Frequently Asked Questions

GoldFynch is a cloud-based, eDiscovery review platform provided as “software as a service”.

GoldFynch functions much like other web-based software you use, like email: all you have to do is go to the website (goldfynch.com) and create an account for free. If you already have an account log in to start using it. Once you are logged in, just create a case. You can then drag and drop files (PDF, emails, Word docs etc.) into GoldFynch. The files are automatically processed and made instantly searchable. It’s like having your own private search engine.

eDiscovery/e-discovery (or electronic discovery) is a broad term used to describe collecting documents in an electronic format (such as PDF, Microsoft Word etc.) and searching for information within the documents. It also includes the production or export of documents in an electronic format.

Sometimes paper documents are scanned and the text is electronically extracted by OCR to make electronic documents. This is also eDiscovery. The length and breadth of eDiscovery is well described in the Wikipedia eDiscovery entry.

GoldFynch takes a less-is-more approach to eDiscovery. If you want an eDiscovery solution that’s fast, cost-effective and easy to use, GoldFynch is the answer.

There are a lot of eDiscovery solutions out there. Most started out with a focus on providing one specific feature and providing it really well. In many cases, somewhere over the course of time things got complicated. Tasks and features that were once simple became frustratingly tedious. The features that long-time users knew and loved become harder to use, while newly added features that aren’t necessary for everyone continue to drive costs.

If you want an eDiscovery solution that’s fast, cost-effective and easy to use, GoldFynch is the answer.

The Short Answer: NO!

The Long Answer: eDiscovery is a term from the legal industry that reflects the ever-increasing amount of data involved in preparing for a case (potentially millions of documents in varying file types need to be reviewed for each case, including emails, memos, bank accounts, spreadsheets, diagrams, etc). We’ve included some industry-specific features for the legal field (such as a super-fast Bates Number search and upload alerts for missing Bates Numbers), but the majority of GoldFynch's eDiscovery features are universal.

The reality is that everyone can benefit from eDiscovery. Whether you’re an academic, business owner, student, or just overwhelmed by any collection of documents or datasets, GoldFynch offers eDiscovery, simplified.

The goldfinch is the state bird of Iowa, and shares a similar name with a certain literary hero from the south.

Mazira LLC, is the award-winning development team behind GoldFynch.

We believe in transparency. We also want to make the decision to use GoldFynch as painless as possible. We don’t want to bombard you with sales calls and pressure you into buying something if it doesn’t fit your requirements.

We can offer much lower prices because:

• We built our platform on the Cloud from the ground up. It is optimized only to use the resources needed and built to scale on demand. The optimized resource usage results in savings, which we can pass on to our customers.
• We work extremely efficiently. Most of our technology is developed in-house from years of experience with search engines.
• We don’t use intermediaries to sell our software; you subscribe directly to our platform.
• We don’t operate a large sales team, or waste money frivolously on marketing.

An Internet connection and a browser on your laptop, desktop, phone, or tablet is all you need to use GoldFynch.

We recommend Chrome, Firefox, or Safari browsers for the best experience. GoldFynch runs on the cloud and is software as service, so you don’t need any dedicated hardware or software.

A case is the container for your data.

You can create as many cases as you like. All searches, activity, tags etc., are based only on the data uploaded to a specific case. You can create different cases for each issue or dataset on which you are currently working.

Just sign up for a GoldFynch account with the email account that they shared the case with, then log into your account. The case should be listed on the first screen you see on login (the cases screen.) If you already have an account, you will still receive an email notification when a case is shared with you to help verify that it was shared with the right email address.

There is no per-user fee for cases, and there is no limit to the number of users you can share a case with, regardless of whether it is a free or paid case. The case’s billing is only charged to the owner of the case.

GoldFynch support for several different document types is always growing.

At the moment, some of the formats we support include the ones below. You can see the complete list here. Check back often, this list is always growing based on our customers’ needs

No.

If you have one, all the better, but since GoldFynch runs on the cloud, we take care of all the software and hardware requirements. If you use the Internet, you can use GoldFynch.

Not a problem. GoldFynch will keep expanding as you add data. After 150 GB, case sizes are in increments of 50 GB at the volume pricing average of $5.50/GB (i.e. $275/50 GB)

GoldFynch Organizations are an optional service that helps manage multiple cases under one umbrella, along with a few associated features. In addition, Organizations allow for customizable branding. Organizations have a fixed monthly subscription cost of $200. Learn more on our Organizations page at https://goldfynch.com/organizations.

Processing Plans are a GoldFynch Organization feature that offer a more cost-effective way to manage large amounts of data in GoldFynch. When creating a case within a GoldFynch Organization, users can select a "Processing Plan." These plans are billed based on the volume of data processed and include a fixed monthly fee.

