Cost of certs

[BigSlick]

How come ancestry can charge so much for certificates?

[Jebber]

Anyone can charge what they like for providing a service, that is why it pays to deal direct with the GRO or local Register Office.

I don't know why anyone would use a third party for a transaction it is so easy to do for oneself.

Jebber

[dawnsh]

Because they are providing a certificate ordering service by acting as a middle man, and the unsuspecting, who don't know they can order certificates directly from the General Register Office, pay for that service.

Dawn

[BigSlick]

I like ancestry but I don't like the way they exploit peeps like that.  FindMyPast are kind enough to post a link to gov site on there registry pages, pity the rest of their site is so clunky

[bowiewhist]

Those who are cash rich and time poor will simply click the link and pay the going rate. Price is driven by market forces and of course many of Ancestry's customers will be from overseas using - as they see it - the route to get what they require.

I run a business (not related to geneology) and we charge to provide a service that others could do themselves but we take all the hassle out of it. Thank goodness for my livelyhood there are people who need that!

[Berlin-Bob]

Those who are cash rich and time poor will simply click the link and pay the going rate.

and

... we charge to provide a service that others could do themselves but we take all the hassle out of it.

I think this sums up the reasons why people pay for these services very nicely.

Why one company is charging more than another depends on the individual companies.
And why one company points to a cheaper service and another one doesn't also depends on the individual companies.

 

Topic now locked.