Service Terms

These terms cover the work I do for you: digitizing your tapes, film, audio, photos, slides, discs and memory cards, and the optional cloud plans. South Shore Digitizing is a one-person business run by me in Marshfield and Brighton, Massachusetts. When these terms say “I” or “me,” that means South Shore Digitizing. “You” means the person placing the order.

By placing an order, dropping off or sending items, or choosing a cloud plan, you agree to these terms, my Website Terms and my Privacy Policy.

1. Placing an order

You can order online, by email, by text or in person. An order is a request for my services; it becomes final once I receive your items and confirm what you sent. I may decline any order, for example if I don’t support a format or something about the order doesn’t look right. If I decline after receiving your items, I return them at no charge.

2. Your items and your rights to them

When you send me items, you confirm that:

• they belong to you, or you have permission from the owner to have them copied; and
• copying them doesn’t break any law or anyone else’s rights.

I don’t copy commercially produced, copyrighted material (for example store-bought movies or music) unless you own the rights or have permission. I won’t digitize content that is illegal. If I come across material that appears to involve the abuse or exploitation of a child, I will stop work and report it to the authorities as the law requires.

3. Prices, estimates and payment

My current prices are on the pricing page. The price you see when you order is an estimate based on the counts you give me. When your box arrives, I count everything, and your invoice is based on my count.

• No payment up front. I send an invoice when your order is finished.
• How to pay: Venmo, Zelle, Apple Pay, cash, check or PayPal (PayPal adds 3%).
• Blank tapes are free. If a tape turns out to be blank, you aren’t charged for it.
• Repairs: a tape or reel that needs repair before it can be digitized has a repair fee (currently $25 per item), added to your invoice.
• Expedited turnaround has a flat fee per order, shown when you order.

If a price on the website is wrong because of a mistake, I’ll tell you the correct price before doing the work, and you can cancel at no charge.

4. Turnaround

Turnaround times on the website (standard and expedited) start when I have your items. They are good-faith estimates, not guarantees. Damaged items, unusually large orders or things outside my control can take longer, and I’ll keep you posted if that happens.

5. Drop-off, mail-in and getting your items back

Marshfield dropbox. I email you the dropbox code after you place your order. Please don’t share it. Your items are my responsibility once they’re in the dropbox and I’ve confirmed I have them.

Marshfield appointment. By appointment, at the same address as the dropbox (22 Priscilla Rd, Marshfield).

Brighton hand-off. By appointment, at 43 Nottinghill Rd, Brighton.

Mail-in. Mail-in is available for any size order. You pay for shipping both ways: sending your items to me, and the return postage, which I add to your invoice. Please wait for my shipping instructions, use a tracked shipping method, and consider insuring the package. I’m not responsible for packages that are lost, delayed or damaged by the carrier on the way to me, or after I’ve handed your return package to the carrier.

Getting your items back. Once your invoice is paid, your originals and your files come back to the same dropbox for pickup, by hand in Brighton, or by mail to the address you gave me, as we arranged.

6. Unclaimed items

If an invoice goes unpaid, or finished items aren’t picked up, I’ll send you reminders by email and text. If I still can’t reach you or settle the order 90 days after the invoice date, I may treat the items as abandoned and dispose of them and delete your files. I’d much rather get them back to you, so please keep in touch.

7. Caring for old media

I handle every item carefully, by hand. Still, tapes, film, photos and discs that are decades old can be fragile. You understand that:

• some items may already be damaged or degraded and can’t be fully recovered;
• an item can occasionally break, snap or jam during playback even with careful handling; and
• mold, heat damage, sticky tape and similar problems may limit what I can save.

I always tell you if an item can’t be digitized or if something goes wrong with it, and you aren’t charged for items I can’t digitize. Please keep your own copies of anything irreplaceable where you can.

8. Cancelling an order

You can cancel at no charge any time before I start working on your order. After I start, you pay only for the items I’ve already finished, and I return everything else.

9. Problems with your order

If something isn’t right, like a file that won’t play, a missing item or a mix-up, please let me know within 30 days of getting your order back. If it’s my mistake, I’ll redo the work or fix the files at no charge. If I can’t fix it, I’ll refund what you paid for the affected items.