Processing fee - $20/GB
Monthly fee to maintain the plan - $300, regardless of the total data volume in the case

Example: For 500GB* of data under a processing plan you will be billed based on the volume of data processed and NOT the expanded size. The processing fee is $20/GB ($10,000 one-time fee) + $300 monthly fee to maintain the plan + the base $200 monthly fee for the Organization subscription.

*Technically we charge per GiB (i.e. 1024 MiB), although we commonly refer to it as just GB. GiB benefits the customer more, since it is 7% more data than true GB (1000 MB), for the same price.

Take a look at GoldFynch's Features page here: https://goldfynch.com/features

We have an introductory walkthrough to GoldFynch: https://goldfynch.com/GoldFynch101-Create-Case

Our documentation provides instructions on how to use GoldFynch: https://goldfynch.com/docs

You can get more details on consulting and special services we provide here: https://goldfynch.com/services

Billing is dependent exclusively on the case volumes of cases that you are the owner of. Cases are pro-rated per second and billed monthly, until the monthly maximum.
Let's break this down:

Case volume: When you make a case, you choose a case volume for that case. You are billed based on the volume chosen for that case. Premium cases begin at $25/month for 3 GB.
Example: You make a 3 GB case on the 1st of the month. You will be billed $25 at the end of the month, whether you have 0 GB, 1 GB, or 3 GB in the 3 GB case.

Pro-rating: Cases are pro-rated per second and billed monthly, until the monthly maximum (i.e. the listed rate for that volume.) So you only pay for the days that a case is active, and at maximum, you pay the listed amount.
Example: You have a 50 GB case ($315/month) running for one day and you delete it, at the end of the month you will only be billed approximately $10.5.

Auto-upgrading cases: If the data you upload makes your files exceed the volume of the case you selected, your case will be automatically upgraded to the appropriate (lowest possible) higher plan. This is pro-rated as well. Note that you can manually drop down to a lower plan at any time if you delete data from your case.
Example: If your case is upgraded (whether automatically or manually) on the last day of the month from 3 GB to 5 GB, you will only pay for one day of the 5 GB rate and the rest of the month will be billed at the 3 GB rate.

Multiple Cases: If you have multiple cases, the billing for each case is calculated in a pro-rated manner for the days that it is active, and added up. The total is what you are billed for at the end of the month.
Note: To stop billing for a case you must delete it - a case with no data in it still accrues charges, as billing is based on the case plan (e.g. a 3 GB plan, 50 GB plan, etc.) and not the volume of data present in the case.

See our pricing page for more information: https://goldfynch.com/pricing

Support and add-on services: There is no additional cost for regular support. However, in the case of non-standard requests or support outside of the platform you will be given an up-front estimate of the charges before commencement of the service. Once the services are complete, your linked card or payment method will be billed.

You can find more information about additional services offered through the GoldFynch platform in the "Add-on Services" section of the Overview page once you sign into your GoldFynch account and open a case.

Payment is through credit card.

It's simple to make payments. Just log into your GoldFynch account, click on the menu icon in the top-right corner of the screen, and click on “Billing”. If you don't have a linked payment method when you attempt to make a payment, you will be prompted to add one.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

No credit card is required to create a GoldFynch account, and accounts are always free. There is no charge to join a case someone has shared with you. Your card is only billed if you are the case's owner.

All billing is volume-based, rounded up to the nearest case plan. A case's volume represents the amount of data you can have in the case at any given time. This consists of the volume of all files you upload, and, if you upload compressed files like ZIPs and PSTs (aka 'container' files,) it will include both the originally-uploaded compressed files as well as their extracted contents. If you delete files from the case, they will no longer count to the volume of the case.

For example, if you upload a 2 GB zip file that expands to 2.5 GB on processing, your case volume becomes 2 + 2.5 = 4.5 GB. The system will upgrade your case to the 5 GB plan automatically. Note that though we don't recommend it, it is possible to delete container files once they have finished fully processing.

Note: Although we don't recommend it, you can delete the uploaded container files once they have finished fully processing to reduce usage.

So in the above example, if you deleted your zip file, your case would only have 2.5 GB of data in it, and you could reduce the case down to the 3 GB.

We also don't charge for the data volume of any created productions, reports, or for any derived files that we generate during processing, e.g. PDF renderings of emails.

To create a paid case, create a GoldFynch account, add a payment method, click on the “+Create New Case” button, then select a paid case plan using the slider. Cases are only paid for by the owner of the case.

You can upgrade or downgrade a case at any time. If your data’s volume exceeds the case plan’s size, GoldFynch will automatically upgrade the case. We recommend upgrading the case if you know that you will be adding data beyond the case plan’s size. This helps alert GoldFynch that more data is going to be entering the case and processors can be kept on standby.

