Complaint about Ancestry.co.uk

I have recently filed a complaint with UK Consumer Direct regarding
Ancestry.co.uk. If you use their service, or are thinking of using

Don Aitken...

I think I am right for the period before 1572, though.

Dave Mayall...

I'd challenge that!

The fact that the spelling upon which your line settled in the 20th/21st
century is "Gwilliam" and the fact that this form was also used earlier in
your line doesn't make the other forms incorrect for your line.

Up until the end of the 19th century, surname spellings were still fluid,
and no particular spelling could be regarded as more correct than another.
The fact that the family finally found a version and stuck with it doesn't
make the others "incorrect"

A. Gwilliam...

Well, I can't disagree with your general point. But in the case of my
line it's more probable that "Gwillam" [sic] was the English spelling
of the Welsh name "Gwilym".

And yes, I know that Gwilym's probably of Anglo-Norman origin, but
that's a different issue.

their service, you may be interested in the body of my complaint, which
I copy below:

CWatters...

CWatters...

' I am complaining about Ancestry.co.uk, the UK arm of a big American
family history website, that has worked with the National Archives to
bring the UK census data from 1851 to 1901 online for internet
searching. Given the present interest in family history, due to recent
TV programmes, this site is likely to see more members in the UK
signing up, which concerns me even more.

Dave Mayall...

Indeed, there is no shortage of people wanting to rewrite the index (moving
the birth of an individual with the correct names by a few years)

Apart from the fact that I have to pay an American company to view UK
census data, which I personally dislike (and I will be complaining
directly to the National Archives about), this company has multiple
problems:

1) They have recently been offering a free 14-day trial. You have to
provide your credit card details to enable this trial. At the end of
the trial, you are automatically billed for a one year subscription
which cost me in the region of 70 pounds. I had no means of
cancelling, no reminder that my free trial was about to end, I wasn't
asked if I wanted to pay for a year's subscription. And if I wanted to
get my money back I couldn't, because if you follow the links to
contact support, and choose from the drop-down box that this is a
"Billing" issue, your message gets through to technical support who are

Ruth Wilson...

snipped

Jeff...

I don't think you do IF you tick the "Phonetic Search" box

Ruth Wilson...

Phonetic search worked well for me looking for Swanwick or Swannick etc,

Brian Taylor...

Ruth,
This is one of my major lines (in Notts) - will try direct
Brian

which is more than can be said for Ancestry. You put in one or t'other, and
are offerednames such as Simms before it comes up with the phonetic variants
I've suggested (then I need to try Swannack, then only one n ... then I
lose count where I'm up to ....)

not equipped to answer your questions. I can send you example email
trails that have gone back and forth that demonstrate they simply do
not know how to deal with anything other than technical issues. Their
last email told me they can't deal with complex billing questions over
the internet, but gave me a U.S. 1-800 number to call. Which of course
isn't toll-free if I call from the UK. I don't propose to pay for a
phonecall to the U.S. because a company that pretends to be a UK
company, with a .co.uk internet address and UK census data, can't be
bothered to provide a UK-based office for their UK customers.

Charani...

There are full details in their offer as to how to cancel, AIUI, which
has to be done before the end of the 14 days.

I had a problem with Ancestry, mailed their help desk which gave me an
0800 number, which I told them was no good to me since I was in the
UK. They mailed me back to say that it *was* a UK freephone number
and it was freephone to America. Were the next three digits of the
number given to you 404? If so, that is a freephone number.

Again, AIUI, emails *are* sent prior to the expiry of a subscription
for non North American subscribers, whilst North American subscribers
get a phone call.

Martin Brown...

And UK subscribers can also cancel their free trial subscriptions by
email. I know because that is how I did it. I don't see why you think
you have a legitimate complaint against them. Their T&C are clear enough
and you forgot to cancel your subscription before the free trial ended.
You did read the small print in the contact didn't you?

All you had to do is *read* the instructions and follow them carefully.

Fenny...

Yep. It worked for me. First time round, I had a free trial and then
cancelled. Second time, I went for the quarterly subscription after my
free trial (this is some time ago, not sure what the options are now). At
the end of the 3 months, I did what it said on the tin and my sub was
cancelled without problem.

I'm always careful about T&Cs and usually print out a copy, along with the
various username, password & email info I used to sign up with, so I have
all the right details to hand when necessary. OK, they may be in a heap
on the desk somewhere, but they are usually findable in a day or so.

Auto renewal is a pretty standard thing these days unfortunately, so I
don't think you'll get anywhere with your complaint.

Martin Brown...

The "Which" consumer magazine uses essentially the same billing model
except that I think they give you a 3 month free trial.

