RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: downside on Tuesday 26 February 08 16:35 GMT (UK)
-
Just checking, has anyone received less than 5 pages of 'hot matches' from GenesReunited?
I wonder how may 'hot matches' people with only one name in their tree receive?
-
I am inundated with 'hot matches' only problem being most of them are for Patricia Hill (my mum), or Elizabeth Turner. Judging by the number of matches for these two names they must rank among the most popular on the site.
I stopped my subscriptions to genes and friends reunited since they seem more interested in making money than looking after their members.
I can say I much prefer this forum, which has been a help to me, and where I have on occasion been able to help others.
Martin
-
Glad it is not just me that gets annoyed with "hot matches" that are not even
luke warm !
-
Like you, I get repeated matches for two or three specific names, but I always get 5 pages of hot matches, no matter what each and every time. I'm not sure if it is related to the size of ones family tree e.g. 1,000 names = 5 pages.
I can only presume there is some reason for this and the fact you are constantly exposed to advertisements when you review your hot matches, seems to be the answer.
-
I have about 20 pages of them for people like 'John Williams'. ::)
I think to be a 'Hot Match', at least the place of birth should match!
I also have a branch of my husband's ancestors (from 18th century) that I think everybody (about 40 people) have trusted the research of 1 person, so I get loads of hotmatches from that. My husband's auntie gave me the info, but I'm thinking about deleting it until I've found it out for myself. (I've learned from this site that it's bad genealogy to do otherwise!)
-
I think that the best matches they send me are the ones for ??? I think everyone must have them in their tree. I have ??? born ??? in ??? as I have no info about her at all!! I also get matches for 'mother' Its really annoying.
They have come good with some and Im now in contact with a few distant rellies both in England and Australia so its not all bad.
-
I put my tree back on GR a few weeks back and I've since been able to help three people on one particular line, which is great!
I've made two good contacts on another which is also a result !
It's taken 5 years mind ???
I've also had the dross...three people have opened their 'trees' to me, unasked for I might add...two only have three names on, no place or dates of birth and the other admits he's going on memory but only has himself and his mother!
I feel awful when these people ask for help, what can you say?
Suey
-
Hotmatches display your living relations even if you have hidden them. I didn't realise this..... Is this a new thing?
Claire
-
Hi All,
I have no problem with Genes. You take the rough with the smooth and it can lead to some good contacts. At under £10 per annum you cannot complain about the price surely. There is a facility on your site for the anonymity of living rellies if you worry about that. I have no concerns in that area if those living are of a like mind and all in all I think it good value for money and in no way competition for this excellent site
Easy12 ;)
-
Hotmatches display your living relations even if you have hidden them. I didn't realise this..... Is this a new thing?
Claire
You can also work out the names of 'hidden relatives' fairly easily by typing in the surname of the oldest relative who has passed away and the location in the 'search trees' section. The tree owner is listed so you can easily see who the living relatives are in the tree. If you ask me, living relatives should be completely omitted from the search.
Erin
-
You take the rough with the smooth and it can lead to some good contacts. At under £10 per annum you cannot complain about the price surely.
You're right...A tenner a year is not bad when you consider a sandwich and a coffee on the ferry from Dover to Calais cost £6.00 ::)
-
Get a lot of hot matches most not compatible but when I do get them matching its great made a few new friends and found new relies.can`t complain for a tenner.
-
Remember that it costs nothing to follow up the most likely "Matches", even of 1% of them make a connection then its worth the effort.
I do however agree that at least the birth Country if not County should match
Dof
-
Just checking, has anyone received less than 5 pages of 'hot matches' from GenesReunited
Yes--me ;D i only ever get 2--3 pages all connected with just ONE of the names in my tree--most frustrating.
Having said that, i have made a couple of good connections with this surname. Copperwheat, I think there are thousands out there, a lot of them are hiding from me though ::) poli.
-
How about
Delete Delete as a hot match?
Doesn't even say if it's a he or she!!!!!!! And the last one was born in Egypt!!!!!!!
Abiam
-
Now that you mention it, I used to get sent regular hotmatches but they've stopped sending them to me in the last few months - I feel cheated!
Most of them were completely ridiculous, and it takes forever to check them all just in case. And most of the contacts I've had from other users have been way out - either 150 years out in birthdate or completely the wrong ends of the countries.
However, unless we all use the standardised format for putting in the place that people were born (and I don't because they usually don't fit properly!) I suppose there's no way of correlating the placenames that we on their system.
And I have made a few great contacts with distant relatives, especially in Australia and New Zealand, and have been able to help them fill in their gaps and e-mail them images of parish records etc.
Yes, five pages sounds about average when they were sending me hotmatches. And I was so excited the first time I received my first hotmatch e-mail....
