Genealogy Chat

There doesn't seem to be any consistency here with regards to pricing. To my mind there shouldn't be two different amounts, you should either pay up (one rate) and become a full member, or not. Would that be too hard?

I emailed GR last evening asking them to explain the differences in membership fees. This is the reply:COPY - It is free to register with Genes Reunited. You can build your family tree, use the search facilities to find possible matches to your family name, add notes against relations in your tree, receive emails from other members and view the Genealogy Links page and the Message Boards. Also, if you already have experience in researching your family history you can import your GEDCOM file on to your Genes Reunited family tree. If you choose to upgrade to full membership for the current annual fee of £9.95, you will have the ability to contact other members from your search results, link up to view other members' trees when they invite you to do so, post photos on your family tree and add messages to the message boards. I am now left wondering why I ever paid any monies at all. With all these different levels of membership which amount to the same end product - I think other members should send them a 'Polite' email and ask what is going on. Please support us. Margaret N

Don't get on here very often now (am elsewhere LOL) but seeing this was a coincidence! I had a message from GR to renew at £9.95. I think I paid £7.50 before, so contacted them - waiting to see if I get a reply! Won't hold my breath though!

I haven't 'upgraded' to full membership, I have been a full member for over 3yrs - but I had to pay £9.95!!! As I recall, the two tier pricing system, was £7.50 for for full members 'renewing' their membership, and £9.95 for first time subscribers. Now it seems they charge what they like, when they like, and to whom they like! Ridiculous system!! We all get the same benefits, we should all be paying the same amount. Debbie

This has been going on all this year, my renewal was in Feb;; I was on continuous membership, but they took £9-95 of me;;; Sent e-mail to them and was told from Estelle that I would get a refund of the diff;;mine £7-50;; Don't hold your breath ';;; Still haven't got my re-fund;; Babs

I AM FUMING!! I AM on continual membership and this very morning (Friday 13th October), it being the 3rd birthday of my membership, I checked the accounts details page to see whether my continuous membership had gone through OK. It was still pending and still £7.50. I'd received an email from GR last week advising me I need do nothing as my automatic renewal was in hand and, if my credit card didn't work, I would be notified so I could re-enter the details. I'd not received an email warning of any problems in office hours, so nothing seemed out of order. THEN after 10pm tonight I received an email that my credit card payment wasn't working and to stay a member I had to go via the secure payment page. The charge had magically gone up to £9.95. By the time I'd got that email, I had jsut 30 minutes left of my existing membership and, not wanting to disappoint some new contacts, was forced to renew at that rate. Here is the email I sent to GR: ---------------------- 'WHY DID THE RENEWAL PAGE QUOTE £7.50 RENEWAL WHEN YOU ARE NOW CHARGING £9.95 !!??? I have renewed through the secure page but could you please ensure that I am charged £7.50. Please find attached a copy of the screen shot I took when I was assured my continual membership was £7.50. I had switched from annual membership to continual membership back in September to continue paying at the £7.50 rate. I consider it a dirty trick for you to charge a completely different rate to the one quoted and shall not hesitate to take this further if I do not get a satisfactory answer.' --------------------- Type 'renewal' into the tips board search box and you will see just how many other people have been stung in that manner. I know it is only a couple of quid but multiply that many times over by the number of similarly affected people and it soon mounts up. If GR does not give me a satisfactory reply, I shall probably take it up with Trading Standards. Will keep you posted. Tracey

I recently renewed my membership. $19.95 Australian dollars, it's been the same price for the past 3 years. At todays exchange rate that works out to be 8.07 British pounds. Looks like good value to me!! Paul

I had all this when I renewed in June. I did get my refund, but as I posted then and will tell you now, I was told it would be £9.95 next time so at some point everyone will be paying that amount, they just don't have the curtoursy to tell you when. You have to keep e-mailing or they won't reply. Whilst I think it is excellent value for money, I object to the percentage increase and how they can allow this two tier system without any clarity to members. Elaine

well Peeps I AM BLOODY ANNOYED!!!!!!! being a continuous member I have recieved my visa bill, £9.95 has been taken out instead of £7.50 MIFFED I AM

Hello Darksecretz, I was unsure and had to check my credit card details....they have taken the £7-50...............been into my account details and it states that my next years subscription will be deducted automatically.......though no amount shown... It was fine before....new membership £9 95 then subsequent years at £7-50............I know that the subsription is not unreasonable but the unclear priceing system is unsatisfactory. I have just typed 'renewal ' in topics and discoverred that all this as been dicussed before....months ago...but nothing has changed Cheers Colin

colin yes i know, i am gutted now, Also the two tier pricing HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE OPTIONS IN YOUR ACCOUNT DETAILS I see GR can DO some things, but NOT what THEY should be doing IS UTTER MADNESS I am going to email them NOW About it Julie

I had continuous membership in Sept.....and I think I paid 9.95 or 9.50.........others were paying 7.50. What they said was, that you pay what you paid last year. If you were paying 7pound something....then that is your new price If you were paying 9 pound something.....then that is what you pay. I think it is what your joining price was.

I am Sooooooooooo Mad !!! I joined Genes a few years back and regularly renewed my subscription. Didn't know anything about a two tier membership or the free registration ! I just had an e mail through telling me my subs were up for renewal at the new price and just paid it ! Shall think twice next time!

Still no reply from GR about my membership renewal complaint. They are probably snowed under answering all the bemused and angry emails about the new tree viewer. So, I'll give them some more time and then, if still no reply, it's off to trading standards. Incidentally, has anybody been forced to take a similar course of action? If so, did you get anywhere? Tracey

I sent an email to Genes Support to ask what it would cost me to renew my membership because I'd heard there were different prices. I got this reply this morning:- --------------- Thanks for your email. Members who select the continuous option for auto renewal will be renewed at the same price they paid previously. Otherwise the renewal will be 9.95. I hope this helps Best regards, ------------- I will wait to see what they take in January. I have altered my account details to the continuous option. Kath. x

I don,t understand all this two tier payment i am sure when i renewed in June i paid the higher rate Genes not ben fair i think ! June.

Hi Kath, Worryingly I, like many others who have been caught in this way, DID have continuous membership. The renewal screen DID show £7.50 but it still went through at £9.95. It has just appeared on my online credit card statement as £9.95 too. Not good, is it? Tracey

Hi Tracey, I will make a point of checking what they take from me in January (actually it will be taken from my son, as he buys me my subscription to a couple of sites for Christmas). If they take more than the £7.50 they took last year, I will be back on to them straight away. I will keep their email as proof of what they said. I see no need for them to have a two tier system. We are all members using the same resources, so should pay the same.........and I don't mean the higher amount!!!!! Kath. x

hiya'll I have posted this on MY thread as well, this is my reply from GR regarding My complaint as to why 9.95 was taken from my account and NOT 7.50 Thanks for your email. There were two attempts to auto renew your registration on the same day, the second attempt succeeded but went through as 9.95. As the payment was made on the due date and we did advise your renewal would cost 7.50 I have refunded the balance to your card. Best regards, EricaThe Genes Support Team ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED WRONG, EMAIL THEM AND ASK WHY THEY HAVE BEEN OVERGHARGED KEEP DOING IT until you have a response, and i did ask for a personal reply not automated one I hope this helps everyone concerned Julie

I would think that if you have proof that they told you it would be £7.50, then they took £9.95 from your credit card, you would have a case to go to your C Card provider and complain. Ann Glos