The UPS Store iMemories #preservingmemories

After having life on videotapes for the last 20 years, when presented with the opportunity to use The UPS Store's iMemories, I jumped at the chance! I've had a serious fear of something happening to my priceless videos and losing all those wonderful memories.

As a new mom back in 1991 I started taking videos of nearly everything my daughter did. Along came daughter number two and more full sized video tapes were created with the beast of a VHS camcorder I hauled around with me everywhere we went! Even when my 3rd child, Buddy came along I was still using the full sized video camera. That is until I ran it over. From there we moved to an 8mm video camera. Sure made toting a recorder around much easier!

I have so many VHS tapes that I knew I wanted to start with the oldest ones first to transfer over to DVD. I grabbed Baby's first VHS recordings from when I had my ultrasounds. Worked my way to Smooch's birth. The one thing I didn't do before I headed to The UPS Store was find out how long my videos were.

After Bible Study I went to The UPS Store in St. Cloud, MN. I walked in and didn't see a thing about iMemories. I asked and the gal there said it was a pretty complicated process and they didn't have it at their store. Oh boy, that did NOT sound good, especially since St. Cloud is such a huge city. I wasn't sure that the town I work in, which also has The UPS Store, would do it then.

A few days later I headed into The UPS Store by my work and lo and behold, I saw several signs about iMemories! My hopes were raising. The store manager came over, brought me a box, I filled out the paperwork and got ready to send in my videos.

Since I had no clue how much time I had on my VHS tapes I just had to guess at how many I could send. This was a total fail on my part. I wasn't sure how many to send so I just guessed that both video tapes were full and only sent two out of the 6 or so I brought with me.

I decided that I wanted the videos transferred to DVD and not just made digital. I was a bit confused by what it meant to just be digital. I kind of am still. I'm thinking that it means it's just available online? I need to contact the company to find out more. I want mine on DVD so that I have it in my grubby little hands. To ship the two tapes, the cost was just over $17.

I received confirmation that my Videos shipped from The UPS Store. I  had no idea that it was going to be so nice and easy to follow! Six days later I received another email letting me know my package had arrived safely! Seven days later I got confirmation of my order. I was also asked to finalize the order online and that's when I realized I might not be getting them transferred to DVD. The total was only like $20 so I realized they were only transferring digitally. So, I contacted iMemories to make sure that they were doing what I had asked for on the order form.

I emailed them letting them know I had placed an order initially for a DVD to be created out of  my VHS tapes and asked if they could look into it for me. I was contacted the SAME day and within 2 days my tapes had been converted to DVDs and was told they'd be shipped out 5 days later. I also wanted to make sure that I'd be getting my VHS tapes back as well. Yes, I would be. Hadn't thought to ask about that before I'd sent anything in and don't recall this being referred to anywhere. When I was able to process the order for the DVDs, the total became approximately $40.

On the day that the gal I had emailed said my DVD would be shipping, I received confirmation that yes indeed they'd gone out! Now all I had to do was not wait at the door hoping for the package every afternoon!  I received my box a couple of days later. And couldn't wait to watch the new iMemories video of my girls!

I loved that they have shots of the different part of each VHS video on the cover and back of the video case! I've never seen anything like that! I don't have to wonder what's on them and don't have to write anywhere on the case or in it!

The video on DVD turned out wonderfully! I hadn't watched these videos in ages and to go back and not be concerned that the tape might be too brittle means I can watch the DVD over and over again if I want! I am still waiting to get the VHS tapes back and can't wait to have the originals again.

You can also check out my shopping experience on Google +!

Have you ever transferred your VHS tapes over to DVD? If so, how was the process? If you never have, what's stopping you?

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company.