For your convenience, the case overview page has an “upgrade” button that appears when you reach 90% of your case capacity. You can also upgrade and downgrade your case from the “Settings” menu under the “Change Case Plan” tab. GoldFynch does not downgrade cases automatically.

GoldFynch’s billing is pro-rated. If you upgrade your case, it will only be billed at the upgraded plan’s rate from the time you click on the “Change Plan” button onwards (and similarly for reducing your case plan.)

For example, if you create a 3 GB case at the beginning of the month, and after 29 days you upgrade the case plan to 5 GB for the last day (i.e. 1 day) of that month, then you will be billed for 29 days at the 3 GB rate, and 1 day at the 5 GB rate.

Accounts are free. If you perform the "delete" operation on a case from the case-listing page, billing for that case ceases immediately. You'll only be charged the pro-rated amount at the end of the month for the days that the case was active in that month. An account with no cases does not incur any charges.

When deleting a case, we ask the reason for closing the case. If you have any feedback, negative or positive, please let us know. All case delete feedback is sent directly to the engineering team, and this helps improve the product.

You will be charged based on your case plan, irrespective of the amount of data in the case. So if you have a 5 GB case, you will be charged $35 regardless of whether you have 0 GB, 3 GB or 5 GB in it.

Billing is solely based on your case plan, and there is no extra charge for standard support.

You can email us at any time at support@goldfynch.com. If you already have a case with us, you can click the help button from inside the case to send us a message.

If you require any special services or custom requirements that fall outside the general scope of case support (e.g. custom reports or load files that need repair to import) our agent will inform you of the estimated additional charges in advance; on completion, these will be billed to your linked payment method. Add-on services (e.g. email or FTP file imports) carried out by the GoldFynch team outside of the platform also have their own charges. You can see the list of services offered and their rates under the “Add-on Services” tab of the Overview page of your GoldFynch case (only available for paid cases.)

Every new account that signs up for GoldFynch gets a free, fully-functional case. When you log in for the first time, you will be presented with a window asking if you want to create a free case. Or if you skip the window, click the “+ Create New Case” button. Move the slider on the screen all the way to the left to see the free case plan.

The free cases are fully functional and have two volume limits:

• The total volume of data in your case (i.e., files you upload) cannot exceed 512 MB (0.5 GB)
• The total volume of files processed cannot exceed 1 GB
• Non-standard services like custom load file imports, or add-on services (which require support outside of the GoldFynch platform) are not accessible from free cases

• Any productions from the free case will have a watermark that says “GoldFynch.com”
• Processing is slower than that of premium cases as it is done on a first come first serve basis; if other free cases are ahead of yours, your files may take longer to process (also note that processing time varies based on the volume and type of files that you are uploading.)

There isn’t a time limit for either free or paid cases. If a free case exceeds the volume limit, you will be prompted to add a payment method and upgrade the case plan. After a period, if no action is taken, the case will be automatically deleted. This isn’t an issue for paid cases, which just automatically upgrade their plans when the volume limit is reached.

Your data is being uploaded to a secure location in the cloud.

Only you can access your own data. For both the drag and drop browser option and the dedicated uploader, your data is encrypted during transmission to our site.

Just like your clients value the security and confidentiality you provide, we take security very seriously.

Your data is always safe with us.

We use industry standard, state of the art encryption technology. Your data is encrypted during transmission to our cloud sites and stored behind firewalls – the same security levels used in online banking.

All the data within the case is completely erased from our system.

We do not back up deleted cases. We have safeguards in place to ensure you don’t accidentally delete a case.

If your volumes are going to exceed 500 GB per month, drop an email to support@goldfynch.com and someone from the enterprise team will get in touch with you about plans and volume pricing. We do have options for custom theming and whitelabelling (extra charges apply.)

Yes there are. A discount is available for federal, state, local, and tribal government agencies as well as not for profit organizations. To get this discount, please contact support@goldfynch.com. A 10% discount is applied on the first full month of billing, for case volumes over 15 GB. GoldFynch billing is prorated and this discount can only be applied to full months of usage. (This discount also applies to international government agencies)

Yes, in some cases. We offer on-premise solutions for multi-year contracts starting from $250,000/year. If you are interested in such services, get in touch to discuss this further at support@goldfynch.com

Yes, we do. Contact us at support@goldfynch.com to talk about this more. Please note that white label services are priced differently from GoldFynch.com services. The price is more than opening a case directly on. The lowest price for a case is always by creating a case on GoldFynch.com

Volume discounts are already built into the pricing. The volume discounts cap at 100 GB ($5.50/GB). The infrastructure and support requirements of cases beyond this limit negate any further discounts.

Yes we can. Please send a message to support@goldfynch.com, once you have created a premium case. Typically prices for non-U.S. hosting are 50% more than the advertised prices on GoldFynch.com, as hosting charges are higher charges in these territories. As prices reduce, the cost of non-US hosting will also drop.