Ancestry fee increase

[Isobelruss]

Dont want to brag.but last year when my subs were due I rang them and gave a code with 20% discount which they gave me this year I got an email before my renewel

Dear ISOBEL,

Thank you for your continued membership of Ancestry.co.uk.

This is a courtesy e-mail to remind you that your Ancestry.co.uk membership will be automatically renewed on 10 August, 2008.

We're confident that you're making the most of our unrivalled family history record collections as well as our extensive family tree building tools. To continue your membership no further action will be required on your part.

Your membership to be renewed is as follows:

Annual UK Membership

Total cost: £55.96

[Musicman]

To Claire – thank you so much for reporting on how you got on with the “trial” you did with the Genealogist site – it’s very much appreciated (though it sounds rather frustrating!).  Thanks also to Selina, Jenny and Newfster for your views.  I think it’s going to be between “Ancestry” and “findmypast”!  Will go to the Library in a few days (a bit of a struggle as it’s a 5 minute walk from here!) and try Ancestry and see how I get on with it. 

Once again, my thanks for the input.

John

[Margo1]

Interesting to read the various reactions to the increase.  I seem to be the only U.S. person on this thread, and just got my notice of renewal.  I haven't a clue what the "old" price was as I've used Ancestry for what seems forever and find it so nice to be able to sit comfortably at home and wander through all those wonderful databases.  The county library here has computers, but limited time and always busy, and the LDS church library is just far enough away that I'd rather do my research at home. It does have a subscription, however, (actually I think it's got two, with the local genealogical society paying for one in return for using their facilities for our meetings.)

I haven't used their computers much, but do order films to be used on their film readers, particularly old parish records in England.  Otherwise, it means a trip to Los Angeles to the big library there, at least a 2-hour drive through usually heavy traffic......hence my use of the local one. 

Ancestry is my one "vice", and I stopped worrying about the price long ago......I count it as offsetting travel costs and time wasted along the road!  I really would like another trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, though, where the library has countless books and films and CDs and lots of helpful volunteers to head me in the right direction.  If any of you are near enough to an LDS library, do take advantage of it......all free to all researchers, and willing and able assistance with a smile.

Margo

[suey]

I'm staying with Ancestry for now.  I've had my sub for three years (I think could be longer) and this is the first time the price has gone up.  Working on the basis of three years it works out at an increase of £4.48 per year.   I too have wasted far more than that on pay per view and buying credits from other sites.

This is the time they should be reversing their policy - reduced charges and increased services!

...and pigs might fly   I guess at the end of the day we all want a bit more for a bit less but real life ain't like that!

Suey

[hiraeth]

I'm wondering how many people who are complaining about the increased fee from ancestry have tried the ancestry press feature.  You can put together multiple book projects of up to 250 pages which can be printed on your own computer/printer without obligation to use their publication service.   

I don't know if this is included in basic membership - I was lucky enough to renew recently just prior to the change in pricing structure.   But it seems to me that this is excellent value for money as are all the WW1 records that are now available.   

So despite their inaccuracies, arrogance and billing methods etc. I still think they offer the best bang for the buck in a very innovative package.

[steven781]

Perhaps I need to start a new thread now, but further to the post from Margo I was wondering what information I may find at a LDS site. I live just a very short drive from a LDS site in Crawley, West Sussex and wonder if perhaps I should go along and make use of it. Is there any real benefit from visiting or can I source the same indexes and databases from other places just as easy?

Steve

[claire31]

I know when my parents began their family research several years ago they used a LDS site quite frequently.  They found them very helpful and found alot of data.  However, I couldn't tell you for certain if with the advances in online research, how much is now available from home computors which wasn't availabe when they began.  I suspect what you do get is people who can help and know the databases.

Claire

[Margo1]

The LDS libraries have (or can get on loan) many films that you won't find on any database, like early parish records.  I got several on loan at our local small library and discovered the parents and grandparents of my g-g-grandfather, Joseph Bradfield.  I thought he was born in one parish and found he actually was from the next one over.  I'd learned that by accident from a CD of West Yorkshire parishes that didn't have either of those parishes, but did have a William Bradfield married in still another parish and listed as from that "next one over"; rather a round about way to find the family, but with the films from all three parishes, I found it to be the right one.

That gave me Joseph's grandmother's name, and thus another line of ancestors to track down, way back to the middle 1500s.  Now that was really knocking down a brick wall!

The libraries also have books and CDs which can be helpful, but those volunteers can sometimes be really experts, especially in the larger libraries.  They can show you how to find things you'd never locate on your own, so yes, I believe it's well worth it to go to one.  And they will never ask you whether you belong to their church before they offer assistance...........all researchers are welcome.

[Alan b]

I cancelled my Ancestry sub a month or so ago because of the price increase, this was before this thread had started and thus more information came to light up what they are doing. After paying £69 for one year they wanted £83 for the next year which I am not going to pay especially as it looks like that will now rise to over a £100 for the following year. Add to this that there seems to be less records available unless you stump up the cash. Ancestry seem to want to alienate customers and at a time where they have more competition it is surprising that they are doing this.