Order Process
I am not sure I want to just send my pictures to just anyone. How do I know I can trust you will do what you advertise? And why is Slide Scanning Pros not listed with the Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau?
We understand that your slides are important to you. We could have purchased proxies for trust by joining the chamber of commerce and other organizations and paying their dues. (But we would have to pass those cost onto our customers). One of the great things about Slide Scanning Pros is that we don't have a minimum order size. You can start with a few dozen slides. See how it goes. See our quality on your pictures. Feel your originals returned safely to you. Then send in the remaining slides once you feel comfortable and are satisfied with the quality of our work. Customer satisfaction is very important to us and we know that we are handling your precious memories.
Do you take orders from Canada? other countries?
Yes, we will take orders from all around the world. You will pay via credit card and
pay your bill in your currency, but the price will be in US
dollars and your card company will handle the exchange conversion.
For shipping you will pay the postage both ways (as do all of our
customers).
Where Can I find an order form?
There is a tab for it at the top of our site or a link at the bottom. Or you can click the following link: Order Form
What are some suggestions for organizing my slides?
Usually, when it comes to organizing, it is best to keep things as simple as possible. Also keep in mind that a flat directory structure works better than multiple hierarchical layers of folders inside folders
For example:
A group called "Mexico" with 3 trips to Mexico labeled in sub-folders "1978," "1985" and "1991," does not work as well as just having 3 folders labeled "Mexico 1978" "Mexico 1985" and "Mexico 1991."
The other thing to consider is how alphabetizing on your computer will make the groups come together. If you want them in chronological order you should put the year first "1978 Mexico," "1988 France" "1989 Mary's Birthday" etc. On the other hand if you want all the same subjects together in a list you should put that first "Mexico 1978" "France 1988" and "Birthday - Mary - 1989" (or maybe "Mary - Birthday -1989").
As for organizing your slides physically, it is easier on us if they are all orientated the same way with the emulsion of the slides facing the same direction.
For example:
A group called "Mexico" with 3 trips to Mexico labeled in sub-folders "1978," "1985" and "1991," does not work as well as just having 3 folders labeled "Mexico 1978" "Mexico 1985" and "Mexico 1991."
The other thing to consider is how alphabetizing on your computer will make the groups come together. If you want them in chronological order you should put the year first "1978 Mexico," "1988 France" "1989 Mary's Birthday" etc. On the other hand if you want all the same subjects together in a list you should put that first "Mexico 1978" "France 1988" and "Birthday - Mary - 1989" (or maybe "Mary - Birthday -1989").
As for organizing your slides physically, it is easier on us if they are all orientated the same way with the emulsion of the slides facing the same direction.
How do I package my slides to ship?
See our Packing Tips and Instructions page.
Do you have a minimum number of slides that I have to send
in to get the $.29 price?
No, we do not have a minimum number. You can send in as many or as
few as you wish. Some customers even prefer to send in a few images
so that they can get a feel of our commitment to quality before
sending in an entire collection for scanning. Please remember that
you will have to pay for postage both ways plus as least 1 DVD-R even
for just 1 slide.
Is there a way to check on the progress of my order?
You will receive an email when your order is started, another
while the order is in process with some samples of what we are doing,
and of course an email when your order is completed.
Additionally, you are very welcome to call us at 888.210.1591 or email us at customer.service@slidescanningpros.com
Additionally, you are very welcome to call us at 888.210.1591 or email us at customer.service@slidescanningpros.com
Can I see my pictures before you burn them to DVD-R?
Yes. We post thumbnails to a web site for you to review
the work before we burn the images to DVD.
We will set up a private preview area on the web and upload thumbnails of all your images. Once completed, we will send you an email with your own personal account number and password so that you can access them. Your images will not be shared and cannot be viewed by anyone else. Once you approve them and we have received full payment for your order, we will burn the remaining full resolution images onto an external hard drive or dvd(s) and send them with your originals to your address.
We will set up a private preview area on the web and upload thumbnails of all your images. Once completed, we will send you an email with your own personal account number and password so that you can access them. Your images will not be shared and cannot be viewed by anyone else. Once you approve them and we have received full payment for your order, we will burn the remaining full resolution images onto an external hard drive or dvd(s) and send them with your originals to your address.
Can I order prints? How much do they cost?
Yes, you can order them straight from zenfolio.com, the site that we use to upload all your photographs with a protected password. Their prices are very reasonable. They have many options, sizes and prices to choose from. Prices range from .70¢ for wallet size prints, .29¢ for a 4x6 inch print, to 1.99 for an 8x10 inch print. They also have various other things for sale such as coffee mugs and apparel with your photos on them. Also they make beautiful high quality canvas wraps for hanging on your wall.
Do you keep back-ups of all my images for the future?
We do for a little while (about a month) just to make sure that your images arrive
safely. Ultimately, you are responsible for backing up your images
(along with everything else of value on your computer). If you don't
already have a reliable automated off site backup system we recommend Backblaze. They have a completely automated system
that backs up everything of value for only $5 per month. Backblaze
works on both PC and Mac. You get as much personal storage as you
need. We investigated all of the back-up services available and this one came out on top. We use it on our personal
computers and it works great.
How do you return the slides when you are done scanning them? Do you insure packages when you return them?
After we scan your originals, we carefully package them and return them to you with delivery confirmation. Usually, we skip the insurance on return because we will keep a backup copy until you confirm safe return of all materials. If you want insurance let us know and we will be happy to give you a quote.
How do you calculate return shipping charges?
We calculate postage by weighing and measuring the package we are returning to you. With the information we gain we can accurately input the weight, measurements and your zip code at usps.com. We receive a quote for shipping and we give you the exact same quote.