Gaie
-
You're right...A tenner a year is not bad when you consider a sandwich and a coffee on the ferry from Dover to Calais cost £6.00
I only got six months for my tenner
and they are only offering me six months again is everybody getting the same deal off
Genes Reunited or do you have to have a special offer or something
Elaine
-
I get six months too.... perhaps they know something we don't....
saying that I am very excited today as my Grandma's cousin's nephew's wife contacted me today through their and it is very exciting when you discover somebody so closely related through GR!
Claire
-
I wonder how many people are getting six months
and how many are getting a year
surely everyone should get the same
enjoy your excitement Clare it is brilliant when you get a contact
Elaine
-
To help others on Hot matches, when I have no idea where an ancestor was born,
I put in where they were living on the earliest Census return that I can find.That at least is better than Unknown!!
Over the years I have had some very good contacts, and it is worth the trouble to work through the 5/6 pages.
Spring
-
sorry to busy moaning forgot to mention I have 26 pages of Hot matches
I think there is only one page that gives more than one match
Elaine
-
Hi Elaine,
I get six months for £10 also, I thought that was the rate ???
Although tedious I go through my hot matches and delete all obvious mis-matches and those of families that I don't want to follow up, such as distant ancestors husbands and wives. Which leaves me with about 10 pages, approx two of those have at least three maches up to one that has 86! Most of this first page I have had contact with and the others I keep because you never know when your search may take you in a different direction :-\
Crystal :D
-
You take the rough with the smooth and it can lead to some good contacts. At under £10 per annum you cannot complain about the price surely.
You're right...A tenner a year is not bad when you consider a sandwich and a coffee on the ferry from Dover to Calais cost £6.00 ::)
it used to be a tenner for the year so i guess all those who paid a tenner before the price change did so in time as its now gone up to a tenner for 6 months or you can get a month via mobile phone for a fiver which is a new thing,
bell
-
I was always very impressed with Genes Reunited.
I think I get 12 months, so the value is good and I've connected up with quite a few relatives.
Most of the 'hot matches' I've already found for myself ~ but not all & some have been valuable.
I see Rootschat as a different kind of site ~ complementary rather than competition.
And it is very good on here!!
However, re GR, as we have discussed on other threads, there are criticisms ~ people simply copying all one's research; people taking one's research and posting it elsewhere on the Internet; people putting personal details of one's living relatives on their trees, without asking for or being given permission ~ especially where children are concerned; etc.
If everyone kept to the rules, and to genealogy etiquette, it would be great!
-
I dont think it is only GR that has the problem of people copying
other peoples details Ancestry has the same problem but I dont think
the sites are to blame It is the inconsiderate people who use the sites to
impress other people at least on rootschat what you see is genuine people trying to help others
I dont want to delete any of the hot matches in the 26 pages I have because you
never know someday they might just connect somewhere
Elaine
-
Hi again,
the £10 for 6 months was news to me and so I checked on my membership details. I renewed my membership in December and it was £10 for 12 months. This must have been a very recent change. I think that a doubling in subscription would be very cheeky indeed. ???
Easy12
-
Hi easy12
I paid £10 in August and it ran out in February
so its not a recent change
Elaine
-
I've renewed mine today - £9.95 for 12 months.
meles
-
It seems that if you joined early on then you are charged £9.95 per annum, whereas newer members are being charged £9.95 for 6 months.
As it is a paid-for membership site though, it doesn't seem stop them bombarding you with adverts at every opportunity including hot matches.
My original point is that hot matches are designed to expose you to as much advertising as possible. Most of the hot matches make no sense and you get a consistent amount of them every month regardless of whether new members have added potential new matches or not.
-
Just caught this string, have to say I like the Genes site but the hot matches are a pain, the ones with one match only and then its just the date the birth place does not match.
I have connected to quite a lot of 4th & 5th cousins this way and a couple of 3rd cousins. I never open my tree though i check the details once I have contacted someone or they have contacted me and then exchange info via direct email in the form of reports or GEDCOM's that way you can limit the info you give out.
I used to open tree but people just copied my info and then did not privitise living people so now I never let that happen. Luckily once I mentioned this to the offenders they changed it.
Evelina
-
I get 1 year for £9.95
I dont get that many hot matches, if you have common names I expect you would get more. :-\
They dont bother me though I just delete them. :)
I found a second cousin though Genes. :D
-
I contacted Genes Reunited re the cost of membership. Apparently if you renew within 4 weeks of your membership expiring you get a year for 9.95UKP otherwise it is that price for 6 months. Not sure when this came into effect.
Carolyn
-
That's interesting Carolyn,
The last two times I have renewed my membership I have paid on or before the due date and only got 6 months both times >:( >:( >:(
Might have to get on to them...... :-\ :-\ Bet they will have a good excuse though ::) ::) ::)
Crystal :D
-
I'm on continuous membership and only got six months. :'(
Crystal you'll have to let me know how you get on
Claire
-
Hi Claire,
Ahhh, I think that may be where we are going wrong, come to think of it, I have only had to renew because my card changed numbers.
