How to get one
Ask for it. It is printed and handed to you the same visit, alongside your payment. It is not issued automatically, so if you want it, say so.
Who actually needs one
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Businesses decommissioning machines
Usually a requirement of an internal asset-disposal policy.
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Anyone handling regulated data
Medical, legal or financial records create obligations that outlive the hardware.
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Anyone who simply wants it documented
That is a perfectly good reason and no explanation is needed.
For business decommissions
Every business sale comes with a Bill of Sale and a Certificate of Data Destruction, whether that is a few machines carried in or a whole office we collect. Both come as standard rather than on request.
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A Bill of Sale
What changed hands and when, with the serials on it.
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A Certificate of Data Destruction
A printed record that the drives were securely erased.
Collection, sorting the lot, and the standard we work to are set out on the business decommissioning page.
The standard we work to
The certificate documents that we securely erased the device, and the erase follows the NIST 800-88 guidelines for media sanitization.
What stands behind it is recycling experience. Buyback Geeks is the buyback division of Alamo Geeks LLC, a computer recycling company first and a buyer of computer equipment second. The data destruction process behind this certificate is the one we run for our recycling clients, and their asset-disposal reviews have accepted our Certificates of Data Destruction. That is the difference between us and a buyback company that has never had to account for a drive.
Common questions
Is there a charge for the certificate?
No. Secure erase is free and so is the certificate.
Can I get one for a drive I am not selling?
That is worth a call — it falls outside the normal buyback flow, so ring (210) 710-2020 and ask rather than driving over on the assumption.