Old media is fragile, and some of it arrives already damaged. Tapes (VHS & VHS-C) and film (35mm & 8mm) that have sat in a basement, attic, or garage for decades can suffer from things like sticky-shed syndrome, mold, brittleness, and warping, long before they ever reach me. Running that kind of media through a player or scanner carries some inherent risk of further damage or breakage, even when handled carefully and with well-maintained equipment.

By sending in tape or film, you're acknowledging that Hamlow Media is not responsible for pre-existing damage or deterioration, or for damage that occurs during transfer as a direct result of that pre-existing condition. I'll always let you know before I start if a piece looks especially fragile, and I take every reasonable precaution to protect your originals.

Prints, negatives, and slides carry much less of this risk since they're digitized on a flatbed scanner with no moving mechanical transport involved, but the same general principle applies to anything already damaged before it arrives.