Business Profile

Genealogy

Ancestry.com

Headquarters

BBB Accredited Business A+Rated by BBB

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.
234 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

The 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:04/23/2024
Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
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.
Dates of transactions:Issue:I contacted Ancestry over the phone because I was unable to cancel the subscription on their website. This was the second time I had this issue and they refused to refund me for the previous time. I accepted this and moved on. The most recent time I had this issue, I called again, again accepting not getting a refund and asking for a cancelation. The person on the phone said that they canceled the subscription after this. They did NOT. I have been recieving charges with NO emails from Ancestry warning me that they were renewing. I have been paying additional money from my bank account that I was mystified about but had thought it had to do with charges from my college. And I again was recieving no warning in my email from Ancestry.
Business Response
Date: 04/29/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************

April 29, 2024

RE: *********************************** 21612514

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.

We are unable to locate an account linked to the email address included within Ms.*********** ********** This typically indicates that the account is linked to an alternate email address within our system. Therefore, it is possible that the account is a duplicate account that was set up with an alternate email address which was not located if ************************ contacted support earlier.

As a courtesy to her, we have issued 3 refunds in the amount of $59.99 each back to the PayPal 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 PayPal account, 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 ************************ becomes 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
Ancestry
Customer Answer
Date: 05/03/2024

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.
I truly do appreciate Ancestry's quick response and taking responsibility for the situation.

Sincerely,

***********************************
Initial Complaint
Date:04/21/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
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 has myself and my brother, ****** ****** blocked from being searchable in my matches list. We cannot be found by name, family member surnames in tree not location. I have called several times but it still has not been addressed.
Business Response
Date: 04/22/2024
Title: Kaity,
Executive Office Response Team
Contact
Phone: ###-###-####
Contact
Email: ******************************

April 22, 2024

RE: ******* -- ********

To Whom It
May Concern,

Thank you
for forwarding Ms. ******’s complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to
providing excellent customer service and hold our customers’ satisfaction in
the highest regard.

Unfortunately, we are unable to
locate case notes regarding this matter linked to Ms. ******’s account.
Additionally, we are unable to replicate the error she describes. We are
attaching an applicable screenshot. Because we are not able to replicate this
error, it may be necessary for Ms. ****** to clear her cache and cookies or
perform other troubleshooting steps or use a preferred browser. For more
information about additional troubleshooting steps, she may wish to review the
information from the following help article:

****************

If she requires additional assistance, she may contact
our support team for help. It should be noted that that we receive a large
volume of feedback for Ancestry. We generally do not state the status of
website updates and edits we are aware of and working on, or contact each
member who has provided requests regarding the implementation of their
feedback.

If you have
any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at
###-###-####.

Sincerely,

Kaity
Executive
Response Team
Ancestry
Initial Complaint
Date:04/20/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
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 had a one month subscription for December 2023 with ancestry.com on a preexisting account. I cancelled in a timely manner on Jan 20, 2024. I received a confirmation email with a confirmation code. My account shows that it is disabled and there has been no activity since December 2023. My husband asked me today, April 20, 2024, what I was doing on ancestry because there was a charge. He then looked retrospectively and my credit card has been charged for **** Feb, and Mar also. I called ancestry and talked to an agent who went in circles with me claiming that I must have another account, another email, etc. He looked at my account and agreed it was cancelled without activity since December but said he could not explain the charges and could not refund me. He never asked for my cancellation code. We called the credit card company and are getting a full refund and new card. This appears to be fraud and Im reporting it as such.
Business Response
Date: 04/22/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************

April 22, 2024

RE: *************************** -- 21601457

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.

Our records show that the Ancestry account linked to the email address ************** provided within her complaint has not incurred charges since December 21, 2023. Activity on the located Ancestry account shows that the charges were incurred via PayPal.Additional records show that no charges have been incurred via PayPal in connection with the same account. This typically indicates that the account incurring charges is linked to an alternate email address within our system and possibly also linked with a different payment method.

