and including the two instances in which Chris was supposed to call me but didn't. I told Chris he needed to call me, the next day, without fail, at literally any time. I would have my phone with me and awaiting his call all day long. I was done waiting around, being ignored and strung along as if this whole thing was a scam.

To my utter disbelief, Chris responded promptly to this email with a half-baked apology, citing some changes in staff and my case "falling off his radar". He then had the audacity to ask me to schedule another phone call in his calendar app, which I did, and also sent him another email confirming the date and time, just in case his scheduler wasn't sending him notifications like it was supposed to.

The next day came and Chris did indeed finally call me, with a massive quote, nearly capping the possible price range for any of their data recovery services. For a single 250GB SSD. No raid arrays, no keeping HDD platters aligned, no huge storage capacity. At no point was I offered any kind of discount for having been jerked around for an entire month, being told I'd be called and then getting ghosted, nobody returning a single call, nothing. He told me I might save some money by putting it into a queue that just gets done whenever the engineers can get to them, but the cost was still impossible. We ended our phone call with me simply asking him to send my device back to me.

I cannot fathom the experiences that other customers have had with this company. Not only did Chris make it nearly impossible to contact him on an individual basis, but even several phone calls and a voicemail left on the main business phone number left me wondering what a living human's voice might sound like. By a huge margin, the worst communication I've ever experienced, or even thought was possible, by a functioning business. And after all of that headache and stress placed on me to simply communicate with one singular employee, I get an impossibly-high quote for work and a 14-word excuse for an apology via email.

If you get anything from this review, it's that I highly advise you avoid this business at all costs. Maybe this is just the worst experience anybody has ever had with SalvageData, but personally I say don't risk it. Just go somewhere else.