Your precious home movies, old photos, and cherished memories are important, so it’s important to choose a digitization service that will care for them and create lasting digital media. LegacyBox.com is one of the most popular choices, but that doesn’t mean that they are necessarily one of the best.
For over 20 years, Capture has been preserving family memories. Over that time, we’ve seen lots of competition come and go and whether you choose our service or a competitor, our primary concern is that you choose the best option for your precious memories. That’s why we put together this list of common LegacyBox complaints.
Keep reading to learn about 10 common LegacyBox problems supported by negative reviews including slow turnaround time, poor customer service, damaged or lost items, quality issues, pricing complaints, and other challenges with digitization.
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Common LegacyBox Complaints
Reading reviews is a great way to get a customer's perspective of a company, both negatively and positively. Seeing recurring issues in the digitization process can make you think twice about trusting a brand with your memories. These are some of the most common complaints about LegacyBox that pop up in reviews.
Delayed or Slow Turnaround Time
LegacyBox claims to offer a turnaround time of 10 to 12 weeks, which is somewhat lengthy to begin with. However, if they provide the service they claim, that wouldn’t be so bad. However, there are several complaints that point to significantly longer wait times. That’s a problem when they have your analog media, especially if you’re waiting on the digital files to use as a gift or heirloom.
For example, on Trustpilot where LegacyBox holds a commendable 3.9 star rating, reviews state things like “It took WAY too long.” When you dig deeper, you learn more about the processing time issue. One reviewer on SiteJabber says it took 16 weeks to process their order and even then, the DVD copies didn’t work.
Even some of the positive reviews mention that it took 4 months to get their order, so it’s clear that this is an ongoing issue. It also contributes to other common LegacyBox complaints like poor customer service and lost memories.
Poor Customer Service Response
While any company is bound to have bad reviews, the customer service response will tell you a lot. With LegacyBox it appears that they often claim staff issues or other internal problems, but as a large brand owned by the same company that runs SouthTree, customers shouldn’t have to deal with these types of problems.
A 1 Star review on SiteJabber states, “The customer service is terrible! I have requested a supervisor many times to call me but they refuse…no one calls me. They just want my additional $$$ for something I already paid for! Watch out. DON’T USE Them for your precious memories.”
If this was the only LegacyBox review that highlighted this issue, it could be overlooked. The problem is that there are tons of reviews like this on TrustPilot, SiteJabber, and even their own Facebook page that mention unhelpful customer service, repetitive emails without substance, and unanswered phone calls.
Damaged or Lost Items During the Conversion Process
One of the worst things that can happen to your old film reels, VHS tapes, and legacy is losing them forever. Sometimes these memories are the only remaining glimpse of passed loved ones, so it’s alarming to see that it’s one of the common LegacyBox customer complaints.
One reviewer says, “After almost 6 months they have said they have lost my material.” Another customer review comments, “They LOST MY 8mm FAMILY HISTORY, 40+ years of memories. They are making me do the work with Fed Ex to locate and NO HELP. Fed Ex cannot find. DO NOT TRUST THEM WITH ANYTHING.”
This is a recurring issue as well and is one of the reasons their Better Business Bureau rating is 1 star out of 5 (for their parent company Southtree that uses the same processing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee).
Inaccurate or Incomplete Digitization Results
Some people who send their memories to Legacybox receive their order only to realize that it contains other people’s memories, is in the wrong order, or is missing some of their media. While not as common as some of the other issues, this one does appear several times on review sites.
For example, one customer says they sent in 8 videotapes and only 2 were converted. LegacyBox claimed that the others were blank or damaged, but the customer was able to convert them into good quality themselves. While it can be easy to dismiss this LegacyBox dissatisfied customer since it’s a he-said, she-said type of experience, other reviews indicate similar issues.
Some customers also mention that they received the digital download or original media but were still missing the USB thumb drive or DVD copy.
Pricing and Hidden Fees Concerns
A lot of people are willing to pay good money to have their memories preserved in high-quality digital format for future generations to enjoy, but when the charges are exorbitant or hidden, that becomes a problem.
One review complains that LegacyBox “charges 90 DOLLARS A MONTH for backing up your files. They just send you a google drive link to these files. Google Drive space for the files they digitized is not even close to 90 dollars a month. This is a brazen money grab and makes the whole company seem disreputable, predatory, and underhanded. It certainly makes me question the high cost of the digitization services.”
