Salford Council are having a laugh aren't they?

[Parmesan]

This authority is one of the worst for genealogists!

£15 for a grave search and now the BMD certificates have gone up to £9, they are charging another £1 'admin fee'

Robbers! 

[Mr. MIGKY]

I thinks Salford council have been laughing at us all including there own residents for year over the price of burial records request.
Migky 

[acorngen]

I don't see how they can legally charge an Admin Fee unless of course that is for orders by credit/debit card.  They have no legal right to charge an Admin fee if you send for the cert by cheque or postal order.

As for the Grave search I have no problem with that fee.  Records Offices will charge more than that for a search of their records and why should we get this information free when they have to use their staff to do the work.

Rob

[Gillg]

£23 for grave research at Rochdale Cemetery.
http://www.rochdale.gov.uk/community_and_living/births,_deaths,_marriages_and/burial_records.aspx

[Mr. MIGKY]

I think may be it is £1 for P&P maybe?

It is ok you saying you don't mind paying £15 for a search, but that is £15 every search. From my own experience, that does not guarantee you a result. You could be paying the £15 just for the plot location. We use to moan about Manchester council burial site but that changed it policy and is far better these days and they still manage to make money out of it.Think they need to take a leaf out of tamesides book. 100% first rate service like a few other here in the northwest, but Salford and Rochdale i feel are on the money grabbing trail. i suppose some one has to pay for the Salford MP's expenses?

Migky 

[Radlad]

£35 for 1 in Ellesemere Shropshire. That does include a photo of the grave site.

Finding out who to contact is a nightmare though. Us Lancastrians are lucky where it concerns records and facilities compared to some other parts of the country

[acorngen]

Mr Migky,

I dont see how they can charge for postage either. No one else does that I use.  As for the burial grounds, my own council don't charge anything either.  That said you say there could be no results for your 15 pound fee well that is the case also for archival research by the staff there. 

I think we would all wan their to be a standard around the country but as I was informed when I questioned my MP about this, it is up to each local council to set the fees for their services.  I guess the only way to overcome this is to get the local councilors onside

Rob

[Gillg]

In addition to my earlier posting #3 I should say that Rochdale Local Studies actually provided a copy of the grave record for me for under £2 including postage, so thankfully I didn't need to contact the expensive cemetery service.

Gillg

[Parmesan]

Not only is it NOT for p&p (you have to include an sae) it is £1 admin fee for EACH certificate 

"5 REMITTANCE ENCLOSED  (POSTAL APPLICATIONS ONLY)
Please note: Salford charge the standard fee of £9.00, plus a £1.00 administration fee for each certificate ordered.
UK: applications should enclose an SAE. Postal order or cheque made payable to : City of Salford for £ 10.00"

Just wondering too, the only cert I ordered from Salford has been a death certificate which was newly handwritten copy, not a photocopy of the original one - most disappointing.