Important information
- Customer Complaint:Consumers should be aware that Ancestry.com/MyFamily.com uses an auto-renewal process that automatically charges the consumer for another year membership if the member does not cancel prior to the anniversary date. BBB files also indicate this business has a pattern of complaints concerning shipping/handling override coupon codes not being accepted.
Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Ancestry.com's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 829 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 235 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:07/15/2024
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
We submitted 4 DNA samples. Ancestry.com lost 2 of them.
Business Response
Date: 07/17/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
July 17, 2024
RE: ******************* 21994448
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding ************** complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
Our records show that ************** ordered five AncestryDNA kits on May 5, 2024. Three of the five kits were registered online, sent to our lab, processed, and the results were posted to the accounts on which they were registered.
However, two of the kits in the order were sent to and received by our lab, but they had not been registered online. Due to the anonymous nature by which DNA samples are processed, they must be registered online so that we know on which account the results should be posted once processing is complete. In cases where a customer does not register their kit before sending it to the lab, our lab will hold the kit(s) for up to six months awaiting registration, after which the samples are destroyed.
Our records show that both of the missing kits arrived at our lab in May. Therefore, if the individuals to whom ************** gave the kits still have their registration codes, they may still register their kits online which will then prompt the lab to begin processing.
If the owners of the submitted samples no longer have their registration codes, but still want to receive their results, they may contact our customer support team at **************************** to request a free replacement kit.
Otherwise, if ************** does not wish to continue with the service, he may contact us at ****************************************** and request 2 refunds of $39 each, however the samples will no longer be eligible for processing and will be destroyed accordingly.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:07/15/2024
Type:Status:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Received an email notifying I was soon to be billed for a continuation of account services. In response to this, I followed the appropriate steps in order to cancel my membership and terminate billing. On 14 July, 2024, I received an automatic billing of $169 to my account. I then proceeded to cancel services a second time, using the same steps. Support has been significantly inaccessible. There is no active email, and the support chatbot is largely not helpful whatsoever. Any attempts at contacting actual support has been met with continuous roadblock.Business Response
Date: 07/17/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
July 17, 2024
RE: *********************** 21989565
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding ************** complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
Our records show that the subscription in question was not cancelled until July 14th,the day after it automatically renewed. When a subscription is successfully cancelled, an email confirmation is sent out confirming the cancellation. Our records show that this email was not sent out prior to his July 14th cancellation.
As a courtesy to him, we have issued a refund in the amount of $169 back to the account that was originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is *********. The access to the databases associated with this membership has been terminated effective immediately, and there will be no future billing from Ancestry. Please note that it can take between 3-5 business days for these funds to become available within their financial institution,depending on their refund policies and procedures.
Additionally, Support agents are employed globally to assist Ancestry members with any questions or concerns they may have.Individuals may call support at 1-800-ANCESTRY or by any of the additional avenues discussed in the following URL:
*********************************************************
We always appreciate any opportunity to assist our members in discovering, preserving, and sharing their family history. If at any time in the future they become interested in researching or saving their family history, they may continue to use the free services found on Ancestry even now after their subscription has ended.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 07/17/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
***********************Initial Complaint
Date:07/14/2024
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I would like to make a formal complaint on Ancestry.com for what I believe to be deceptive and predatory billing practices related to their World Explorer Student Plan Membership. I initially subscribed to the World Explorer Student Plan, which is advertised at a monthly rate of $4.99. However, on two separate occasions, I have been charged $39.99. Below are the details of the incorrect charges: First Incident: Order Number: ********* Date: May 20, 2023 Amount Charged: $39.99 -Second Incident: -Order Number: ********* - Date: July 12, 2024 - Amount Charged: $39.99 Upon reviewing my account, I discovered that these overcharges have occurred twice for a plan that should cost only $4.99 per month. I consider these actions to be highly deceptive, as they exploit consumers who trust that they will be charged the advertised rate. I have attempted to resolve this issue directly with Ancestry.com, but the responses have been unsatisfactory. Given the recurrent nature of this overcharging, it is evident that the company may be engaging in a pattern of behavior that could mislead and financially harm its customers, particularly students who are likely to be more financially vulnerable. I urge the Better Business Bureau to investigate this matter thoroughly and take appropriate action to ensure that Ancestry.com rectifies its billing practices and reimburses affected customers. It is essential that companies maintain transparent and honest billing practices to ****** trust and integrity in their business operations. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response and resolution of this issue.Business Response
Date: 07/17/2024
Title: ****** **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
July 17, 2024
RE: ***************************** -- 21986963
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding Ms. ******** complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
We sincerely regret any frustration this matter may have caused ****************** and for any confusion regarding our Student Plan membership.
