How do you tell someone they have got their tree wrong?

[Gone]

i had a name collector (his wife was related to me) who asked to see my tree on g**** reun***d and he "stole" my whole tree to add to his, even the side that wasn't related in any way. i kept seeing updates every day where he was adding several names and in the end i closed the account. i hate people who do that 
griff

[Lisajj]

There are parts of my tree that I'm not certain about, and I wish someone else would point out the errors, but like the others, I have lots of people who have copied stuff off my tree and some of it is the stuff I'm not 100% sure about.  I have made notes on it saying that I'm not sure, but they still copy it.  Just be certain of your own stuff, always check the original records (where you can) and if in doubt, make a note to say that you're not sure its correct.  Let everyone else get on with making mistakes!

[mofid42]

I don't mind anyone wandering into my tree provided there is a genuine connection.... somewhere!

I have to admit at times I have got a bit carried away and gone sideways just because I have found something interesting or because I was struggling to find the correct information for nearer connections.

The upside of my nosiness on a couple of occasions has resulted in me being able to help others who had been stuck with their tree. It was nice because we were able to work together and still consult each other from time to time....a happy outcome. Sadly not always the case!

[ambers]

I have come the conclusion that the person who has copied hundreds of names from our family, likes being linked to us

I have sent him the Parish Records link, and offered certificates of proof that he has mistaken his Elizabeth Eddy from Cornwall for ours. (his is also two years older than ours)......................but it is like water off a ducks back.

It looks good to others because he has copied the photographs  and certificates to back up his Tree, from my cousins Tree, but he is definately not related to us.

Ambers

[majm]

  

Well, to answer the question with a touch of an Aussie contribution from me .... you put some details from their Ancestry tree into a thread like this one and then cross your fingers and toes and hope for the best 

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,580920.0.html     

Cheers, JM

[mofid42]

Hi Jm

Thanks for that link....it did make me laugh   I found a tree the other day where it had the two wives of one man married to each other and not him....oh well

[Plummiegirl]

I recently contacted a lovely lady in NZ who had my g/g/aunt in her tree.  It turned out she had the wrong girl
My aunt was Sarah Ann, and the lady in question had Harriet Sarah Ann, thinking they were the same person. 

I only realised she had the wrong person when viewing her tree, she had my aunt going back & forward to NZ, marrying there and coming back to the UK.  My g/aunt was a spinster who spent much of her laters years looking after her elderly father.  So it was with a sad heart I contacted the lady in NZ.  I explained where I could see her research was obviously wrong & I gave her permission to view my tree with all the photos and certificates on which showed that she had the wrong Sarah Ann.

She was very disappointed that her research was incorrect (she had taken much of this information from another realived in NZ!), but happy that she would now be able to follow the correct person/family.  And I am happy to say her tree was amended the same day (in fact almost within the hour).

So not everyone ignores us when we point out that they have attached one of our family.  But sadly many do and even documentary evidence will not stop them.

[mofid42]

Hi Plummiegirl

You were lucky as she was obviously a sensible person who cared whether her tree was right or wrong.
  sadly not everyone seems to bother

I'm sure I have a few iffy records on my tree where I've had to take a leap of faith so I would welcome someone putting me right.
But I've also been in the reverse situation when someone insisted I had got my tree wrong even though I had all the documentation to prove I was right uploaded to my tree for everyone to see!  
The person did eventually agree with me and added all the people they had insisted didn't belong on the tree and copied all the documents

[Gone]

after having my full tree "stollen" i'm careful who i give info too and then only a little bit to steer them in the right direction, i'm sure i haven't got too many wrong uns and i always get documentary evidence where i can, i'd help anyone in any way i can as long as they didn't take advantatge again.