General Chat

Have just been thinking about the GR response.
They want everyone on the new rate by April 2014.
Surely that implies that everyone renewing before the end of March 2013 should be renewed at the old rate. Then at the point when Genes send out the 28 day notice for renewal, they could include the info that from April 2014 the basic membership rate will be...........
Or is that too difficult?

I paid £7.96 on the 13 November 2012 for six months and then decided to upgrade to Platnium paying £79.95 on the 23rd November 2012. I was so disappointed that upgrading didn't cover ALL aspects of viewing records. When you go to "view" some records there seems to be additional costs. I also feel that I should have the £7.95 refunded but don't know how to go about this. (I am a pensioner so it goes without saying that money doesn't grow on trees ha ha)

If I was to leave this site what happens to my family tree records? Do I have to start all over again with another site?

I have been a member sionce 2005.

THIRD UPDATE - received from Katie this afternoon.

'As you know, the change of renewal prices began in December. In order to ensure a smooth change over, we did it as a gradual process. Unfortunately there is no pattern that I can explain to you as to who was chosen, we simply selected a percentage of people each month. Having monitored the process for a period of time we will be applying the change of price to everyone.

I hope this anwers your question.'


My reply

'You will not be surprised to know that it does not answer my question. Taking a percentage each month (is this the technical implications you referred to?) seems to be an absolute waste of time and an unbelievable way to conduct a business.

It is a shame that your members feel that the simplest way was to inform each and everyone that as from.........the subscription would be £20 less 20% for long membership. You state that there is no pattern, just a percentage each month. Other members have expressed the opinion that it all depended on who handled the subscription at GR - look like this is more or less right. 'Eeny, meeny, miny, mo' comes to mind.

GR has lost quite a lot of long term members over past 2-3 years and in 2012 lack of rewals has increased, caused not only by this increase and the way it is being managed but dissatisfaction over the site in general, but most definitely are and according to feedback are continuing in abundance. Bearing in mind that it is the members who have carried out research for others over the years.

According to your previous mail everyone will not be paying the same until April 2014. So some of us will be paying the increase for 15 months and possibly longer before it is a level playing field.

I would suggest that Management have a meeting re their handling of this fiasco and sort out something fast to satisfy your existing members and before possible new membership dries up as word gets around. Not only on this issue but with others - members complain constantly that it would be easier to 'pull hen's teeth' than to receive a satisfactory reply from GR.'

I would agree that when you upgraded, the money you had already paid should have been deducted. Also, why were you paying for 6 months if you have been a member since 2005?. Most of us "oldies" had 12 months membership.
have you contacted the Genes team to query it?
Also, have you queried why you have to pay extra to view certain records?

What a strange thing to say..." we simply selected a percentage of people each month" Perhaps they picked people depending on whether they thought they would moan or not?

After having one of my posts removed on this thread reason being
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It makes me wonder why I would want to give this company £20 a year (less any discount) just to help on the boards, I do not have my tree on here ....I certainly would'nt want to pay it just to chat....which I have done more of over the last few months as nothing much is happening on the Find ancestors board these days.

I used to defend GR on another social net working site, and suggested that people joined to ask for look ups ect......would I now????

So if there is a GR staff member trawling through this thread to remove my posts....carry on as I dont give a sh**e

Just thinking aloud.........
.....Knowing they are causing yet more dissatisfaction amongst GR members (particularly the loyal longstanding) with this Fees Fiasco, and realising that, as a result, those members are leaving/not renewing, I wonder if GR put up their notice of 2nd January in a bid to get a shed-load of free help before we naff off to pastures new.
They are looking for some members who would be willing to share their genealogy tips and advice on camera in order to put together short videos featuring members sharing their valuable tips and giving advice......etc.
There's nothing like getting some free advertising whilst screwing your members with an enormous price hike.
Just wanted to share my thoughts on the matter, wonder if I'll get zapped for this under some obscure 'disrepute' clause :-0 :-0

I fear that my theory of GR being decimated, and proved to "be unsustainable as a separate entity from FMP", thus allowing BS to combine the 2 sites ............... is being proved to be accurate.


I've always liked being a scientist whose theory is proved true by research :-D


Once again, I wonder what the UK Competitions Board would have to say about the practices demonstrated by GR and its owners BS over the last 18 months or so?


