Questions People Ask

Get Memories Back converts video tape, cine film, audio and photographs to digital from Whenuapai in Auckland, for customers throughout New Zealand. The general questions are answered below. Questions about a specific format are answered on that format's own page.

Ordering and Payment

Do I pay when I order?

No. Get Memories Back takes no payment when you place an order. You order, send your media in, and an invoice is raised at the end for the items that were actually converted. The total shown on the order form is an estimate based on the quantities you give us, not a final price.

What if a tape turns out to be blank?

Blank tapes are not charged. The same applies to anything we cannot recover, it simply does not appear on your invoice. This is why nothing is paid upfront: most people genuinely do not know what is on their tapes, and charging first and refunding later would be worse for everyone.

How much does it cost to convert tapes to digital?

Get Memories Back charges $40 for a single item, $30 each for two to five items, and $20 each for six or more. All prices include GST. Film reels, slides and negatives are priced on their own separate scales.

Are prices GST inclusive?

Yes. Every price Get Memories Back publishes includes GST. There is nothing added at invoice time beyond what you have agreed, the only additions are a USB drive if you want one, and return postage if you are not collecting in person.

How does pricing work if I send different formats?

The rate is set by the total number of items in your order rather than by format. Two VHS tapes and three DVDs is five items, so all five are charged at the five-item rate of $30. Ten VHS tapes and one Hi8 is eleven items, so every one of them gets the $20 rate. Slides, negatives and film reels are counted separately on their own scales.

Is there a minimum or maximum order?

One item is the minimum and there is no maximum. A single tape is a perfectly normal order.

Do you offer a discount for a large job?

The pricing tiers already do that. Six items or more reaches the lowest rate of $20 each, and that rate applies however large the order gets.

Getting your media to us and back

How do I get my media to you?

Two options. Courier it to Get Memories Back, which you book and pay for, or drop it off in person at Whenuapai in Auckland. Drop-off is by appointment only and appointments are arranged by email.

Can I just turn up with my tapes?

Please do not. Get Memories Back is not a walk-in shop, it is a workshop, and drop-off is by appointment only. Email us and we will arrange a time that works.

Do you collect?

No. Get Memories Back does not offer a collection service. You either courier your media to us or drop it off by appointment in Whenuapai, Auckland.

How much is return postage?

$20 flat, anywhere in New Zealand, including rural addresses. Collecting in person by appointment in Whenuapai is free.

What happens if the courier loses my parcel?

If a parcel goes missing on the way back to you, Get Memories Back takes it up with the courier. If it goes missing on the way to us, the courier arrangement is yours and the claim sits between you and that courier, we will supply whatever information helps.

What if something is damaged while it is with you?

It is rare, and it is the reason we decline the highest-risk jobs rather than attempt them. If media is lost or damaged in our care, tell us as soon as you notice and we will work out a fair resolution, which may include a partial or full refund of the charges for that item.

Turnaround, files and delivery

How long does it take?

Usually 7 to 10 days from the day your media arrives with Get Memories Back to the day it is finished and on its way back to you. Large orders, unusual formats and items needing extensive cleaning can take longer, and we will tell you if that applies to your order.

I have a deadline. Can you work faster?

Sometimes. Tell us the date before you send your media and we will confirm what is possible. Faster turnaround carries a surcharge and is arranged case by case. Get Memories Back will not promise a date it cannot meet.

What file format will I get?

MP4, MOV, JPEG or DVD, depending on the source material. Video files are typically between 500MB and 3GB. Anything much over 3.4GB is split into two parts so that it fits standard USB formatting.

How are the files delivered to me?

Three options: a branded USB drive for $15, a USB drive or hard drive you supply at no extra charge, or a Google Drive link, also free. Google Drive links stay live for six months.

Will the files play on my TV and phone?

Yes. The files Get Memories Back produces play on smart TVs, phones, tablets, Macs and PCs without any special software.

Do you offer editing, titles or music?

No. Get Memories Back transfers what is on your media, it does not edit it into something new. No titles, music, montages or rearranging.

Can you improve the picture or sound quality?

Some improvement is often possible, but the result depends heavily on the quality of the original recording. A finished file can only be as good as its source. We will tell you honestly what to expect rather than promise a result.

My 8mm tapes have mould on them. Can you still transfer them?

Dry, well-stored Video8, Hi8 and Digital8 tapes transfer normally. Where a tape has visible

mould or water damage, Get Memories Back chooses not to attempt it — 8mm tape is much

thinner than VHS and a failed attempt can destroy the recording. That is a deliberate policy

rather than a statement about what is possible. A specialist restoration service may still

be able to help, and we will say so if we think it is worth pursuing.

Privacy, care and the business

Who runs Get Memories Back?

Alastair Ferris, from Whenuapai in Auckland. Orders are taken from all over New Zealand, from Kaitaia to Stewart Island. Every job is handled personally rather than passed on to anyone else.

Who sees what is on my tapes?

Only Alastair, and only to check that the transfer completed properly. Nothing is subcontracted and no one else handles your material at any point.

Where is my media kept while it is with you?

In a secure, dry room on the premises, from the moment it arrives until it goes back to you. It never leaves the premises and is never sent on to another provider.

Do you keep a copy of my files?

Get Memories Back holds digital copies for three months after delivery and then deletes them. Google Drive links expire after six months. Please make your own backup once you receive your files, because after three months we will not be able to supply them again.

Can you copy a commercial film, DVD or music for me?

No. Get Memories Back only transfers material you own or have the right to copy. Commercial films, television programmes and commercially released music are not copied, whatever format they arrive on.

I am not happy with the quality. What now?

Tell us. If the transfer is demonstrably worse than the original, Get Memories Back will re-transfer the item at no charge or refund what you paid for it. Where the limitation is in the original recording rather than in our work, there is a limit to what any transfer can do, but talk to us anyway, because some improvement is often possible.

Still not sure?

Send us a message and we will answer it properly. If you already know what you have, you can start your order now.

Ready to digitise your tapes?

Start your order now, or send us a message if you would rather talk it through first.