Genealogy Chat

I tried ordering some certificates directly in the Ancestry.co.uk website the other day, and saw that they offered digital copies for email for GBP 2.50, but I also needed to order physical copies.
I am looking at several certificates, trying to find the correct one of my relative, so the cost of ordering multiple certs of course adds up. Also, I live in China at the moment. So email rather than physical post would be perfect for me.
I emailed Ancestry and they said the certs come from the GRO and not them, "so talk to them"!
I looked on the GRO and related sites and do not even see the GBP 2.50 digital copy option that Ancestry is offering!
I don't normally write posts into forums, but was not finding any info/help elsewhere, so everyone's opinions/experience would be appreciated.
It just seems to me that Digital copies would be the best option for everyone during the research phase, until the correct certificates are 100% identified.
Digital copies require no paper, no printing, no posting etc, and if I wanted to be politically correct - are a much Greener option.
Plus, I am sure the GROs service would speed up considerably if they offered digital copies as a single, separate option!
What do you guys think?

Not heard of this but on looking at Ancestry it appears that this option is in addition to their exorbitant charge of £19.99, not as an alternative, so the implication is that you pay £22.49. and receive a scanned copy as well as the physical cert.

However, on checking the GRO site, it does say under FAQ Q23. How will my certificate(s) be delivered?

".... By law, information supplied by the General Register Office can only be given in the form of a certificate - which is why we are unable to e-mail or fax the details to you."

giving the implication that this is NOT a service being offered by the GRO at all, but something that Ancestry are offering.

Curiouser and curiouser.....!

Personally I would never pay these sort of prices and always order direct either from the GRO or the local Register Office, at a cost of £7.

It is -- a purely Ancestry "service"
And it is -- in *addition* to what they charge for a certificate.

I met someone on TTF the other day who had just paid this horrific charge for the certificate + the digital copy ... and still didn't have the digital copy he was supposed to have.

For you in China Andrew -- someone else in that thread said what she has done for people in Australia. They have the cert sent to her in England by the GRO, she scans it and emails it to them, and then she posts the paper item.

Maybe you could hook up with someone who would do that?

Meanwhile, never ever order from anywhere but the GRO.

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/