Crystal :D
-
I contacted them too
email I recieved read
if you have an annual membership and renew 2 weeks before the renewal date
or up to 4 weeks after it the cost of membership is £9.95 for 1 year
if you upgrade after the 4 weeks the cost is £9.95
for 6 months
if you have a 6 months membership then your renewal will be for another 6 months
I have just renewed and got 6 months
elaine
-
So, the moral is not to let membership lapse!
-
Having not enrolled at all, is GR the best value for money?
Other than Rootschat of course which goes without saying - although I have said it! ;D ;D ;D
Su
-
So, the moral is not to let membership lapse!
only if you have a yearly membership
any new member will only get 6 months membership
anyway
Elaine
-
Yes ~ I have 12 months & it automatically renews, so I'll keep an eye on it, to make sure it doesn't lapse ~ I do like GenesReunited, in spite of some misgivings.
-
I tend to receive hot matches based in Australia - I don't have any Australian connections ! - the tree layout is not to good to view either !
Dolly .
-
Hot Matches needs to match more fields!!!
I read recently that someone just discarded all the "1" Hot Matches, I used to do that, then realised that some of them were adding to existing matches, why don't they differentiate, or do they?
The new owners of GR are purely a business, need I say more!
If I can get 12 months for £9.99. I'll keep my membership going. If I only get 6 months I'll let it go and maybe pop back in a few years time and pick up the mirriad of Hot Matches. Don't forget, at the moment, people can still contact you and you can reply even if you don't pay subscription.
Howard
-
Today
3 - pages of 1 match Pointless!
1 - 24 matches and "contact made?" Yes Obvious as we have made contact
2 - with delete delete Ridiculous!
-
even some of the ones with 2 matches
are nonsense they give you the same match twice
Elaine
-
Don't forget, at the moment, people can still contact you and you can reply even if you don't pay subscription.
Howard
I let mine lapse and someone contacted me the other week but when i tried to reply to them it would no tlet me. Are you sure you can reply if you don't pay?? It seems unfair on the person who wrote to me who now thinks I am just ignoring them!
Milly
-
Hi Milly
I'm going by a reply I had from someone that I opened my tree to. He had replied to my mails, but when I opened my tree to him he told me he couldn't view it because he wasn't a paid member at the time.
It was a while ago, maybe the new owners have stopped this now. I think that would be a poor business decission as I'm sure that getting and replying to contact messages, encourages a lot of people to pay.
I certainly won't remain a paid member if my contacting others is dependant on their membership. I feel I'm paying to be able to do that.
Howard
-
I still think Genes is worthwhile. I always take the time to go through the hot matches, most are irrelevant because the places do not match, but there is the occasional gem.
Only yesterday I had a contact which enabled me to break down two brick walls! You never know who is out there!
Anne
-
I also let mine lapse and after a few weeks they sent me an email offering me six months for £7.50 instead of £9.95.
The reason I let it lapse in the first place was because I was annoyed at the two-tier membership.
-
When I was a subscriber I used to go through all my hot matches and made contact with lots of people - 3rd cousins at first and then as I got further back in my tree more distant 4th & 5ths. It takes ages to go through them all but I think it is worth it.
I discounted all ones who didn't have a birth place as I figured if they didn't know that they were quite probably only on the edges of their trees by marriage etc. And if they only have one hot match then the birth place and date have to match exactly and probably be an unusual name too...
More than 3 matches and I would be a little less strict...and send off a mail and see what happened. I was often pleasantly surprised. I've kept in touch with quite a few of my new 3rd cousins.
So - perseverance is definitely the order of the day ;D
Milly
-
I certainly won't remain a paid member if my contacting others is dependant on their membership. I feel I'm paying to be able to do that.
Howard
That was what was worrying me. It did seem a little unfair. But as you said it shouldn't be happening, I have just been back and tried to reply again to the contact and it seems to have been sent this time....so fingers crossed ;D
-
Hi, I have just renewed GR, but it only allowed 6 months, can it be renewed for a year. Have tried to contact them, but puts me back to Q & A.
Iris
-
They are an absolute pain in the rear. I was continually sent hotmatches for ME!!!!!!! well my name and birth year but from all over the UK, or. the one or two people I did identify along with their birth date and birthplace, they sent matches to the name and approximate birth year but from obscure locations
Best to just delete Genes Reunited for good.
The stress levels receed rapidly assisted by rubbing in liberal amounts of gin.
-
I've just had my 'Hot Matches'. 8 pages, 3 are already known to me, the rest were nearly all John Smith, every where except Manchester where mine was born! ::)
Kooky
-
I decided to rename all my Smiths with the words-most popular surname-
I ended up getting a pm on genes for a John Most Popular Surname ::)
the writer gave me a long speil about how we are connected LOL
To be at the top of their game they should not be matching up
John Smith Adelaide
with
John Smith Glasgow
its pointless and stops you sifting out the genuine matches.......