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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: carom on Friday 18 November 22 21:35 GMT (UK)

Title: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: carom on Friday 18 November 22 21:35 GMT (UK)
Trying to access my grandfather's will. His surname is Porter, he died in April 1938, probate granted May 1938. I've entered the full details but just get linked to a page of surnames starting with A.
Wondered if anyone else has had a problem?
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: carom on Friday 18 November 22 21:41 GMT (UK)
Should have added that he died in Surrey
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: CaroleW on Friday 18 November 22 21:42 GMT (UK)
Since the introduction of the new site it has been a disaster & there are several threads on RC about it.

There is a work round which uses inverted commas - example below

Surname  "Bloggs
Christian name   Joe"

Give it a try & see how you get on.  If no success - let us have his full name & we'll have a go
 
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: carom on Friday 18 November 22 22:03 GMT (UK)
Thanks for your reply Carole and all the work you've put into this. A couple of years ago I downloaded a will from a death in 1920 with no problem, so hadn't realised the service had been 'updated'

I'll give your suggestion a go
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: carom on Friday 18 November 22 22:16 GMT (UK)
Thanks again, I did get his details up and a message saying the will had been added to my basket, but there is no link to a basket!
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: cuffie81 on Friday 18 November 22 22:54 GMT (UK)
carom,

If you look at the top navigation bar it should now include a "My Basket" link. The link only appears when you have something in your basket.
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: carom on Saturday 19 November 22 09:22 GMT (UK)
I did finally access the basket and tried to pay by Barclaycard, only to have payment declined!

I found some release notes on the probate search site and the Barclaycard issue seems to have been a known problem back in May this year, which they claimed to have fixed, but clearly haven't.
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: KGarrad on Saturday 19 November 22 10:20 GMT (UK)
I did finally access the basket and tried to pay by Barclaycard, only to have payment declined!

I found some release notes on the probate search site and the Barclaycard issue seems to have been a known problem back in May this year, which they claimed to have fixed, but clearly haven't.

Try using a debit card.
I have to do this all the time, as Isle of Man Banks no longer issue credit cards!
Even Tesco Bank no longer deals with IOM.
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: carom on Saturday 19 November 22 10:25 GMT (UK)
As the payment was only £1.50, I did try my debit card first. That was also declined. So frustrating as the process used to work fine.
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: carom on Thursday 24 November 22 17:05 GMT (UK)
I tried a couple more times to get wills and probate to accept a credit or debit card without success.
Their latest suggestion is that I apply for a postal search using a cheque or postal order. The process then takes 8 weeks.
I hadn't realised that postal orders even existed anymore!
Looks as if it might be the only option.
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: carom on Friday 07 April 23 14:31 BST (UK)
Can I just check if anyone has successfully downloaded a will recently? I now have 2 wills in my basket but on trying to pay get a message that the card number is incorrect or incompatible. Even got my husband to try with same result.
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: Watson on Friday 07 April 23 15:37 BST (UK)
I downloaded one about 4 weeks ago.  All was OK.
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: Deirdre784 on Friday 07 April 23 15:54 BST (UK)
I ordered 2 a few weeks ago, no problem then, one digitised so arrived almost straight way, the other a few days later.
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: carol8353 on Friday 07 April 23 15:57 BST (UK)
Can I just check if anyone has successfully downloaded a will recently? I now have 2 wills in my basket but on trying to pay get a message that the card number is incorrect or incompatible. Even got my husband to try with same result.

Whne you enter the card number,make sure that you've gone as far back to the left hand side before starting your long number,otherwise the website reads it as starting with a 0.
Title: Re: Problem with UK wills and probate service
Post by: carom on Friday 07 April 23 17:13 BST (UK)
Thanks, order finally accepted and wills pending. Think it may have had something to do with an adblocker I was using.