Storing Users Backups - Question

**LSComputers** · June 26th, 2009, 19:29

Hello,

We have a clients backups we made for them when they were moving hosts. It seems now the website are 100% down and noticed at one point they mentioned a hacker had deleted everything.

We have been trying to contact them (Private Message on this forum, emails from work and personal address, even phone) however have not heard anything.

Would you feel its moral to remove them or give them a month to make contact with you? The total size is over 100GB so it is an issue of taking space, however we hate seeing a clients website down and wanted to help.

Any ideas?

**Skylar** · June 26th, 2009, 22:38

Are you under ANY obligation to hold onto the data? What was the deal with the backups. Had you taken it when they moved to a new host, did you get paid for it, etc.

I would say you are only under obligation to retain the data for a short period of time, which is after the job was completed.

I would possibly re-send an email and give them a 2 weeks notice tops, but again you are under no obligation to do so.

**DavidsAwesome** · June 26th, 2009, 23:45

I agree with Skylar. Give them some time, and then delete them.

**serverorigin** · June 27th, 2009, 05:19

We hold data 60 days... Usually it's best to hold onto it just in case they decide to return or their new host has issues immediately. We have so many that come back and ask to re-activate. *shrug* really depends on your policy.

But I do see what you mean... 100GB means 200GB or more if you're doing backups. We probably hold-over a couple terabytes on cancellations with 60-day retention but we have the space available. If you don't have the space, then I'd recommend at least a 14-day retention policy.

**.Bobby** · June 29th, 2009, 03:33

Like Skylar had said, you do not need to do so - if there was no signed contract or paid service beforehand. If you have the extra space to spare, and don't mind it, then yeah, why not give them a hand and hold on to it for awhile?

But, if you do not have the space, and, let's say, have many clients who are contemplating your Backup Solution for their sites, then why not prepare the space for these potential add-on's to your customer's VPS's/Dedicated Servers?

**Razerst** · June 29th, 2009, 05:27

I don't feel very good to delete their data. They have problems and maybe they are panic right now.
But, if you don't have the space you can delete everything.

**.Andy** · July 7th, 2009, 12:54

I would burn a dvd it costs like 80 cents. Or put it on an external. I keep old hard drives as externals .

**M Bacon** · July 8th, 2009, 07:19

Put the data on an external drive. Don't waste your dvds or cds. You can't even put 100gb of data on a DVD. A DVD can only hold 4.7gb or double that as a dual layer disc.