Genealogy Chat

I have read lots of bad things about Ancestry's free trial offer. Has anyone taken out a year's subscription and got something good to say about the company? Has anyone got to the end of a year's trial and happily cancelled then? I would love to hear from you because I'm considering it myself.

Last year I took up the offer of free trial membership. I did all the research I needed to within the time. When I cancelled I made sure I sent an email with exactly what they had requested in my welcome email in the same order in plenty of time. (I had saved it just to be sure) I received a cancellation confirmation the next day I think (not sure exactly how long it took but was timely) No funds were debitted. I guess I would just recommend to save their initial email and follow it to the letter with the details they want. May have just been lucky of course!! Penny

hi helen i took a years subs out last year and i cant fault them. my renewal isnt due yet so i cant comment on that bit,but i would definately reccommend them. i have found so much information its fantastic susie

I got my Ancestry subscription as a Christmas present and have found it to be one of my best presents, especially now they are adding the 1871 census bit by bit. Have found lots of information on it, and the fact that I can go back over things again and again without it costing more is great.

I haven't had any problems with them. I've just cancelled a 3 mth subscription because i've completed my research for the time being. I intend subscribing again when they have more 1871 counties i need to look at. I think they're great for 1891/1871 census and for getting more names from other resources. Julie T:)

I found I was relying on other members here for more and more 1891 lookups and decided to take out a years subscription myself. I think they are very good value, particularly when compared to the 1901 site, and I'm entirely satisfied.

i subscribed for a year 2 years ago £80 odd pounds, could find nothing on there about my family/ did not know how too search properly and never used it fo the rest of that year, they e mailed me and said they were about to take the money for a second year, but i emailed them and said "do not even try that, your site is rubbish only any good if you are american" they never took the money and that was that. i recently took out another year and found everything i wanted on my family and more besides, i think knowing you can go on it any time day or night 24 hours a day is great, i have spent three times the cost of this on the 1901 site and you can only look as you pay, and i hve spent about £300 on the 1837 site, which i think makes these 2 sites very exspensive in comparison. the things i dont like about ancestry are the automatic taking of subscriptions, i think they should ask you to fill out a form paying for the service at the end of the time not just them automaticly taking the money, also the use of credit cards to pay puts people in a difficult position over paying, not a lot of people realise this, but a direct debit started on a credit card can not be stoped by the card holder only the person taking the money can stop it, unlike a direct debit from your bank, which you can stop, thats why sky tv make you sign up with a credit card and not your bank account, because they no you cant stop the debit and i have heard of people being charched a year after they canceled the subscription, SO BE CAREFUL ABOUT SIGNING DIRECT DEBITS FROM A CREDIT CARD you can not stop payments. the other point is they addvertise the subscription at £60 + and when you get your bill its £80+, how can they charge tax on the purchase when they are not based in this country, why dont they just tell you the true cost to start with, having said all that pound for pound its the chapest pay site going and you will not stop looking even after you have found all your family, it is well worth subs and i will not cancel.

I took out a quarterly subscription last year. I found it really useful, and didn't have a problem ending it. I will probably take out another in the not too distant future, really waiting until a bit more 1871 census is loaded. Lynda

I took out a quarter's subscription (not knowing about the free trial), and then found that very little of the 1891 was in fact indexed. I wrote and complained, and asked if my subscription could be suspended until it was of more use. They replied that they couldn't do that, but extended my subscription by another quarter. They wrote to say they were renewing it at the end of that period, I said not to and they cancelled. Later I took out another quarter's subscription and again cancelled once that was over, with no problems at all. In the interim I found nearly all the family members I was looking for, and did many, many searches for GC members. Once the 1871 covers Kent, then I will take out another subscription. Its an excellent tool, I feel lost without it. Jan.

I have a year's subscription. Didn't find it that useful until the 1871 census started coming online. Before that all my useful hits were on areas of the site that are free access anyway. I have already told them (one month in) that I will not be renewing. They have confirmed that my account will be suspended Feb 2005 and I have kept this for the record just in case.

Hi Helen I have just had a 2 week free trial on Ancestry. I read some horror stories about not being able to cancel the trial but I had no problems. I was very lucky as the 1871 census for London came online as a named search just as I started and so I did not need to carry on. It is easy to use and well worth it. Shirley

Hi I had a complete nightmare trying to cancel ancestry as the phone number is in the states and 7 cancellation emails sent 5 days before the end of the 2 week trial were ignored. I was charged on my credit card anyway. This was finally refunded after a month when I contacted the sales department. It's a shame as I was planning to subscribe at a later date but this has put me off completely. Five other people in the last month with similar problems have contacted me. Contacting the Sales department to cancel seems to work as appears to be much better staffed than the cancellation department. Maybe we've just been particularly unlucky. Debbie

Thank-you to everyone who has replied - you've been very helpful! So when is the 1871 census going to be complete on Ancestry???

I have also had no problems with Ancestry. I had 2 free trials using different credit cards and cancelled them with no problems. I am now on my second quarterly subscription. My only problem is that I would like to have a yearly subscription now, but don't know whether I dare attempt to change it!! Maggy

I used both Ancestry's 14 day trial (several times!) and subscribed for a year and found the site to be invaluable. Even when I was late cancelling, I managed to get them to cancell the 14 day subscription. I unfortunately don't have the time to spend on the site at the moment due to kids, school, work, etc....so I have put off for, for a short time, renewing for another year and I miss terribly! I had no problem with them when I cancelled the yearly subscription and look forward to subscribing again. Judy

Maggie, I had a quarterly subscription and wanted to change to an annual one. There doesn't seem to be any way of doing this. I emailed them but didn't get a sensible response. I ended up cancelling and starting all over again. Jill

Helen, I understand ancestry have plans to upload the 1901 census with 20% in April and postings to continue on a regular basis until complete. Postings to the 1871 census will continue at the same pace since January on a monthly basis as they become available from each county. Can anyone tell me if Essex has been uploaded for 1871 yet? Kathy

Hi Jill, thanks. I have been looking for ways to change my subscription, but had come to the conclusion that I would have to cancel and start again! Maggy

I'm fascinated to see that this thread has come back to the top! Thanks to all of you. I was seriously considering joining then read other people's threads and changed my mind and now don't know what to do! Someone persuade me please!!!