Genes Reunited - Warning

slightlymiffed

I just wanted to warn anyone who is a member of the genesreunited website that when you joined, you probably won't have noticed that the 'default' setting is 'continuous membership' (they call it upgraded - which I guess for their profits, is!) - it means they will deduct money from your credit card every 6 months.

Although they apparently inform you three weeks beforehand, as they are continually 'bombarding' you with irrelevant 'matches' and emails, you may, like me, not notice until they have taken money from your card - in my case, via PayPal.

Be sure to uncheck that option if you don't wish to have a nasty surprise!

Paparika

It is clealy marked when you sign up that unless you state otherwise, they will continue your subs

slightlymiffed

With all due respect, I am new to this site and thought it would be helpful to warn others who might, like me, have failed to notice this. I am normally very diligent in checking these things and, at a time when we are all watching costs, this is one surprise cost I could have done without! Clear, it is not.

Although they did send a message a week and a half (not three weeks as they state) to my genesreunited account, saying they would deduct funds on my renewal date, they did not (as they claim) inform me by email. They also deducted funds from my PayPal account a day before my membership was due for renewal, which I would have thought was breaking their own terms and conditions.

I am not alone in my concerns about genesreunited but maybe I shouldn't be surprised given the not-entirely-transparent practices of their parent company - ITV.

I've learned my lesson!

debs66_2

i got caught out with this too, with their sister site friendsreunited. i closed down my page/account and phoned them, and told them it was not evidently clear and that i thought they had behaved in a devious manner to garner subs. they refunded me.

posh*spice

That's abit tough that you didn't notice.:o Must say I love Genes reunited though. It's a great site if you are seriously into genealogy.:D

slightlymiffed

Yes, I was posh*spice!

Still, there is a post-script to this tale in that genes reunited have now refunded the membership fee taken before its due date but still will not accept that I did not opt for continuous membership in the first place. They have changed their terms and conditions (on 30/4/08) and I hope no-one else is caught out in this way.

But, yes, I agree, the site is a fantastic idea and I may very well have renewed my membership had I not felt misled. I have traced my family tree and managed to make a quite exciting discovery about my past (and I may be cutting off my nose to spite my face!) but I really don't like the way they work.

Maybe genes reunited will go the way of their sister-site, friends reunited, and drop their fees altogether? That would be even better!

mysterie

I find them expensive considering they do absolutely nothing in return for the cost, and no it should not be continuous at all.