Student Plan membership are contingent upon the individual being able to verify their student eligibility. Per the terms associated with the membership type, students may continue to get access to their World Explorer Student Plan for up to 12 months from the date they subscribed while the services are available. To remain subscribed in the plan, they must re-verify their eligibility once every 12 months, for a maximum of 3 additional 12-month periods. If they are unable to re-verify at the end of any 12-month period,they will no longer be eligible for the World Explorer Student Plan.
Our records show that ****************** has been enrolled in the Student Plan since April 18, 2022. Therefore, she will still need to re-verify her student status each year for up to four total years in order to obtain the pricing of $4.99.
In light of the circumstances, we have cancelled the subscription in question with a full refund of $39.99. Unfortunately, as the charge from May 2023 is over 13 months old, our system is unable to process a refund for that transaction. Therefore, we have instead issued 8 additional refunds of $4.99 each back to the accounts that were originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is *********. Please note that it can take between 3-5 business days for these funds to become available within her financial institution, depending on their refund policies and procedures.
We recommend she follow the instructions in the *** below to re-verify her student status to again initiate her Student Plan if desired:
*****************************************************
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:07/09/2024
Type:Status:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I joined Ancestry.com on 3/25/2022 and evidently signed up for automatic renewal. I did not receive a notification that my account was up for renewaljust a charge of $199.95 to my checking account on 6/26/2024. i have been charged this amount at least one other time but did not notice it for a while so i let it slide.As soon as I saw the charge, I cancelled the membership but they will not refund the charge.During the two-plus years I had this account I received no benefit and find this charge and their unyielding no refund policy to be a travesty.Business Response
Date: 07/12/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
July 12, 2024
RE: *************************** 21964790
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding Mr. ******* complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
Our records show that **************** purchased an AncestryDNA kit on December 23, 2023, and bundled the purchase with a quarterly World Explorer membership for only $1 more. The automatic renewing nature of the membership was provided online as well as within the order confirmation email that was provided to him on that date. Additionally, Ancestry emailed **************** on February 21st and May 23rd reminding him of the upcoming renewals. The emails contained instructions on how to cancel the membership if he wished to do so.However, because the membership was not cancelled, it rolled into a paid membership at the regular price on March 24, 2024, and renewed again on June 24th.
As a courtesy to him, we have issued 2 refunds in the amount of ***** each back to the account that was originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is *********. The access to the databases associated with this membership has been terminated effective immediately, and there will be no future billing from Ancestry. Please note that it can take between 3-5 business days for these funds to become available within their financial institution, depending on their refund policies and procedures.
We always appreciate any opportunity to assist our members in discovering, preserving, and sharing their family history. If at any time in the future they become interested in researching or saving their family history, they may continue to use the free services found on Ancestry even now after their subscription has ended.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 07/13/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
***************************Initial Complaint
Date:07/07/2024
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I have been subscribed to Ancestry for months for US and beyond. A few months ago, I couldn't get into my account for double security measures, so a rep. helped me. Today, the same thing happened. I called Ancestry for support, and the message said the wait would be at least 30 minutes. I tried every way to get into my account. I would like a refund for the month of July 2024. Otherwise, I will dispute this with my bank on 7/13/24. I just don't have the patience or ability to jump through Ancestry hoops.Business Response
Date: 07/12/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
July 12, 2024
RE: *************************** 21952572
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding Ms. ******** complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
As a courtesy to her, we have issued a refund in the amount of $39.99 back to the account that was originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is *********. The access to the databases associated with this membership has been terminated effective immediately, and there will be no future billing from Ancestry. Please note that it can take between 3-5 business days for these funds to become available within their financial institution, depending on their refund policies and procedures.
We always appreciate any opportunity to assist our members in discovering, preserving, and sharing their family history. If at any time in the future they become interested in researching or saving their family history, they may continue to use the free services found on Ancestry even now after their subscription has ended.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:07/05/2024
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
-2024/07/05 -$170 - They Took the money today then said I was not inside there policy 1,i got the free 2 weeks back on May 22 2024, you think they would of charged me 2 weeks from may. Nope they wait a whole other month before they do,I called minutes after the charge went threw asking if they could refund the money as it was my last little bit for food. NOPE says its my fault for not cancelling it well they shouldn't wait almost two months to charge someone. That is horrible customer serviceBusiness Response
Date: 07/12/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
July 12, 2024
RE: ********************* 21946233
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding **************** complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
Our records show that ************** initiated a two-week free trial of our website on May 24,2024. He was notified that the trial would roll into a paid membership if not cancelled both online and within the order confirmation email he received that day. However, the trial was not cancelled after the two-week time period.Ancestry did not wait to charge his account for the membership. The following are the dates on which attempts were made to collect the funds for his membership. Each time, the authorizations were rejected by his bank. When this occurs, our system automatically continues to attempt a successful charge:
June 8, 2024
June 14,2024
June 15,2024
June 21,2024
June 25,2024
June 28,2024
July 1, 2024
July 3, 2024
Payment was finally successfully transacted on July 5, 2024.
