When you experience catastrophic data loss, securely transporting your physical device to the lab is your first priority. As the proud recipient of the 2025 Consumer Choice Award for Data Recovery in North America, we treat your critical storage media with the highest level of care the moment it arrives at our Ballard laboratory.

Please address your USPS shipment directly to our secure receiving department:

1455 NW Leary Way, Suite 400, Seattle, WA, 98107, USA

Step 1: Pack the Hard Drive Securely

To safely pack a hard drive for shipping with USPS, always use an anti-static bag and wrap it with at least 2 inches of bubble wrap on all sides.

• Anti-Static Protection: Place your drive inside a pink or silver anti-static bag. If you do not have one, a tightly sealed plastic freezer bag can be used as a temporary alternative.

• Cushioning: Wrap the device securely in 2 to 3 inches of bubble wrap on all sides. Tape the bubble wrap so it does not unravel. Do not use packing peanuts, air pillows, or crumpled newspaper, as they shift during transit and leave delicate electronics unprotected.

• Box It Up: Place the cushioned drive into a rigid, corrugated cardboard box. Fill any remaining space with extra bubble wrap so the drive is completely immobilized and cannot shake.

• Include Your Details: Print or write your name, email, phone number, "contact information", and a brief description of the data loss issue on a piece of paper and place it inside the box before sealing it shut with heavy-duty packing tape.

• Mark Package as Fragile: Use Fragile stickers on all sides of your package to warn the carrier during shipping that the package contains a fragile piece of equipment.

Service Note: If you are shipping solid-state media to utilize our proprietary Super Processing data extraction, please ensure the drive is packed with maximum cushioning. We perform Super Processing exclusively on SSDs, as the intense speeds and procedures place too much hardware stress on standard mechanical HDDs.

Step 2: Box and Seal the Package

• Choose a Sturdy Box: Select a new, sturdy corrugated cardboard box that is significantly larger than your wrapped hard drive.

• Fill the Voids: Set the wrapped drive inside, then fill all remaining gaps so the drive cannot shift during transport. Never use packing peanuts, crumpled paper, or air-bag fillers, as they allow the drive to shift or take impact.

• Enclose Documents: Print and fill out the required paperwork from the recovery service and place it inside the package.

• Seal Securely: Close the box and seal all seams and flaps using heavy-duty clear packaging tape (minimum 2-inch width). Do not use masking tape, cellophane, or string.

Step 3: Label and Ship with USPS

• Mark as Fragile: Write "Fragile" or "Handle with Care" clearly on all sides of the box.

• Label Creation: You can pay for and print your postage online using USPS Click-N-Ship.

• Choose a Shipping Service: Select a reliable, trackable shipping service such as USPS Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express to ensure fast transit times and delivery confirmation. If you choose to use one of the USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, remember that you must use the corresponding flat rate postage.

• Add Insurance: Because hard drives contain sensitive and fragile mechanical components, it is highly recommended to purchase extra shipping insurance to cover the value of the drive in case of damage or loss.

• Drop-off: Take your securely sealed package to any local USPS Location or drop it into an approved collection box. Make sure you get a receipt with tracking information.