I certainly see no reason why I should continue my membership after June ............

.............. I currently pay £7.96 per year. If I understand everything correctly, that will increase to around £20 per year, probably this year.

that's more than a 250% increase!

It's also more than a 200% increase if the "full" cost of £9.95 is used



And, WITHOUT ANY NOTICE BEING GIVEN!


For that, I get the ability to use my subscriptions in other sites to help members on here, thus adding to whatever reputation GR still has for good service.

Plus chatting if I want to.


I can do all that on another site for free ................. and have much less aggravation with things going wrong! Plus knowing that that site has a Webmaster who responds almost instantaneously to web site problems.



is it worth it? :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S

And probably has a moderator as well Sylvia ;-)

No Sylvia, the INCREASE is only 150% (or 100% for the full cost).

I think you are right about FMP/GR.

I'm appalled at the comment,' there is no pattern that I can explain to you as to who was chosen, we simply selected a percentage of people each month. '

It just about says it all doesn't it? The words drinking and brewery come to mind!!!

oops


you're right, Ken!!



still ................. usury comes to mind

A new version of Pin The Tail On The Donkey?

HeeHaw ~ this little donkey is fed up being made an ass of!

I ummed and aahed about renewing last August, since then I've had countless error messages, couldn't access or use my tree, the few times I did get to it, the details would disappear, or people would be duplicated.

The responses from GR have been less than professional.

I won't be renewing this year :-P

HeeHaw :-D

Kay

Members who joined the site in 2007 then there was an overall did so on half yearly subcription.......all members who joined before 2007 did so on a yearly membership as that is what the site was-----yearly subcription.

So as a loyalty pre 2007 are being kept at yearly subcription.....

When I first joined it was £5 for the year.


I joined in 2004 and I have been on £9.95 per six months for ages...until last renewal when I turned automatic off (because I was fed up of the way GR treated loyal members). When I chose to renew I got the option of 6 or 12 months and 2 x 6 months was cheaper than 12 months

Jude

I just love Katie´s response.
Can you imagine the outcry if the utility companies applied a similar lottery when increasing their charges? Or any organisation for that matter. Just imagine if your Council tax was doubled & the next door neighbour remained the same.
Civil....or uncivil unrest. :-( :-0 :-0
Personally I get a bit tired of Genes informing prospective new members that existing members will be happy to do look ups for them.
GR must realise that we PAY for access to other records. We don´t have a crystal ball. Judging by the tone of many of the requests for help, many members think that GR staff do the look ups for them. Now GR want us to pay double for the privilege, to say nothing of the time we give freely.

It might, just might help if everyone with a gripe contacted Katie. Remember the 'pen is mightier than the sword'!

If they received lots of complaints, especially now Katie has admitted that basically is 'a dip and pick', they may bring their house in order.

GR do not like dealing with complaints.

I tried to send an email to the CEO but that got passed down the line.

A letter sent to the CEO also got passed down the line.

Not sure that´s correct Jude.
I joined in Jan 2007 as an annual sub of 9.95.
Have been on continuous annual membership at the same price ever since.
What a b****y fiasco.
It´s worse than trying to communicate with a call centre in India. :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S :-S

4TH UPDATE

mail received from Katie today and just opened.

'Thanks for coming back to us again. We're really grateful for all of your feedback, and we will certainly take this on board.'

MY REPLY

'Is that it then? Or is GR going to sort out the can of worms it opened? Or ignore it like all the other complaints you appear to receive? You cannot treat each member differently. It is like going to M & S and buying a jumper - first customer gets it for £x, next two for half the price and the fourth and fifth at £x.

There are a lot of members enraged by the revelation that GR took a percentage of members renewing in December and increased their rate whilst leaving others to pay the lower rate.'

Good on you Chris.
If I want to play the lottery, I buy a lottery ticket, not a subscription to a genealogy site!

The 6 month only membership came in after ITV bought GR ...........

............. those of us who were members before that date remained on yearly membership UNLESS we either did not renew or upgraded to the next level of membership.

Re-joining more than 4 weeks after the end of the sub OR dropping back down to Basic level both resulted in being put on to the 6 month membership.

That seemed to be the general pattern!