Genealogy Chat

I've suspected since BS took over the site that it would one day disappear ................ either rolled into FMP or just removed.

I've also said that on the Boards, and to certain GR staff.


I think we do have to face the fact that an increase was not unexpected ................. after all it was not BS who gave early members the "grandfather" clause in 2007.

So BS probably has no legal requirement to abide by it.


I object to the way it has been done ........................ and the site has gone downhill so far that I do not consider it worth paying almost 100% more for the privilege of helping 1 or 2 people a session.

Can we all remember the time when there "hordes" of people asking for help?


Just think of all the excellent helpers who left over the years .............. those who formed FTF, and those who have removed themselves over the last 12-18 months.


If we could have the site as it was in even 2010, then it might be worth considering staying and paying a somewhat increased rate.


A 100% increase could be called USURY .................. but unlike those who have to borrow money at huge cost, we can walk.

........ and probably provide BS with another reason to "shut 'er down".


This, of course, was probably what the UK Competitions Board was concerned about when they took almost 18 months to rule on whether BS could even acquire GR. The acquisition did give them control over 75% of the UK-based genealogical sites.




sylvia

I agree wisechild, it does look more and more like they need to run the one site. I am not sure that they would be allowed to though.

Perhaps if anyone decides to leave they should remove their tree...can't do it after leaving. You have to go to Frequently Asked Questions and find Remove Tree from there. It then goes into a queue to be removed.

Does anyone else get the feeling that Brightsolid can´t afford to run both FMP & Genes?
Genes hasn´t functioned properly since they took over & the two sites do seem to duplicate information..

£15.96 is not so bad if the site works:
But since the new tree was introduced the site has failed to work correctly:
They keep adding new bits here and there, but the basic site is a mess:
Tried to add a photo today and it wont open up to accept it: Tried to edit a person on my tree, when I went back the next day it had reverted to the old details:

Before you charge more Get The Site Working Correctly:!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Link on my Facebook page "Join Genesreunited" Full access from £5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jax - not everyone got those credits. There are few days when I do not look at GR & my no of credits = 0.

I joined the same month as Sylvia but can't prove what I paid but I am fairly certain my subs history is similar

Happy New Year to all

Nice to see you back Sylvia and Happy New Year to you.

My renewal is due on Feb 22nd. I have unticked the auto renew & will not be renewing.
I agree with everything Sylvia in Canada has said. My understanding was that my membership would remain at the same rate it was when I joined.
I also have membership of Ancestry & will probably use the money I save from here to upgrade to Worldwide, while using other (free) forums which give me everything I have on here with the exception of my tree, which is on Ancestry.

I have been a member since Aug 2004...just four months less than Sylvia. Yet I have been paying double her subs since I started. Now at 2 x £7.96 I am paying £15.92 so 4p extra per year....it's not the increase it's the underhand way they treat and compare members of similar standing

I'm "johnny-come-lately" to this debate, because I have been away on holiday


My understanding was that there was a "grandfathering" of the subscription rate paid by existing members when ITV took over GR in 2007. The implication was that this would be maintained.

That grandfathering is what led to the £9.95 per year for existing members vs £9.95 per 6 months for new members.


I started off paying £5 for a year when I first joined in 2004.

One year later, it had increased to £6.

And the sub had increased to £9.95 by 2007 ...........


so that was a fairly rapid increase in subscription rate over a 4 year period ............... 2004 to 2007.


In several of the years between 2007 and 2012, "loyalty"discounts were given to these long time members such that the rate paid dropped to around £7.60


HOWEVER ......... the difference now is that the current increase is

a) unannounced

b) hitting a relatively small number of members out of all proportion to the other members

c) insufficient notice has been provided .................. emails should have been sent to all members, and full disclosure of the proposed increase made ON THE BOARDS and ON FACEBOOK .

d) Way too large in one go.



I have stuck by GR through the last year and all the problems. I have stuck up FOR GR during the last year by trying to appease other angry members, and by helping others to try to find ways and means of using the site when ERROR messages were rampant.




What I get from GR is not worth an increase of almost 100%

What I have given GR during the last several years is worth infinitely more ............... and I will be offering that to other forums in the future.


I have a small tree so around 130 names on here. I have not added to it in years.

I had 30 credits given to me last year ............... I have used them to check newspaper articles after first finding the information on another site.

I do not otherwise use ANY of the records on here ................. why should I when I have a sub to ancestry, and have had since 2004?

I do not check other trees for potential contacts, and have not received any contacts from others for a good 2 years.


All I do do is try to help others, using subs that I have to other sites, and participate on some of the chatty threads.


I can do both of those more easily on other sites, some of them free.



I will NOT be re-joining when my sub becomes due later this year.

Same here Linda...I did'nt have much of a problem

I am sure I remember people wondering why they had been given extra days or credits back then

In my case it is true Jax...I didn't complain as I had very few errors though was still "rewarded" with 30 credits as a standard member.

The credits for standard members and extra days for platinum members were given to every one who had used the site during that period, as far as I was aware

I think that 30 free credits after a site outage in October were given to people that complained :)

Good point Jax. Oh well, this will possibly be my last post then. How comes I'm reading that some received 30 free credits after a site outage in October? I didn't get any credits. Admittedly, I wouldn't want them anyway, I'm quite happy with my Ancestry Worldwide for that.

Does you renewal date say the 1st or the 2nd? if it is the 2nd it will expire at midnight tonight

I get caught out every six months with that :-)

The e-mail wasn't in spam, it was in my inbox but disappeared amongst all the spam from Amazon. I cancelled my sub but it appears GR took no notice anyway. Here's the e-mail I have sent

I unticked the automatic renewal box when I found out you were going to charge me £15.96 (an increase in my yearly sub) however, it appears that this was ignored and I can only assume that you have therefore debited my credit card against my wishes. I was under the impression that any increase in fee would be notified at least 28 days in advance of renewal by e-mail. I received no such notification, only a standard e-mail on 20th December informing me that my membership would expire on 2nd January. (Before you ask, the non existant e-mail did not fall foul of my spam filter.)

Therefore, I anticipate a full refund of £15.96 from you and I trust this will be forthcoming in the very near future.

Janet Tocqueville
Another disgruntled former GR member

I wonder how long it will take for a response?

Jude,
ref 'Error 404'

Are you using a Microsoft Windows system?

At the end of the day, despite what we might think I'm sure their legal advisers have it all sussed.

"Genes Reunited reserves the right to change the amount of the Standard Membership fee and the period which it covers from time to time."

Nor is there anything that says everyone will pay the same. It's no different to buying a ticket for a show, a train a plane or whatever - you pay the going rate at the time of purchase.