Partner Workflow

No account. No contract. No commitment until you see the estimate. Working with Scratch Lab starts with one message — and this page walks you through every step that follows.

Before You Begin

Scratch Lab works directly with data recovery providers and PC repair shops worldwide. There is no account to create and no contract to sign before you begin — every engagement starts with a single inquiry. Here is how a case moves from first contact to final delivery.

  • Honest from the first contact to the last.
    Clear estimates, no hidden costs, and your data handled with discretion at every step — we anticipate what you need rather than waiting to be asked. In Japan, we call this omotenashi.
  • No registration required.
    You don't need to sign up to get started. Send us your case details and we'll take it from there.
  • Languages.
    Inquiries and case handling are available in English, Russian, and Japanese. Other languages can be supported via AI translation.

Contact to Recovery

  1. Step1

    Submit an inquiry

    Contact us through our Submit a Case form or by email with your case details — affected media type, device and model, operating system, the data to be recovered, and urgency. If the device is locked or encrypted, let us know; you can share the password later, only if you choose to.

  2. Step2

    Free pre-assessment

    We review your inquiry and reply with an initial assessment, the likely difficulty, and a rough timeframe. This step is free, and you're under no obligation to proceed.

  3. Step3

    Ship the media to our lab

    Send the device to our lab in Tokyo at the address below. Use any carrier and packing method you prefer — we recommend an expedited courier such as DHL, FedEx, or UPS for speed, tracking, and customs handling.

    Scratch Lab (FIX Inc.)
    Spacia Akihabara B1, 4-9-7 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0021, Japan

    Approximate transit time to Japan (express courier, business days, excluding customs):

    • East & Southeast Asia: 1–3 days
    • North America: 2–4 days
    • Europe: 2–4 days
    • Oceania: 2–4 days
    • Middle East & South Asia: 3–5 days
    • Latin America & Africa: 4–7 days
  4. Step4

    Diagnosis & written estimate

    After the device arrives, we perform a full diagnosis and send a written estimate. Our pricing is success-based: if we cannot recover your data, no service fee is charged. For certain special cases a partial fee may apply, but we always tell you this in advance — we never bill you for it afterward. The price is fixed in writing before any recovery work begins.

  5. Step5

    Approve the estimate

    You confirm the estimate and give us the go-ahead. There are no surprise charges.

  6. Step6

    Recovery

    Our engineers carry out the recovery at our Tokyo facility. Your data and case details are kept strictly confidential and are never shared with any third party. NDAs are available on request.

  7. Step7

    Verification

    When recovery is complete, we provide a file list so the end user — or you — can confirm the recovered data before delivery.

  8. Step8

    Payment

    Once the results are confirmed, we issue an invoice. We accept credit card (Stripe), international wire transfer, Wise, and PayPal (on request).

  9. Step9

    Delivery of recovered data

    We deliver by the method agreed in advance: secure shipment on a new storage device. For smaller datasets, online delivery is also available. Return shipping to you is covered by us.

  10. Step10

    Return of original media & closeout

    We return the original device together with the recovered data, unless you ask us to do otherwise. After delivery, the recovered data and any working copies are securely erased within a defined period, and the case is closed.

Shipping & cost responsibility
at a glance

Shipping responsibility table: inbound shipping to our lab is covered by the partner; return after successful recovery is covered by us; return when no data is recovered or a case is not accepted is covered by the partner, or we can dispose of the media on request at no return-shipping cost; international shipping, import duties, and taxes are covered by the partner unless agreed in writing

Ready to start? — Submit a case. No registration, free until the estimate.

Submit a Case