Genealogy Chat

I ordered a couple of certs on wednesday night. After a couple of hours I realised they were not related to my family after all. I had checked and double checked but obviously it wasn't enough because I then used IGI and realised my error. I sent an email to the GRO enquiries straight away to cancel them. Recieved an auto-reply that my query would be dealt with within 5 working days. Not much use since they're meant to be dispatched on the 4th working day.

So this morning I phoned the GRO enquiries line and was told that because they were ordered on the net, they go automatically into the system and cannot be cancelled.

The tip is, make absolutely sure before you order a certificate online because even if you realise your error straight away, they can't be cancelled.

Oh well, two certs to go on BMD share!

It's ridiculous, my mum reckons it's just a way of making sure they get the money out of you. You would think they wouldn't want to be knowingly sending out certs for people of no relation.

Ah well, live and learn.

I went full circle on my brickwall, pulled it down and then built it right back up again. I guess knowing what is wrong helps narrow down what might be right lol.

I would say, yes, the index is full of errors, as all indices are, however this does not mean the original records are incorrect.

My own marriage certificate is indexed incorrectly TWICE.....! both our surnames are spelled incorrectly.

The GRO have now corrected this within the official records, but obviously this does not get updated on the extracts of the indexes already made or appearing on any of the genealogy sites.

I'm not sure how the people at the GRO are supposed to work out whether a cert ordered by any one individual is for a relation of that person.............

Reg

Agreed Reggie, but there should be some flexibility.

The cert takes 4-5 days to process. She'd realised her mistake within hours and attempted to cancel by mail and phone.

Realistically in that time frame, no one had probably even actioned the request yet, it would still have been in a queue. How hard would it have been to cancel at that stage? Just add a note or press a button?

I feel they should have at very least refunded half, and taken the other haf for the trouble, just for the sake of customer satisfaction.

Pocketing all the money and insisting on sending certs they know full well are not in any way wanted or required anymore does suggest a money grabbing disdain for their customers, and hardly portrays them in a favourable light.

Summer,

How do you know that the information on the IGI is the accurate information??


There are mistakes on there ............ especially if the information is "submitted" and not "extracted"?


Sylvia

Hi,
Have just read your last email iro BMD share. I also have several certs which proved to be nothing to do with my family. How do I go about putting them on BMD share?
Coreen

Perhaps it would be best to carry out all the prudent checks that the persons are related BEFORE placing the order? And why wouldn't they (GRO) not send out certificates that were unrelated? Surely thousands of certificates must be ordered every week that are not related to those that order them? Or am I missing something?

Denis

Its a bit like getting shouted at by the caller of a wrong number for answering the phone....!

Not really Peter, The GRO are a business running a paid service and therefore should have some concept of customer service and flexibility. Customer IS always right after all, surely?

The index was not incorrect, I realised that the certificates that I had ordered were not my family. It was my error, I accept that. However, I was of the opinion that you have the ability to cancel any order made on the internet. I think it's the 7 day cooling off law or some such thing.

I agree that it should have been easy to press a button and cancel, after all, what happens when it goes through the checking process? I hadn't used any check points but if I had then I would only be charged £3 and the certs cancelled. I'm not sure what the difference is. Even if they'd charged me the £3 admin charges for them.

I originally looked into using the local registry office but found it would cost me £18 to consult their books as they would not do the search for me and I didn't know the exact dates.

Of course, they can't know whether you're ordering your own family or some random persons certs, but why would they want to send out info to people who do not want it. It costs them postage and processing time after all. As has been said, what happened to customer service and how long would it take to go into a computer system to cancel it? Two minutes, surely.

I don't know anyone else that you order from that if you wish to cancel your order then you can't.

Hi all,
I almost always go to local reg, but you do have to know the parish or at least a choice of two parishes but if you give them a date they will search a year each side.
Gill

Rosie, I would say so, if you filled in the checking point correctly. They should have refunded you £4 and not sent the cert. I would call them, but as you can see they're not exactly great with the customer service.

I do think you should be able to cancel - that's appalling. £7 I think is reasonable for the service (although with a hobby like this, if you want to do it 'right' and get the certs, you spend a fortune added up!) but I think there should be some refunded surely!

With any service you are normally able to cancel within a certain time limit, I think it's shocking you couldn't. I always use the online service, and will continue to do so, but I only buy certs at the moment if I really can't get any further without them (as money is tight). I'd be mightily peed off if this happened to me.

Titus - you don't work for the GRO do you? ;)

"The index was not incorrect, I realised that the certificates that I had ordered were not my family. It was my error, I accept that. However, I was of the opinion that you have the ability to cancel any order made on the internet. I think it's the 7 day cooling off law or some such thing"

Exactly Summer Scribe, this is why I've been vociferously backing you all the way on this one. I'm not convinced either they arn't actually breaching the law there, and even if they are not it is still bad practice.

I've ordered certs before and wasted seven pounds when they turned out to be unrelated to me, and wouldn't for a second expect a refund, but many people here seem confused, as this is clearly NOT the case here, you wanted to cancel before the order was processed, and I for one think you should have every right to do just that.

FAO Richard

Forgive me for being the eternal cynic, but I found your phraseology rather quaint.

"...just for the sake of customer satisfaction."

"Pocketing all the money ... does suggest a money grabbing disdain for their customers, and hardly portrays them in a favourable light."

This could be applied to a large section of UK businesses today!

Perhaps GenesReunited should take note?

Tom :-(

Under the terms of The Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000, consumers have a "cooling off" period of 7 working days from the date that the order is placed in which they may cancel orders placed by distance contract. The Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 do not apply to business-to-business transactions.

The consumer's right to cancel does not apply where goods or services are clearly personalised or made to the consumers specifications, or once service provision has begun.

I am afraid that you would get a similar response from an airline if you tried to change or cancel a booking made in error on-line, and that could be much more expensive.

Peter

I agree with Titus, Why use the GRO for certificates, ? I always send for mine from the appropriate register office,, Say who and what i want,,wife of,,husband of,,child of,, occupations ,etc,,,, They would rather you put as much info as possible so they can get it right and if its not the correct entry they send your cheque back, I always get mine back within a week and sometimes by return post,
And,,,,contrary to what other people have said,,i have never found a local reg office that refuses to issue a certificate,,

There are still many Registrars Offices who will not issue certificates deemed for geneology, the Islington one in particular. From posts on the boards I do not think a majority of researchers would appreciate the GRO having a 7 day "cooling off" period, most of us a far too anxious to receive the certs.