General Chat

Does anyone on here still pay the "grandfathered" subscription of £8.96p for 12 months Standard Subscription?

I've just noticed the "RENEW" button at the top of the page and my subscription runs out on 27th May. If I just let it auto renew it seems I will be charged £18 and being a mean so and so I really don't want to pay more than my usual £8.96p.

Last year I had a right carry on with sending a cheque which they then said couldn't be cashed because no one was working in the office and I ended up having to get my son to pay the "full" price through Paypal and Genes then promising to refund the difference (which give them their due they did with no delay). I just don't want to have the same carry one this year but don't want to pay more than I need to.

Kath. x

I have left mine on continuous and last month paid about $7. for the year.

I usually have mine left on continuous but a few years ago they took the higher amount that most new subscribers pay. I argued about it and they said I could pay the reduced price but the last couple of years there hasn't seemed to be an easy way of paying the reduced amount without a lot of carry on. I could just send a cheque again but I will have to hunt around for the address I sent it to last year - but I still don't know whether anyone is working in the office.

Kath. x

I paid £8.96 last time my sub was due in November. I have auto renew off and GR never contact me when my renewal is due so I have to watch for the blue RENEW at the top of the page.

I am like SuffolkVera ........ I do try to keep my auto renew off, but it seems to change back to on and I often forget to check, so like Vera, I have to watch for the RENEW button coming up.

It has always been the low amount though.

Unfortunately Kath, I think you are going to have to find another way to pay other than by cheque ............. offices are still not fully open anywhere, and the slow response by GR to, eg removing RR'd posts, seems to indicate that they are the same. So it will still be the same situation as last year.

I agree Sylvia - the auto renew does sometimes "magically" move itself from off to on. I try and check every so often.

SuffolkVera - when you renewed by clicking on the "RENEW" button did it actually give you the £8.96p option because mine only gives me the 12 month option at £1.50p per month - meaning I will pay £18 for the year. It's how to get this to £8.96 that I'd like to know.

Kath. x

Sorry Kath, I can’t remember what it said but I think it must have shown the £8.96. I definitely would have queried it if they had tried to charge me £18. I have got the receipt they emailed me and it just says “You have been billed £8.96 for a 12 month standard membership “.

Thanks Vera. I think I will send an email to "support" and see what they say. I know if I paid what they are asking it's still not very much but it's the principle and I can't find anywhere where I can put in a new debit card on this site as it's quite a while since I paid by card.

Kath. x

Kath, I just experimented a bit. I clicked on Upgrade in the bar at the top and it showed prices for Standard and Platinum subs. Under standard it said 12 month plan £0.83 per month, crossed through, and underneath it says Save 10% £0.75 per month, which is £9 for the year. Maybe you could try subscribing like that.

Mine only gives me the option of £1.67p per month, crossed out and £1.50p per month instead so still the £18.

I just object to paying more than others. In fact I think the way Genes have so many different amounts that people pay is wrong.

I have sent "support" and email and will wait to hear back from them - hopefully before my subscription runs out.

Kath. x

Good luck. I hope they reply promptly. Let us know how you get on.

I have never been able to make sense of GR pricing. I think everyone should pay the same but there could be 2 levels, a cheap price that only gives some basic rights such as building a tree and accessing the boards and other members and another price that allows access to records on GR.

I leave the auto renewal on and only pay £8.96
If I remember correctly as long as you left the auto renew on, you stayed on the low rate. The people who turned it off were hit with the price increases

Don’t think that’s the case Linda. I never have auto renew on and have only ever paid the low price. I know if you have a break in membership you get charged the higher price when you return

I wonder if it is showing the higher price because that is what you paid last time and then had a refund of the difference. As your son paid it you could be down as not renewing on time so you are classed as rejoining not renewing.
Hope you get a answer from Genes soon.

yup still pay the lower price

I'll be annoyed if it is because my subscription ran out last year because I had sent a cheque in plenty of time but obviously I didn't know there was no one to cash it. Because of that I ended up blocked from the boards for 3 days while they sorted out for my son to pay via Paypal.

We'll see what Genes have to say..

Kath. x

I found out the hard way that if you have a new debit card you wait until the date your subscription runs out and then a box appears with details for entry of a new debit card!!

I was told at the time that Genes gives you a couple of weeks in which to pay, so you don't lose out. I've done this twice now, without problem.

Thanks Andysmum. I may have to do that to get my new card registered - but I still need them to sort out the amount I'm going to have to pay.

Kath. x

My account showed $8.96 when I clicked on RENEW.

I also had to enter a new card number as we'd had to have it replaced due to a possible scam ................ so I think I ran over by a day until I found out how to enter the new number. But I still got the low price.

I think JustGinnie has it right ........ you actually paid £18 last year according to their record, there must not be a way for them to register that you were refunded.

Try phoning them, see if anyone answers the phone. You'll find the FMP number under Contacts towards the bottom of the screen.