"Access the Birth, Marriage and Death Index for nothing"

[miss marple]

Something I've found when signing up for free trials. They often don't check you card details until they come to take the money once the free trail comes to an end. It's worth trying it with made up details as they are often accepted. Then when they come to take the money, they can't get it and you don't have to remember to cancel.

The problem with making up credit card details is that you might unknowingly land someone else with your bill....we ended up with someone else's purchase on our credit card because they'd got one digit wrong when giving their number. Didn't seem to matter that the names didn't match! Fortunately we noticed it and were able to get the money refunded.

Jane

[Guy Etchells]

The pecuniary advantage is the free service, it is provided on the terms that you provide the details of your credit card.

There is a big difference between mixing up a number or two in your number and giving a false number.

I am surprised no one sees the blatant dishonesty involved seems I must belong to a different world.

Cheers
Guy

[mnmilt]

Guy,
You're not in a different world.  I hadn't weighed in earlier since I am in a different timezone though!  Like you I feel that this approach isn't above board.

Mark

[animet]

There is no reason why I should give away any of my personal details for something that is 'free'. By saying it's free they shouldn't be asking me for anything at all. And it's not until you try to get the 'free' access that you find out what it costs. Where's the honesty in that? Then they find some pretext for taking money from you. I had this happen to me once before and I couldn't stop them taking money every quater although I had contacted them several times to cancel. My credit card company said they couldn't help, so I had to cancel my card. Who was being honest there?

I don't believe anyone has the right to take any of my personal details and I will withhold them if I see fit. We are all like sheep filling in information that is not required just because we are asked to. This is why so many people get conned and have their identities stolen and their bank accounts raided.

There are posting trails on this site of people saying they get silent or sales phone calls - how many of these people have given out their phone number online when signing up to things? Then your phone number just gets sold on to someone else.

What is the the reason for asking for these details? If a company can give me a legitimate fair reason why they require them, then I will provide them, but tricking you into signing up to something you haven't even decided if you want yet is much more dishonest than what I do.

Businesses have no conscience when it comes to making money, you can bet if the tables were turned, they would be doing the same thing, why should I help them?

If they don't like it, they can sue me.

[Llwyd]

The pecuniary advantage is the free service, it is provided on the terms that you provide the details of your credit card.

There is a big difference between mixing up a number or two in your number and giving a false number.

I am surprised no one sees the blatant dishonesty involved seems I must belong to a different world.

Cheers
Guy

I do not dispute the action may be dishonest,I merely dispute the offence which may be committed as there is no pecuniary advantage obtained........the person doing it has not gained any financial advantage.I still say the Theft Act 1978 is more appropriate if any offences have been committed.

The deliberate provision of false credit card details is morally wrong, but, in these circumstances, not necessarily criminal.
 

[julianb]

Something I've found when signing up for free trials. They often don't check you card details until they come to take the money once the free trail comes to an end. It's worth trying it with made up details as they are often accepted. Then when they come to take the money, they can't get it and you don't have to remember to cancel.

If you provided a false credit card number and as a result someone else completely was erroneously charged against that card, would you say that was fair?

Whatever you might think about Ancestry's business methods, I would always prefer to be on the moral high ground.

JULIAN

[animet]

It's exetremly hard to make up a credit card number and have it accepted, people would be doing all of the time otherwise. Maybe one for the scammers to try??

[bitty_matriarch]

Received this email from 1837Online yesterday:

"Thank you for your email.

We are currently experiencing extremely high volumes of customer emails which may mean we are unable to answer your email as quickly as we would hope.                                                                                                                                     
Please be assured your custom is important to us and we respond as soon as possible.................."

I bet they are experiencing high levels of refund request emails!
I'd like to see my refund in place before the card bill comes in! 

GOT my refund!


  Ann

[zapcat]

Hello

Is anyone else having trouble accessing the marriages 1837-1983 on Ancestry.co.uk.  It has been fine up until today.

jane7