Other first-time customers mention problems with advertised prices, unexpected credit card charges, or misleading discounts. For example, one reviewer says, “The advertised price keeps growing with unexpected charges and the alleged discounts disappear. Furthermore, they make no attempt to solve any problems. The customer service consists of denials and evasion of responsibility.”
Difficulty in Tracking Order Status or Lack of Updates
One of LegacyBox’s main selling points is that they use barcode stickers to make it easy to track your memories whether you have Super 8 reel-to-reel memories or audio cassettes. However. Many customers had problems with tracking their order status and only received generic updates that didn’t provide pertinent information.
For example, one Facebook comment says, “Items were sent AND marked received,” but then “almost two months later they are STILL ‘in process’ and have apparently not yet begun to be digitized.” This is an ongoing issue with many customers not knowing where their order was or if they would ever receive their original memories or digital files.
Issues with the Quality of Digitized Media Files
LegacyBox, just like many other digital transfer services, never claims to improve the quality of media when they create digital copies. However, you shouldn’t be able to view your memories in higher quality on a VCR or 8mm film projector. Unfortunately, that’s what a lot of LegacyBox negative feedback claims.
A SiteJabber reviewer, for example, says, “Their work was terrible, the color was horrible, faces looked orange with black flecks all over the pictures.” Trustpilot reviews are similar with reviewers saying “half were not even watchable, and the other half was super-poor quality” or “horrible copies, nothing like the sharp video they were sent, copies on dirty heads it looked like and unknown why all the jumping screens.”
One reviewer even goes so far as to say, “What a disappointment. I got better results with a cheap scanner I bought from Amazon.” The slides they received were out of focus and had poor color for an expensive price.
Unsatisfactory Packaging or Shipping Problems
Many of the complaints for shipping issues fall under other of the common LegacyBox complaints, but there are some that point out shipping issues. For example, some people pay for expedited shipping labels, but it still takes 10 weeks or longer to receive their order.
For example, one reviewer says that they sent 8mm film reels to be converted to digital files and flash drive copies and paid for “Holiday Priority Processing” and yet never received the proper updates in a timely manner. Another reviewer mentioned that they “Paid for express return to have before Christmas! Did not get with no refund.”
Other reviews around the web indicate that the packaging, while convenient, doesn’t really protect the memories during transit. Then, LegacyBox often blames Fed Ex or other shippers when they should be doing more to protect your media. Finally, at least one review says that the order was delivered to the wrong address.
Lack of Clear Instructions or Guidance for Customers
Having a lack of clear instructions can make a company appear misleading or deceptive, especially when it impedes the digitization process. This is one of the common LegacyBox complaints with reviewers mentioning that they didn’t know how to use the kit and ensure safety for their memories.
One recent Trustpilot review states that “at the time of order, there was no information on the process... Maybe the website could define the step-by-step process and let customers know what to expect.” Another mimics these concerns saying, “I was a little unclear about the process. I paid over $700 and wasn’t sure how I was getting my memories safely to you.”
Challenges with Accessing or Downloading Digitized Files
Being able to view your digital copies is one of the most important aspects of using any digital transfer service. While LegacyBox seems to do pretty well overall when it comes to accessing digitized files, it is also one of the more common complaints.
One review says, “Don’t go for the digital download option, you’ll never find your files to download. I eventually got there, but it sure wasn’t easy! How hard would it be to simply have a link on the main page to your digitized content?” They aren’t the only ones either, with many people saying that their digital download was inaccessible or incomplete.
Conclusion
Digitizing your analog memories is a smart choice because it makes them easier to share and preserve them for future generations to enjoy. However, it’s important to choose a digitization service that you can trust to take care of your memories, create high-quality digital copies, and offer helpful customer support throughout the entire process.
As you can see, while LegacyBox may be an extremely popular choice, there are plenty of negative experiences to be wary of. While the final decision is up to you, it’s always good to be informed about the services available.
After reading these common LegacyBox complaints, if you need an alternative to LegacyBox, Capture can convert your VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS-, 8mm film, Super 8 film, MiniDV, photo albums, and more. Click here to learn about Capture’s transfer services!
