Genealogy Chat

I had a years sub on Friends Reunited which ran out in November, I didn't want to renew so didn't do anything about it. I had a e mail 2/1/2007 to say they had taken another years sub out as I had ticked the continuous box. I disputed that as I was one of those who got caught on Gene's because I hadn't ticked the box and had to pay extra subs. They said they had e mailed 3 weeks ago to say they were going to bill me, the only thing I had was to up date my profile, which I didn't do because I wasn't going to use the site again. They have agreed to a refund ( because as they say I have changed my mind) THE CRUNCH Streamline allows them to take subs from your card even if the card has expired ( my bank here confirms this, and can't stop payment as I have nothing in writing to say I had cancelled my subs.) Friends say they are unable to refund direct back on to my card and want my address to send a cheque, which is no good to me as I pay in $NZ, by the time I get a convert from Uk pounds to Nz$ there won't be much left. Am I missing something here, when my subs ran out in November why not renew then instead of waiting until January. I will let you know the reply I get from letter asking them the same things. Maureen So been having a real old time they will only refund my money in Aussie$ even though I paid in NZ$.( they have different $ value) They have closed off my profile and registration, won't answer any questions, Asked for a copy of the original notice they said they sent for renewal as my Lawyer wanted to have a look. NO reply. How do you get through to them., I give up.

Maureen Ancestry did exactly the same to me on a credit card that had expired 6 months earlier, because I had a new card on the same account they were allowed to take £69.95 so anyone thinking they are safe because their card's date has expired should be very careful. Georgina.

Unfortunately this happens all the time on websites that you register with. All the time the card number is still valid then it does not seem to matter what expiry date is showing on any system. I queried this point with BT Internet, as my monthly charge goes to my credit card, and BT were not in the slighest bit interested even when I told them their system was showing a card expiry date of 2004. In fact if you work in a shop you can process a sale with an out of date card by putting in a date 2 years after that shown on the card - does not work with all cards. Yes I have seen it done on machines that you can punch the numbers into. Maureen

I opted for continuous membership on this site, but had to pay full whack because my credit card had expired! OC

Had a statement in, and Ancestry have done this to us.....I would have renewed anyway, but I thought they were supposed to contact me first.......as far as I know, I have not had anything from Ancestry to ask if I wished to renew..... It is on my OH's card which has expired......I didn't know they could do this..... I have also remembered.......my Dad died last April, and my sister and I were dealing with his bills prior to, and after his death. We informed the Bank and they put a stop on all transactions. The water board, who had asked if he wanted insurance on his underground pipes, were trying to get money from his account after he had died, saying that he had set out a debit account..... This could not be true, as my sister had dealt with all of his business, with his consent.......and when this letter had come through suggesting he take out this pipework insurance, they had not bothered with it..... My sister got onto them, and asked for any paperwork with signatures of any debit etc......because this was obvious fraud.....they then said it must have been a mistake..... What a thing to do to an old person......luckily my sister would have noticed had he been alive.....but it was glaringly obvious that something was wrong, when they tried to infiltrate his Bank when he was dead....

OC I was just going to say the same when I saw your reply. Genes excuse for asking for the higher amount (I did get renewal at the lower amount eventually) was they couldn't do continuous because the credit card I had given had expired. Ann glos

I had the same experience as OC and Ann - GR couldn't renew my continuous membership as the expiry date on their records was old, even though the card was still current. I thought GR and Friends Reunited were owned by the same Company? If so, how come their handing of credit cards with expired dates is different? Confused now!

I really am amazed this is common practice. What I can't understand they can take the money, but tell me they can't refund me back on the same card. When I upgraded on Ancestry last year they refunded what was left on my old account, and billed for the new upgrade all on this card I am using, they didn't have a problem. Maureen

genes did this to me in 2005. was on continuous and clicked on renew when it came thro expecting to put in my new card ,I had closed my BC card & cut it up, No facility anywhere to update C/C and it went thro to BC who accepted it even tho the account was closed. THey said I had authorised it by putting it online, I complained to Genes and got a silly reply that I could be on annual or contimuous.I knew that!!!. didnt answer my query as to why they say they dont store C/C details and then theres no facillty to imput new cards. I had changed C/C providor but still had to go to bank and Pay B/Card as I had deleted them off my online banking. Oct 2006 somehow!!! they allowed me to input a new Card nos, Shirley

I normally do not make entries on these boards as have been ' slapped down ' previously when trying to be helpful, but on this occasion I will make an exception. My original membership fee was in the form of a cheque, sent to the address shown on the site which in those days was West Wickham, Kent.This was to commence 1st December 2004. They took several weeks to organise it but eventually got there and my membership finally commenced on 7th February 2005 ! My renewal last February was done in the same way as I did not trust them with my credit card details and still do not. If I decide to renew next month, and this is far from certain, they will still have to deal with a cheque payment, like it or not, and anyone nervous about credit cards would be well advised to do the same. If they want us as members they will have to accept this type of payment and there would be no excuse, as far as I can see, for increasing the fee as a result. There are many sites of this kind and most are free.

This is typical of the faceless companies we are dealing with in this day and age. Oh for the days when you could go into a bank and speak to a real person, you could telephone a company and speak to a human!!!!! Now we have awful music drummed into our ears, our fingers are exhausted from all the different options we must click on to then fine it is an automated message and worse still.........'High Street, India' OK, the sun is shining and my spirits are lifted, a little, but what is the world comeing to?????? Kathlyn

Maureen, take it up with your credit card supplier. They should refund the money for you and then claim it back from FR themselves. Thats why we have credit cards. If you haven't authorised a payment it is up to the company to prove that you have. Not having responded to their e-mail does NOT constitute giving your authority.

Hi Janet, I did take it up with my Visa card bank, they said because I had no proof I had cancelled my subs, they could not reverse the payment, they did how ever offer to write it off, I said I didn't want that, or Friends would have the payment and no service as they had closed my profile down. The bank said it costs more to try and recover the money, than to write off. I wonder how many times Friends or Genes have profited from banks writing off illegal payments. I looked up the word expired-------to come to an end--terminated, as a contract, guarentee,or offer--become void after a passage of time---to die. So why are the banks allowed to give expired card CPR. Maureen