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Southtree has a rating of 2.74 stars from 376 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Southtree most frequently mention customer service, credit card, and poor quality problems. Southtree ranks 41st among Video Converter sites.
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I had worries about sending irreplaceable family memories off to strangers. Through four separate orders, with a total of over six hundred individual images, my experience with Southtree was excellent. The staff that I dealt with acted friendly and professionally at every contact. I would recommend Southtree without reservation to anyone. If you think this review sounds too good to be true, I don't exaggerate.
Their estimate is 10-12 weeks. My order is pushing 20 weeks and the only response I receive to inquiries or complaints is "sorry for your inconvenience." Southtree is not holding up its end of our good-faith agreement. I have been given reasoning related to high volume and short staff. Here's the problem with that: A company which is truly committed to the customer experience does not pass its inconveniences and problems on to the customer. Southree's challenges are not mine. Customers should not be the ones to make sacrifices for a company's inability to properly staff, adequately hire, or effectively manage workload. Staffing shortages abound, but good companies step up, exercise basic work ethic, and maintain a positive customer experience. High volume or workload is something for which most companies strive. This is an indicator of business growth. Lack of preparation for growth is not the customer's fault. So, the customer should not bear the resulting burden.
I have used Southtree a number of times over a period of several years. In all that time, as their business has grown, they have failed to improve turnaround time (I waited five months this time for my stuff). But they are creative at devising ever more opaque pricing policies and strategies like also operating two purported competitors. It seems the business model is based on one-time customers, which makes sense given the nature of it, but what a cynical way to run things.
The quality of the digital transfer of my cassette tapes was very good. The technicians, however, paid no attention to the holders in which the tapes were originally. I had to spend 45 minutes putting the tapes back in their original cases. That kind of sloppiness was disappointing.
Tip for consumers:
Good quality reproduction but sloppy in keeping tapes in proper containers.
Products used:
Digitized tapes and photos
The job was conducted as promised for a reasonable price. However, it seemed to drag on for weeks and weeks.
Other than my picture freezing at times. I probably have three minutes of Watching it sideways. I don't understand why. Because it wasn't filmed sideways.
I numbered my 10 video cassettes as directed and went on the website and titled each of the tapes that I sent in, by number.
When I received my thumb drive, some of the files were in a different order than I had numbered them with the stickers. None of the files were labeled as I had done on the web site. In addition, some of the videos were divided onto different files. The 2nd half of one was inset between two of the videos that were on a separate cassette. The transitions between the videos were very choppy with static. I'm sure that is how my cassettes were filmed, but no effort to clean the transitions up was attempted. I guess it wasn't advertised either, but all in all I wasn't pleased with the product.
The quality was excellent, but I am disappointed that my instructions were not followed. I was told if I grouped my slides and labeled them and included instructions that my photos would be organized into folders on the thumb drive sent back. With 372 slides over a ten year period I spent a lot of time grouping them by date so when they came back I would know what year they were taken. The photos were not grouped or named in anyway that would tell me their date. I was disappointed that I was told this could happen and I spent the time organizing them and it didn't happen.
My order also took 71 days from arrival at the lab to receipt of the thumb drive in the mail. Processing time was less than 2 days so most of the wait was queue time. So if you're in a hurry this may not be the best company.
I have only used two services to copy my prints to a digital format, Peggy Bank and Southtree. THe digital images were good. Service took several weeks. This is a lot better than Peggy Bank. Peggy Bank has had my pictures for four months now. So, comapred to Peggy Bank, Southtree is great.
I got a bunch of VCR tapes transferred to DVD for posterity---to "save" for posterity what had been on some old video tapes.
GOOD: Fast service, MUCH faster than stated on the website.
BAD: However, when I FINALLY watched all of the DVDs, it was clear that the video tapes were placed into the VCR and never once checked for proper tracking--at least two DVDs were unwatchable, with lines and static through the playback and distorted, wavering sound. This could have been easily rectified by simple tracking adjustments. I wish I'd had the time when receiving them to actually watch all 7 hours of tape, because I would have asked for a partial refund.
Buyer beware...
Karl Logan
Tip for consumers:
These VCR-to-DVD transfers are carelessly done, without consideration of fixing the proper tracking. WATCH YOUR DVDS when you get them back, because they may not be properly transferred and may even be blank!
Submitting old family VHS tapes for transfer to DVD was a great experience with Southtree. I was informed by email throughout the transfer process. Now I can watch anytime anywhere! Thank you Southtree!
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Home video transfer from VHS to DVD/digital, photo scanning and cassette tapes to CD/digital. Preserve your recorded moments digitally.
Send in your aging tapes, film, pictures, and audio recordings. You'll receive new DVD or digital copies with your originals, safely and simply.
Hello, Thomas! Thank you for taking the time to give us feedback on your experience. We're sorry for any confusion! The titling page on our website details that it is intended for titling discs if you have those selected for your order, however, it will not change the titles on a thumb drive. We offer the complimentary service of printing titles for our clients on their DVD set when they fill out the disc titling page. In that, we certainly want to procure the best conversion quality possible for your memories. Our Customer Service Team has reached out to you and left a voicemail to ensure you are well taken care of. We would sincerely like to discuss a solution at your earliest convenience! We look forward to hearing from you!