As a courtesy to **************, we have issued a refund in the amount of $84.99 CAD back to the account that was originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is *********. The access to the databases associated with this membership has been terminated effective immediately, and there will be no future billing from Ancestry. Please note that it can take between 7-10 business days for these funds to become available within their financial institution, depending on their refund policies and procedures.
We always appreciate any opportunity to assist our members in discovering, preserving, and sharing their family history. If at any time in the future they become interested in researching or saving their family history, they may continue to use the free services found on Ancestry even now after their subscription has ended.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:07/05/2024
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
To put it on the record: On July 1, 2024 I noticed a charge that was pending on my account in the amount of $239. I contacted Ancestry.com via phone on said date to advise that I never approved any charges or signed up for anything with them, and this was a fraudulent charge. Furthermore, I never received any services for which I was charged for; however, the customer service representative that I spoke to was unwilling to help in any way other than saying "I can cancel the subscription, but that's it." He would not refund me nor could he explain why I didn't receive services with them if in fact I had signed up for a so-called trial.I also sent an email to provide you with the opportunity to make things right, yet five days later, I have not received a response or resolution. To make matters worse, after charging me $239 on July 1, 2024, they had the audacity to charge me again on July 4, 2024 in the amount of $239. Due to these fraudulent charges and the lack of assistance from Ancestry.com or Ancestry PayPal Support, I was short almost $500 on my rent AND my account was overdrafted. I am retired and have a very low income that I must manage very strictly.I'm filing a complaint with for lack of customer service, lack of urgency for fraudulent transactions, and for ignoring my requests for assistance.I am extremely disappointed and hope you will do better in the future.Business Response
Date: 07/12/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
July 12, 2024
RE: ************************* 21944924
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding ********************** complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
Our records show that a two-week free trial was initiated with Ms. ********* payment information on June 14, 2024. An order confirmation email was sent to her on that date regarding the transaction and informed her that the trial would roll into a paid membership if not cancelled during the two-week period. Because the trial was not cancelled, it rolled into a paid membership on June 29, 2024, and incurred a charge of $239 through her PayPal account. ********************** does not show any additional charges to the account other than the $239.
Our billing records show that ******************** opened a dispute with PayPal associated with the transaction on July 9, 2024. In cases such as these where a customer has issued a chargeback process, we are obligated to follow through on that process. As this process has been initiated, we have cancelled the subscription and ******************** will encounter no further billing.The confirmation number for this cancellation is 486052060.
If ******************* is interested in further updates regarding this chargeback, we would suggest she contact PayPal as they will be able to provide her with answers to any additional questions regarding the status of her chargeback request.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:07/03/2024
Type:Status:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
There is a charge on my credit card for $32.99 on Ancestry.com. My bank said it is a re-occurring charge. I did not sign up for any account with ********************** and the person on the phone was unable/unwilling to investigate further without me giving him the first 6 and last 4 digits of my credit card number. Since the number only has 12 digits, I did not want to do that. The person said on the phone that they were unable to do anything for me. I would like a refund by check.Business Response
Date: 07/08/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
July 8, 2024
RE: ******************************* 21936802
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding ****************** complaint to **. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
All credit card numbers contain 16 digits with the exception of **************** which includes 15 digits. At times, we need additional information in order to locate the charges in question. In this case, we are unable to locate an account linked to the email address **************** provided within her complaint. Therefore, we need the additional information in order to locate the charges **************** is referencing.
Because of this, we would ask that **************** please contact us at ****************************************** with any of the following information:
Order Number or Cancel Confirmation number
Full Name
Full Address, Including Zip Code
Any Alternate Email Addresses or Usernames Used
First Six and Last Four Digits of Card Charged
Date and Amount of Latest Charge
If the charges in question went through PayPal, any of the following information may be necessary:
PayPal Billing Agreement ID
PayPal Invoice Number
PayPal Transaction Number
Once we have received this additional information, we would be able to revisit the original request.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 07/08/2024
Complaint: 21936802
I am rejecting this response because:Hello-
I hear that I will need to provide additional information to resolve this issue. However, I DO NOT have an order number or a cancellation number because I never placed an order or cancelled an order. The charge went through on June 12 , 2024. I am happy to provide a photo copy of the charge on my credit card statement when I return from a long planned trip to ****** (which I am on now) and to make a phone call to provide the required numbers for my credit card.
I do hope we can resolve this without me needing to change my credit card number due to fraud on somebodys part who was not me.
