Find Ancestors

I ordered 7 certs on 09.12.2004 and am still waiting :( 3 weeks and still waiting, dispatch date given was 21.12.2004

Still not had my certificates, despatch date 16 december. I emailed them today got this reply. Service Announcement As a consequence of the popular BBC 2 series ' Who Do You Think You Are' we are experiencing exceptionally high levels of requests for certificates. Currently we are despatching the majority of standard orders with a GRO index reference between 8 and 11 working days* after receipt. Please note that orders of up to 5 certificates are currently being despatched as single applications. Customers may therefore receive their orders in up to 5 separate envelopes. This is a temporary measure to enable us to increase efficiency and maintain despatch dates as above. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. *Please note that this excludes Saturday and Sunday, as well as the following dates during the Christmas holiday period: Monday 27 December 2004, Tuesday 28 December 2004, Wednesday 29 December 2004 and Monday 3 January 2005. We would like to extend Season's Greeting's to all our customers.

Sandra, My other 2 haven't arrived yet either :( And we're waiting for my sister's letter from Cambridge so everyone's watching the post in the mornings!

Still not got mine !! Order at the beginning of December despatch date 16th!!! Not in this morning Post just junk mail!!!

Am I the only one whose had theres all sent out separately?

The certs I ordered at the end of November haven't arrived yet, and it's 28 minutes to Christmas Day, so fat chance of them arriving before next year, I'd say. Sigh! Sue (almost as impatient as my children waiting for Father Christmas!) in NZ ;-()

My dispatch date was the 17th December. I was expecting a long wait after reading this thread but it arrived this morning. What a lovely surprise. Shirley

Yeeeeesssss!!!!! Mine have just arrived - due on the 16th. Merry Christmas to me!! Debbie

I have to have a positive say - I have been very lucky I have never had to wait longer than a week :-) Teresa

My dispatch date was also 16th December. I ordered 3 certificates. This morning 1 arrived with a note saying it was quicker to send them separately.... am really confused, especially as 2 of the certs were for deaths in the same district in the same quarter of the same year. Surely sending all 3 out together saves on envelopes (thus reducing costs) and means theres one less person waiting for certs? Just a thought really.

I didn't realise how much they are working. I received my certs today, with a despatch date of 16th. It's a lovely Christmas present. I just wish they had been a bit more realistic with the times we had to wait. Chloe

Hi All Despatch date 16th Dec - still waiting! I do hope they come tomorrow - last chance now til at least next Wednesday!!!! I too am disappointed with the despatch dates at the moment. This is the 2nd batch I have ordered since the start of the BBC programme, and they are still getting it badly wrong! Four weeks is an eternity to wait, but I'd rather they said 4 weeks when you ordered and not 11 days, and then take 3/4 weeks. Debbie

In response ... I spoke at great lenghts to one of the receptionists at the GRO in Southport. I feel really sorry for the people who work there .... its not lack of money that prevents them getting in more staff to cope with the extra orders ...its the lack of space ... they just haven't got enough space to get more equipment and more staff to cope with the demand. They work 24/6 round the clock (obviously in shifts) and half days Sundays to do what they are doing. ! They need bigger premises .... so This may account for the cost going up ? ... to provide the bigger premises and therefore employ more staff. I know its doesn't make it any easier for us waiting for the postman every day ... but this is a hobby at the end of the day ... and I just wonder how many of them will turn in over the Xmas holidays just to help out with the backlog ... I think maybe one or two just might ! They are as dedicated to there job as we are to our research. Fingers crossed to everyone waiting and my best wishes to the staff at the GRO. Elaine :-)

Still haven't got mine really disapointed Order at the beginning of December should have been despatched 16th rang them and they said the 21st!! so maybe tomorrow but not likely. I sent a christmas card to my Mum in Oxfordshire and it took a week and one day!!

Hi Sorry everyone else has had bother - I think I ordered mine at the very beginning of December, and the estimated date of despatch was 20th December. I reckon I'll be lucky if it arrives by New Year. I think they do work overtime and nights; I know there was a big glitsch earlier in the year and I spoke to one of the managers and they were doing all sorts of overtime to try to sort things out (or at least, that's what I was told), but I still find it hard to believe that, once they knew the programme had increased demand so much, they can still be so inaccurate with the despatch dates. When I last ordered a certificate, probably in mid-November, it didn't show for ages, and I rang twice; I was given completely different stories both times. Four working days now seems a distant memory. Incidentally, I've always ordered from the GRO; can anyone tell me how I can order from the local records offices, please? Is there an internet site with the addresses and phone numbers? Are their reference numbers the same as the ones you give the GRO? If not, how do you do things? Thanks in advance for any help on this, and good luck to everyone with getting the certificates quickly. Happy Christmas Lysianne

We still shouldn't have to wait this long. I have NEVER received my certs on time and I've been doing this for 7 years now. If it's not going to arrive or be despatched on the 16th (my date) then they shouldn't give that date. I'm sorry, I just don't think they provide an adequate enough service to justify raising costs.

Got all my certificates today date for delivery was supposed to be the 14th so i hope those who had the 15th should get theirs before chrimbo. Mind you its done me no good im completely stuck again.

I don't think they shoiuld charge more. They are not providing a good enough service. I've not once had my certificates turn up when they are supposed to, and I've been ordering them for 7 years now! Surely they realised that demand would increase after those programmes, but they didn't prepare themselves. Chloe

pauline ive done that aswell . a lot of my dads side are from wycombe or aylesbury (which is about 15 miles from wycombe) so i go to the reg office to get their certs. the longest ive had to wait is 45 mins but i do tend to order from gro for the others susie

Perhaps the local reg. office is better. Last week a friend of mine called in Derby reg. office to order a certificate. They asked if she could go back in half an hour and it was ready!!