Changes to FIND MY PAST "My Records"

[a chesters]

Another very disappointing change of things today, not genealogy, but a few days ago, I had an email from the Velocity Airpoints people. The email said that I had 11,939 Airpoints due to expire tomorrow, 31st August.  (I'd forgotten about them - silly me) So I quickly logged in to spend it pronto - huh?  shopping site is temporarily closed for upgrading!   I phoned their call centre, spent about an hour on the phone with several different people, all with foreign accents, and no joy as to how I can redeem them, other than booking another flight, and a couple of other stupid things  like wait for it - .....buy a cup of coffee at BP service centre, and that would reactivate my points, then I could go shopping!   But the shopping is offline at present lady. -  and The BP Service centre has to be in Australia.  I only just managed to stop myself giving them an earful of Kiwi bad language, and telling them where they could go and what they should do!!  GRRR! I even asked them to email me with the options she had given me, but she said "we don't do emails in this department, it's a call centre"  😡😡😡. I'm not at all a Happy Chappy GRRR!

I don't blame you

A couple of years ago, I signed up for a Visa card, for Internet use. They charged the annual fee for a points card, but i had stated on the application form i did not want points. Took about 4 months to sort the b$#$#@rs out and have no points. I dont use it often enough to warrant them.

[jaybelnz]

Yes, of course those 11,993 points represent a lot of money, but with the shopping options I wanted, like clothing etc., not being currently available, due to updating, she said there was no way for me to spend them in time before tomorrow!  I'm still hopping mad about it!  😡😡

[StevieSteve]

"My Records" are  mine. I paid for them.

Only if you used PAYG. In which case you can still access them

[rosie99]

I don't store anything on 'My records' and always download what I want at the time. 

The problem with M.R is that every time you look at a record whether for yourself or someone on here it saves it without asking so you end up with lots of records not relevant to your own tree. 

[farmeroman]

I always download everything from FindMyPast and Ancestry because:

1) I don't trust them to look after my stuff and
2) I just know that they will eventually start charging me for storing and/or accessing it

Ditto cloud data storage companies and free email services. Once you're on the hook they'll all get you in the end by either charging you for the service and/or losing your stuff.

Local storage and multiple backups (including automated daily backup) are my preferred only solution.

[hurworth]

I'm ropable. 

I don't currently have a subscription, but over the years I've had several subscriptions, including annual ones.

So it is disappointing that they were happy to take my money for a subscription when I thought one of the benefits of the subscription was that I could access that record at any time in the future, and now they have altered the terms of the subscriptions that I had.

It would be fair enough if they said that any new record that I viewed FROM NOW ON would only be viewable in the future if I had a sub at the time, but this is a change that takes away benefits that were part of my subscriptions.  The fact that I could view records later had been one of the pluses of FindMyPast, and a reason I give them a thumbs up when people ask here about whether they should use Ancestry or FindMyPast.

The lack of notice is extremely disappointing.  I'd need several days at home just to ensure I'd downloaded the most important one, but I'm on holiday in the UK and have sights to see and places to go.

I think it is very underhand.

[SwissGill]

I couldn't agree with you more Hurworth. You have put into words what I thought when I received their email yesterday.

I didn't renew my subscription with FindMyPast lately as I have a full subscription with Ancestry and decided not to renew with FindMyPast. I was sorry not to have the benefit of the 1939 records but found them on Ancestry UK. I don't remember when this was announced as I often log in to Ancestry Com which doesn't show them.

I am disgusted with FindMyPast's tactics.

[ABradley]

Thank you Ruskie for this information.
I was just looking at my saved records on Find My Past last night and was a bit daunted by the quantity and the lack of "searchability".However I was pleased that such a facility existed. But at the back of my mind I wondered how long this might exist.
I have sent a message to Find My Past regarding their change of policy.
Will I get a reply??

Andrew

[Kiltpin]

"My Records" are  mine. I paid for them.

I don't think so.

If the records are on their site then what you paid for is permission to access parts of their site. You have not paid for the records, only for the ability to view them.
If you choose to download the records then they are yours to do with what you will (within the bounds of the law and copyright).

I can understand that people are upset at the loss of a facility that they once had, but realistically, if the record is so important to you, why have you not downloaded it already?

If a person only has a free membership, or one of their £1 week-end memberships, then they are getting exactly the level of service that they paid for.

Regards

Chas