10. Your files and how long I keep them

Your files are yours. I deliver them on the storage you choose (USB drive, DVD set or a download link that works for 1 week). I keep a working copy for 30 days after your order comes back to you, in case anything needs fixing, and then I permanently delete it. While your files are online (your free month or a cloud plan), they stay in your account as described below.

I review your media only as much as I need to digitize it and check the quality. I never post, share or use your memories (for example as a sample on my website) without your written permission.

11. Cloud plans and your free month

Your files can live online in your own account, where you can watch them on your Media Wall, share them with family and download them.

• Free month. Every plan starts with 30 days free. A card is needed to start it; nothing is charged during those 30 days, and if you cancel before they end you’re never charged. One free month per customer.
• Plans. Cloud ($24 every 3 months, or $80 a year) includes watching online, family links and downloads; Backup ($50 a year) keeps a safe copy you can download, without watching online or family links.
• Starting a plan. If you pick a plan on the order form, you can save a card on Stripe’s secure page right after ordering; nothing is charged then, and your 30 free days start the day I upload your files. Or start a plan later from Plan & billing in your account; your 30 free days start then. Either way, the first charge is on the day the free month ends, at the price you chose. I email you the exact date and amount when your files go online, and again about 10 days and 3 days before the first charge. Plans then renew automatically (every 3 months or every year) until you cancel.
• Accounts. An account comes with an order: I set it up and email you a link to choose your password, or you can ask for that link yourself with your order number and the email on your order (it goes only to that email). Keep your password private; you’re responsible for activity on your account.
• Price changes. If I ever change a plan’s price, I’ll email you at least 30 days before it takes effect.
• Cancelling. You can cancel any time online under Plan & billing, the same way you signed up. Cancel during the free month and you’re never charged. Otherwise you keep access until the end of the period you’ve paid for; payments aren’t refunded for partial periods.
• Missed payments. If a renewal payment fails and isn’t fixed within 14 days, your page closes until it is.
• When a plan ends. Watching online and family links stop. Your files stay safe and you can still use Download everything for 60 days, or choose a plan to open your page again. After those 60 days I permanently delete the online copy. Your USB drive or other storage from your order is yours to keep either way.
• If you never start a plan. When I put your files online and you haven’t started a plan, your page stays closed until you do. I remind you about a week later; if you still haven’t started one 60 days after your files went online, I permanently delete the online copy. Your USB drive or other storage from your order is yours to keep either way.
• Fair use. Your account is for you and your family, not for public distribution of the files.
• Availability. I use reputable cloud providers and keep your files private, but I can’t promise the service will never be down. The cloud copy is an extra, not a replacement for keeping your own copy on your USB drive or computer.

12. Limits on my responsibility

I take your memories seriously, and I’ll always try to make things right. To keep things fair for a small business:

• If one of your original items is lost or damaged while in my care because of my mistake, my responsibility is limited to refunding what you paid for that order.
• I’m not responsible for damage caused by an item’s existing condition or age, as described in section 7.
• I’m not responsible for indirect losses, such as sentimental value or lost opportunities, to the fullest extent the law allows.

Nothing in these terms limits any rights you have under Massachusetts consumer protection law that can’t be limited by agreement.

13. Things outside my control

I’m not responsible for delays or problems caused by events I can’t reasonably control, such as severe weather, power or internet outages, illness, or carrier delays. I’ll let you know as soon as I can and work out a new timeline with you.

14. Disputes

If you’re unhappy, please contact me first. Most problems get solved with a quick conversation. These terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Any dispute that can’t be worked out will be handled in the state courts serving Plymouth County, Massachusetts, including small claims court.

15. Changes to these terms

I may update these terms from time to time. The date at the top shows when they last changed. The terms in place when you placed your order apply to that order. For the cloud subscription, I’ll email you about any important change at least 30 days before it takes effect.

16. Contact

Questions about these terms? Email info@southshoredigitizing.com, call or text 339-236-6543, or write to South Shore Digitizing, 22 Priscilla Rd, Marshfield, MA 02050.