Martin Brown

2) As it happens, I'll be using the site a lot this year, so I don't
mind. But when I told them I don't want them charging me automatically
again next year without asking me first, they said they couldn't do
that. Their system wasn't set-up to do that. They claimed they have
cancelled my subscription so that I won't get charged again next year,
but nothing I can see in "My Account Options" indicates this to be the

CWatters...

So presumably this means you have logged into your account since the end of
the 14 day trial period? Continuing to use your account would probably ruin
any case you had against the credit card company.

In cases like this you should contact your credit card company as soon as
you realise there is a communication problem. Explain that you have complied
with the cancelation instructions (see below) and include a copy of email
you sent AND the reply you got as proof. The fact that you got a reply
should be accepted as evidence your email arrived even if it wasn't a
"confirmation".

From..

comes..

To cancel your free trial or a subscription account with Ancestry, please
call +1-801-705-7620 between 14:00 and 24:00 GMT, Monday through Friday. If
you prefer to send an e-mail, contact us at cancel@ancestry.com and provide
the following information:
1.. Given name and surname.
2.. Username
3.. Subscription type (e.g. Annual UK Ireland subscription, Quarterly UK &
Ireland subscription, Free Trial, etc.)
4.. E-mail address used when subscribing
5.. Telephone number including country code
6.. Country
After processing your request, we will send a confirmation.

CWatters...

case.

3) Despite repeated communication with the company, they are ignoring
my problems, and coming back with stock answers to someone else's

Dave Mayall...

Which is why FreeBMD is introducing Postems to allow people to leave notes

Jill...

Great idea

like this.

question. About all they know how to say is "I'm sorry we can't refund
you, we're only really equipped to answer technical problems". I am
not given any means of talking to someone with even a small degree of
intelligence.

4) Imagine a magazine that gives you a free issue (if you provide them
your credit card details), and then automatically charges you for a
year's subscription without asking you first. Then renews your
subscription each year without giving you a chance or option to cancel.
That is exactly the way this company are behaving, and if it isn't
illegal, it should be. It is certainly unethical.

mbnilspam...

As a matter of interest, if you give a valid credit card number but an
incorrect name and address, can they bill you? if not, it would be one
way of making sure your credit card wasn't used.

Charani...

Your card wouldn't be accepted if you did that.

Charles Ellson...

I wouldn't bet my plastic on that. AFAIAA as long as the card number,
expiry date and the number on the back of the card (if that is used
anyway) match then the transaction has some chance of reaching the
card-holder's bill if no other verification takes place beforehand.

Mark Goodge...

The only things that are absolutely necessary are the card number and
expiry date (and, for cards that have them, the issue number). If the
number is correct and the card is within its valid dates at the time
the details were taken, the card can be billed. Note that, once
accepted for a continuous or future payment agreement (as is the case
in this kind of situation), the agreement remains valid even after the
expiry date of the card - the date relates to the last point at which
the card can be used by the cardholder to set up a new payment, not to
the point at which that payment can be collected by the retailer.

In practice, most online retailers impose a much higher bar before
accepting a card for a payment. At the very least, the cvv code is
typically required. A correct address is often not necessary as many
people make mistakes anyway when typing their address on online forms
- just misspelling the street name will cause it to be flagged as a
mismatch, so address verification isn't usually strictly enforced. The
postcode tends to be taken more seriously, as it's harder to get it
wrong by mistake - if that doesn't match, the card is much more likely
to be declined.

Going back to the original point, if you gave a false address with a
valid card number, then if it was accepted for payment it would be
billed and the charge would appear on your card statement. If it
wasn't accepted then you wouldn't get the free trial period. So it's
not a way of fooling the system.

Charani...

Which, I believe, was the purpose of original point.

Charani...

Then it seems a bit daft asking for the billing address if it isn't
really necessary for a charge to be made to the card.

5) I can afford it. 70 pounds a year to me isn't a big deal. But I
can imagine a number of people who are going to get caught out by this,
not know who to turn to, and who can't afford 70 pounds.

Something needs to be done to knock this company down a peg or two, and
force them to operate in a clearer, less confusing, and more customer
friendly manner.'

I have asked Consumer Direct:

* Are they breaking any laws by operating in this fashion? For
example, do they have a UK registered office? Are their Terms &
Conditions and the way they bill even when I only signed up for a
14-day free trial legal?

* If they're not breaking any laws, they're certainly being quite
deceptive and misleading. What pressure can UK consumer bodies put on
this company to force them to behave in a more responsible way?

Mail me if you've had similar problems, or would like to know the
response from Consumer Direct on these matters.

Best regards,
Mark.