Genealogy Chat

Many thanks for that info Llamedos the 1st. I will be on the phone 1st thing Monday morning.

Gerri

Mrs Bucket......please see other thread re ancestry subs.........I was offered renewal for one year at £83.40. Then I read Sarah's e-mail from ancestry [copied below - hope this does not offend Sarah], contacted ancestry, mentioned that other members were being offered 20% discount - their "OK you can have it for £66.72 -sorted!

Copy of email.........

Sarah

Hope this helps

Llamedsos the 1st

Request review
12th August 2008 13:27
Hi,

Received this from Ancestry yesterday - offering a discount.

Dear Sarah

We're baffled. We haven't got an inkling why you left Ancestry.co.uk. And I'm sure you can appreciate, we hate to leave any mystery unsolved. We're searching for clues in the hope we can find a way to bring you back.

Did you leave because you felt you had exhausted all avenues of enquiry? Or have you finished your investigation and built your family tree? Well, you might like to know that we're always updating existing records and adding new ones to our files. So there are plenty of new leads waiting for you to investigate. For example, you now have access to British Army WW1 records from 1914 - 1920, records of British Phone Books from 1880 - 1984 and you also have a new set of records from the Scottish census at your disposal. Why not pick up the trail from where you left off?

Could it be that on the night in question, you found yourself hitting a brick wall? If that was the case, did you know that we have experienced genealogists who you can call to help you get out of any sticky situations? And the great thing is the service is totally free to members of Ancestry.co.uk.

Re-open your files today and get
20% off*
Or did you close the case because you found Ancestry.co.uk too expensive? Well if you re-open your files and come back to us, we'll give you a 20% discount*. So you can enjoy another year of membership for just £66.72.

Just call 0800 345 7927 and our friendly staff will have you back on the trail of

your family history in next to no time.

Can you help us with our enquiries?
To build a better picture and to establish a motive as to why you left, we'd be extremely grateful if you would click here to answer a few simple questions. It won't take long to take down your particulars and you could even win a fabulous case of wine. It will also help us to deliver an even better service to all our customers in the future.

In the meantime, I'd like to thank you in advance for helping us with our enquiries and look forward to welcoming you back to Ancestry.co.uk.

Yours sincerely,

Simon Harper
Managing Director

Ancestry.co.uk

Add

They have been very careful to not tell all the subscribers at once. By only letting their paying customers know about this change when their subscription is due means that complaints and cancellations will come in at a much slower pace than they otherwise would have, for some poeple being nearly a whole year before they have to pay for this increase and lose content, or even know about it, but for us monthly subscribers, we get hit straight away.
I guess by doing it this way they may still get new customers who don't know about the previous pricing structure faster than they lose their existing subscribers who they obviously really don't care about. It used to be that if you were an existing customer you would get more benefits than new customers, now it seems all they are interested in is hooking new customers (with things like free trial periods) and don't worry about the poeple who have kept you going
Come on Ancestry, whatever happened to customer loyalty.

Iain

Hi,
As a monthly user over many years, I too emailed Ancestry saying that I considered the paying structure to have become very imbalanced and grossly unfair to the monthly subscriber.

Paying a slightly higher premium I could understand, but looking at the new pricing structure quoted, I fail see how they justify their prices.

Additionally, "you are now paying for an improved service" for which you will now have access to less records for more money and better still a service that cannot reply to an email enquiry.

Ancestry - Don't kill the golden goose.

Paul

From: Terms and Conditions - Fees and Payments

If you wish to terminate your subscription you must notify us at least two days before the renewal date by calling our Member Service number 0800 404 9723 (free phone) from the UK, or +1 801 705 7620 (an international rate call) from outside of the UK. Member Service is available from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. GMT, Monday to Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Or send an e-mail to [email protected] and provide the following information

n

Hi Teddys
Do you know what content you will be able to access at that price? the price of £83.40 now gives access to less UK content than before.

Iain

I have just paid £83.40, and as I had a month to run on my usual three monthly subscription of £29.95, they allowed me £9.61, and this will give me 13 months subscription, and not 12 months.

Dont know what next year will be, they say £83.40 thats with VAT

Wonder if the price hike has anything to do with the fact the "Who Do You Think You Are?" has just started a new series.

Have made a note of that phone number, thanks Pam, for when my renewal is due in December.

Thanks Pam

Updated:


If you wish to terminate your subscription you must notify us at least two days before the renewal date by calling our Member Service number 0800 404 9723 (free phone) from the UK, or +1 801 705 7620 (an international rate call) from outside of the UK. Member Service is available from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. GMT, Monday to Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Or send an e-mail to [email protected] and provide the following information

I too have had the e.mail. £83.40 continued membership.

Llamedos the 1st or anyone....Have you got the phone number please?

£16.68 is better in MY pocket than thiers!

Gerri x

The library seems like an even more attractive option now

Just renewed by phone - stated I could not afford to pay £83.40, but willing to pay around last years subs - got 20% off with full conent as last year guaranteed. Renewed at £66.72.

Hopefully at this rate they will get the message and rethink. I still have research to do but I will not pay their prices, especially as now we have effectively faced a second subs increase in a one month period..

Iain

I've just cancelled my sub with Ancestry. It was due for renewal tomorrow but they were offering me less than I have now for the grand price of £83.40. Like others, I would have had to take out the Premium sub at £107.40 to remain with the searches I enjoy today, that's 25% increase over what I paid last year.

I'll probably regret cancelling but I really feel I had to make a stand against daylight robbery!!

Jo

Is it worth trying the Genealogist? has anyone on here any experience of using the site at all and if it offers value for money?
Thanks

Iain

There's one simple answer: everybody boycot ancestry. I have.

There are plenty of free sites where much of the info is available. OK it takes longer and you have to Google to find them but I would rather do that than be ripped off - and I can afford even the World membership

I joined in Feb 2007 and paid an annual fee of £79.00, for some reason it hasn't taken any money this year............I've just been on my account and it says my ANNUAL subscription is running from Feb 2007 - Feb 2009!!

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

Vicky X

ashworth i am searching for paul and christopher ashworth fathers name bernard embury mums name valerie ashworth she died 1972 bernard has 2 brothers david and colin embury