Genealogy Chat

Gary - but only if they specify that consequence up-front, in their t&c when you sign up. They can't just impose an extra charge later just because they feel like it! Unlimited use means just that - unlimited use! If I rent a car with unlimited km then I don't get charged extra even if I drive it right round the country (and this is a BIG country!). However, if they say on the hire agreement, xx km free and then yyy per km, that's different.

Get in touch with BBC watchdog programme. The nature of genealogy is there are loads of variations of surnames and it takes ages to find the right person.

Ancestry are now logging your searches. I noticed the other day when I logged in, it told me who the last person was who I searched for......... maybe Ancestry are collating a database ???? worth bearing in mind maybe ?? Elaine :-(

Just a thought don't give these companies your phone number in the uk most site will let you put 00000-000000 as a phone number, I've done this a few times as I dont have access to a phone and I refuse to give them a mobile number.

Elaine... now you're getting a bit paranoid, I think! The ''previous search'' info is stored in a cookie on your machine, not on their servers!!! I use Ancestry on two different computers, and it only remembers my last search on that machine, even if I've done a subsequent search on the other. I'm sure that they could log your activity, and maybe they do - after all, it's their site and they are entitled to record any activity on it. But I think that the previous search info it quite innocuous - after all, if it was spy stuff, they'd hardly tell you about it, would they? Lunar - on most sites the phone number box is optional - in which case, leave it blank. Richard

Elaine, Please send me a PM. I need to know that I am not one of these people who are going to be charged!!! Anne...x

Hi Richard, I know what your saying ... and yes, its highly unlikely that Ancestry are 'logging'..... lol ! .... but best to be aware that one day they MAY start getting 'funny' if they feel like it ! Elaine :-)

This company took a big gamble & paid out loads in order to produce CDs – the price of these was too high and so they didn’t sell as many as they’d hoped. When other competitors started to offer access to the same info but on look up sites, sales slumped further so they decided to cash in on the market too, to recoup some of their costs. This is not going as well as they had hoped – competitors now about to expand and squeeze them out again, because look ups of this additional material included in the subs. Basically they took a marketing gamble which didn’t pay off and they can see a further downward spiral coming. They are in a corner financially and are trying to extort money illegally, either by imposing additional costs (the fine) or suspending (taking money and then refusing to deliver the goods.)

Elaine - Yes but I think that Ancestry are a bit more lenient with regards to lookups - otherwise, why would they bother with the ''share'' button on their image viewer, which allows you to send an image to someone else? And after all, when I first started doing my tree I asked for a few lookups on here - it didn't take very long before I realised just how useful Ancestry was, and signed up myself. Anyone who's serious about this hobby would want to have direct access to this info, rather than rely on others to do the work for them. So in a way, offering or doing lookups is a great form of free advertising for the company, and I'm sure that Ancestry realise this. After all, they support free sites such as Rootsweb, which are full of lookup requests and offers. Richard

Hi Janet, You have hit the nail on the head. Your 100% right. I would HATE for this OR any other company to go under .... making people unemployed, loosing million's of pounds. The problem is, that when Genealogy took off as a hobby, everyone jumped on the band wagon and thought they too could make a healthy profit. If they all dropped the prices and stopped being so pompus, then they would have million's of people subscribing or buying the products.. and could make the money that way. Elaine :-)

Hi Richard, Not sure about the 'share' button ........ as someone did say the other day that images had been 'tracked' and the recipient had received a message to say that they had received their quota and couldn't recieve further images. I didn't read all the thread, so I don't know the FULL details, but the above is what I understood had happened. Elaine ;-)

Yes, Elaine I think that's right - it's like a little free taster, much like their 2-week free trial. The idea is that you get to see what the site has to offer before you sign up (unlike most of the other sites, where you have to pay up front before you even know if they hold any info of use to you or not!). I'm sure that they view lookups in the same sort of light.

Hi Elaine please can you pm me the name of the site Thanks Jo

Hello Could you pm please with the site name. xxhugxx

Hi Elaine Thank you for the warning. Here in NZ we find subs etc, very expensive due to our exchange rate i.e.NZ$1 = ,39UK & .69US at the moment,so we have to take extra care when choosing our sites I'm sure this applies equally to Aust.USA etc members and as distance makes a visit to record offices and parishes impossible we rely entirely on our trusted providers. I would also appreciate a PM re the site in question. Meantime,happy hunting to all JudyNZ

nudged for Robyne ..........

Here are the 'NEW' terms and conditions, Terms & Conditions To ensure fair access to all we impose the following conditions: Use of the service is strictly limited to personal use (except Professional Premium subscriptions, see below). Access will be available for one computer and browser only. If you change your computer/browser you will be given the opportunity to register the new one. Your account will be suspended if you do this more than three times. We reserve the right to impose a usage limit and the right to suspend the service in cases of misuse. Providing a look-up service will cause immediate suspension without refund. Those proven to be using our service to provide a look-up service will be liable to a charge of £5 per distinct name for which they have searched. We will endeavour to ensure that the service is available, but we cannot guarantee access. Content list of all-inclusive subscriptions is subject to change. Professional Premium subscriptions are for professional genealogists offering a service to research a full family history not simply looking up one or more names on request. It may not be used to offer a look-up service and such use will cause immediate suspension of the subscription without refund. Cancellation of all-inclusive subscriptions must be made by in writing (by letter/email) at least two weeks before the next payment due date. Cancellations will not take effect before the end of any minimum sign-up period. To prevent abuse of this service we reserve the right to change these terms and conditions without notice. Definitions: Look-up: Looking up information in our databases on behalf of others, whether or not for payment ****Just a little bit more info .... by clearing out your cookies, you are affectively changing your computer/browser .... **** I clear my cookies at least once a month, I'm currently on my LAST warning. I will be suspended next time I clear out cookies and try to log on to the Name Index site ~ and I will have to contact them during office hours to be reinstated. Elaine :-(

Having just read the terms & conditions, I think I'd have to be really really desperate before I'd give this lot any of my money. I've rarely seen such a restrictive lot. It doesn't sound very friendly. Just who is doing who a favour here? Not offering free look-ups is understandable, but the rest of it ...............!!!!

Hi Elaine just been reading your messages. I,d be grateful if you could send me PM. So i avoid this site like the plague Thanks Maureen

Don't worry about it - the whole of the 1851 is now available on Ancestry so why on earth would anyone bother with this other site - especially since their index is incomplete and in most cases doesn't include the images of the original pages anyway? Let them suspend, make sure that you cancel any auto-renewing subs, and enjoy the freedom of truly unlimited searching on Ancestry, 1851-1901! Richard