Within this complaint, ************** has indicated that she initiated a chargeback with her financial institution. In cases like these where a customer has initiated a chargeback process, we are obligated to follow through on that process.Therefore, unfortunately, we are unable to provide a direct refund as the matter will be handled through the chargeback process.

However, if ************** wishes to ensure that the subscription in connection with the Ancestry account is cancelled, we may need to locate it so that recurring charges do not occur.Therefore, we would ask that she 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 cancel any recurring charges if the account is located.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.

Sincerely,

Kaity
Executive Response Team
Ancestry
Initial Complaint
Date:04/15/2024
Type:Billing Issues
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.
Cancelled my membership on April 6 on Ancestry.com, jumping through the hoops of all the questions about am I sure I want to cancel, pay to pause, or cancel. I chose cancel & received a screen that said it was cancelled. Unfortunately, I did not take a screenshot. On April 10 (1:55 am) I received a notice from my credit card company that I had been charged $99.95 for an additional three months. I searched the website & finally found a phone number & called Ancestry.com. I was asked for a cancellation number, which I did not have & did not know I needed. He told me that I did not cancel properly & there are no refunds once charged. It's sad & frustrating that Ancestry.com has to make cancelling so difficult so they can fraudulently charge people. This says alot about company ethics & unfortunately they have lost me permently as a subscriber & cannot endorse them to anyone else. Apparently I am not the only one that feels that way after reading the numerous reviews. Also, I want my credit card information removed from Ancestry.com's database so they cannot charge me again or provide the information to anyone else, personally or business.
Business Response
Date: 04/17/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************

April 17, 2024

RE: *********************** 21577589

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.

We sincerely regret any frustration this matter may have caused. When a member successfully cancels a free trial or a subscription, they are emailed a cancellation confirmation code. In this case, we are unable to locate a successful cancellation request within Ms. ********* account. Therefore, her subscription automatically renewed on April 9, 2024.

As a courtesy to her, we have issued a refund in the amount of $99.95 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, all information related to Ms. ********* payment details has been queued for deletion and will be completely removed from our systems within 30 days. We can confirm that the account does not have a current subscription, and she will not receive any future billing unless she decides to make a purchase and re-enter her payment information.

We always appreciate any opportunity to assist our members in discovering, preserving, and sharing their family history. If at any time in the future ******************** becomes 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
Ancestry
Customer Answer
Date: 04/19/2024

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 as long as refund is received. It has been 2 days and expect refund within 3 more days. I would hope that Ancestry.com would learn from all the complaints and modify their company policies.

Sincerely,

***********************
Initial Complaint
Date:04/14/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
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.
Locked out of my account. Have tried speaking with customer service. The lady said my request would be forwarded, but it has not and still does not have a resolution.

I cannot reset my password due to having two logins associated to my email.

The AI CHATBOT is useless along with customer service. There is no email option for assistance either.

I have been trying for multiple months to reset the password with zero luck. I paid $89 for the DNA test which is linked to one of the logins.
Business Response
Date: 04/17/2024
Title: Kaity,
Executive Office Response Team
Contact
Phone: ###-###-####
Contact
Email: [email protected]

April 17, 2024

RE: *. ******** -- ********

To Whom It
May Concern,

Thank you
for forwarding Ms. ********’s 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. Our records show that
password reset emails are being sent to the email address which Ms. ******** provided
in her complaint.

It should be
noted that two Ancestry accounts should not be linked to the same email address
to avoid experiencing problems. Therefore, as Ms. ******** indicates that she
has two accounts linked to the same email address, we recommend either calling
our customer support line at 1-800-ANCESTRY to update one of the email
addresses to an alternate email address, or she may email us at [email protected] from the email address linked to the account and provide us with an alternate
email address to use on the unused account.

If you have
any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at
###-###-####.