Sincerely,
*******************************Customer Answer
Date: 07/08/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.Hello- I appreciate your efforts to resolve my complaint. I did find out what happened from my end, and am glad to know my card information is not in jeopardy.
Sincerely,
*******************************Initial Complaint
Date:07/02/2024
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Ancestry.com are scammers. I only registered because of the 14 day trial and I canceled that same day because it wasn’t what I expected and I didn’t want it to auto renewal. However I got charged for it even though I didn’t use it nor want to use it any longer. Relicia was rude and was not empathetic to the situation. I canceled the free trial and didn’t think about double checking for an email confirmation once all the questions were completed. Now I am forced to have ancestry until July 28th.Business Response
Date: 07/05/2024
July 5, 2024
RE: ******** ***** - ********
To Whom It May Concern,
Thank you for forwarding ********’s complaint to us. At
Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our
customers’ satisfaction in the highest regard.
Our records indicate that ******** initiated a free trial for a
World Explorer subscription and chose the option of a six-month subscription
billing monthly. The full six-month price for the subscription type chosen was
billable monthly at $32.99 per month. The subscription type also stipulates
that a $25 cancellation fee will be incurred upon early cancellation, or the
remainder of the full subscription price, whichever is less. The following
information is provided to the member during the checkout process when ordering
the free trial and entering credit card information. It is located above the
button clicked on to start the subscription:
“By clicking Start membership, you agree that:
Automatic Renewal: You will automatically be charged $32.99 plus
applicable taxes every month during your 6-month subscription. Your
subscription will automatically renew beginning December 28,2024 until you
cancel. To cancel your subscription, visit My Account or contact us at least
two days before your membership renews to avoid being charged for the next
billing cycle. After 14 days, if you cancel before the end of your
subscription, you may be charged a cancellation fee of up to $25.”
Additionally, this information is provided in the free trial
order confirmation email sent to the member after signup in the section
detailing the membership they initiated.
However, as a courtesy to ******** , we have made an exception
to these refund policies and processed refunds for the charge of $26.32. These
refunds have been issued back to the account originally charged. The
confirmation number for this transaction is *********. Please note that it can
take between 3-5 business days for these funds to become available within their
financial institution, depending on their refund policies and procedures.
We always appreciate any opportunity to assist our members in
discovering, preserving, and sharing their family history. If at any time in
the future they become interested in researching or saving their family
history, they may continue to use the free services found on Ancestry even now
after their subscription has ended.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not
hesitate to contact us at ###-###-####.
Sincerely,
Joanne
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:07/02/2024
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
They have super predatory charging practices to the point that they should definitely have a class action lawsuit filed. I did admittedly forget to cancel until one day after the free trial ended, however there were charges for canceling a “free” trial, the customer service was completely unwilling to hear me out, and they caused an important payment to bounce. The internet is full of stories of people in similar boats with wild charges. They definitely need a lawsuit.Business Response
Date: 07/05/2024
July 5, 2024
RE: ******* ********* - ********
To Whom It May Concern,
Thank you for forwarding ******* *********’s complaint to us. At
Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our
customers’ satisfaction in the highest regard.
Our records indicate that ******* initiated a free trial for a
All Access Family Plan subscription and chose the option of a six-month
subscription billed monthly. The full six-month price for the subscription type
chosen was billable monthly at $49.99 per month. The subscription type also
stipulates that a $25 cancellation fee will be incurred upon early
cancellation, or the remainder of the full subscription price, whichever is
less. The following information is provided to the member during the checkout process
when ordering the free trial and entering credit card information. It is
located above the button clicked on to start the subscription:
“By clicking Start membership, you agree that:
Automatic Renewal: You will automatically be charged $49.99 plus
applicable taxes every month during your 6-month subscription. Your
subscription will automatically renew beginning December 31, 2024 until you
cancel. To cancel your subscription, visit My Account or contact us at least
two days before your membership renews to avoid being charged for the next
billing cycle. After 14 days, if you cancel before the end of your
subscription, you may be charged a cancellation fee of up to $25.”
Additionally, this information is provided in the free trial
order confirmation email sent to the member after signup in the section
detailing the membership they initiated.
However, as a courtesy to *******, we have made an exception to
these refund policies and processed refunds for the monthly charge of $39.83
and the cancellation fee of $25. These refunds have been issued back to the
account originally charged. The confirmation number for this transaction is
*********. Please note that it can take between 3-5 business days for these
funds to become available within their financial institution, depending on
their refund policies and procedures.
We always appreciate any opportunity to assist our members in
discovering, preserving, and sharing their family history. If at any time in
the future they become interested in researching or saving their family
history, they may continue to use the free services found on Ancestry even now
after their subscription has ended.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not
hesitate to contact us at ###-###-####.
Sincerely,
Joanne
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