Sincerely,

Kaity
Executive
Response Team
Ancestry
Customer Answer
Date: 04/17/2024

Complaint: ********

I am rejecting this response because:

I HAVE contacted the phone number listed previously. I was told they would forward it to someone else and I would hear something via email. That was over a month ago, and I have not received any correspondence from Ancestry.com. I have already tried their solution, and they clearly do not care about customer service because they did not fix it the previous times I called.
I have tried the password reset codes, which end in a loop. As I stated previously, please invest in your IT department so customers can actually receive a resolution when they call the number.
Don't waste my time with your sham of a response. It's insulting and a flat-out lie to say y'all care about customer service. When you clearly do not.

Sincerely,

* ********
Business Response
Date: 04/22/2024
Title: Kaity,
Executive Office Response Team
Contact
Phone: ###-###-####
Contact
Email: [email protected]

April 22, 2024

RE: ****** ******** -- ********

To Whom It
May Concern,

Thank you
for forwarding Ms. ********’s response to us.

Per our
previous response, we suggested that Ms. ******** either call our toll-free
support number for assistance to update the email address on the second account
or email [email protected] to provide an alternate email address. As an alternative that was not mentioned
in our previous response, Ms. ******** may also call support to obtain a “password
token” to log into the correct account. Because password tokens expire after a
certain period of time, these are not usually provided via email or within this
response and should be obtained by calling the support line.

In this case,
we have received an email from Ms. ******** at our [email protected] email address, however no alternate email address was provided to link to her
second account. Therefore, we will respond to Ms. ********’s direct email to
further assist her.

If you have
any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at
###-###-####.

Sincerely,

Kaity
Executive
Response Team
Ancestry
Customer Answer
Date: 04/22/2024

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:04/11/2024
Type:Billing Issues
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 signed up for ancestry’s 14 day trial membership. I thought I had canceled the membership after 11 days. They deceived me into signing up for a 6 month membership when I thought it was a 14 day trial. I discovered that I was still behind charged after 3 months. I again canceled but turns out you can cancel without paying an early cancellation penalty. It was only after calling that they were willing to cancel my membership I am now out 106.89 !
Business Response
Date: 04/17/2024
Title: Kaity,
Executive Office Response Team
Contact
Phone: ###-###-####
Contact
Email: ******************************

April 17, 2024

RE: ******* ***** – ********

To Whom It
May Concern,

Thank 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 Mr. *****
initiated a free two-week trial of our website on January 24, 2024. When an individual
initiates a free trial, they are asked to choose which subscription level they
wish to try. In this case, Mr. ***** chose the option of a trial for a
semi-annual World Explorer membership billing 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
[date of 6-month ending] 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. In this case,
the email was sent to Mr. ***** on January 24th, including the
following excerpt:

“Please note that you’ll be
billed $32.99 after 14 days. Even though you will be billed monthly, you are
committing to the entire length of your 6-month subscription. If you choose to
cancel earlier, you will not be eligible for any refunds, but you will retain
access to your services for the remainder of paid months. If you cancel after
your free trial ends, you will be charged a cancellation fee equivalent to the
lesser of $25 (plus applicable taxes) and the remaining of your 6-month
subscription.”

Because Mr. ***** did not
cancel the free trial, it automatically rolled into a paid membership on
February 7th for a six-month period through August 7, 2024. Our
records show that the membership was cancelled during his phone call on April
11th and a refund for the most recent charge of $35.63 was issued. As
a courtesy to Mr. *****, we have made an exception to these refund policies and
processed two additional refunds for the monthly charges of $35.63 each and waived
the early cancellation fee. 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 Mr. *****
becomes interested in researching or saving his family history, he may continue
to use the free services found on Ancestry even now after his subscription has
ended.

If you have
any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at
###-###-####.

Sincerely,

Kaity
Executive
Response Team
Ancestry
Customer Answer
Date: 04/17/2024

Complaint: ********

I am rejecting this response because:
I did cancel my membership after 11 days of your 14 day trial! And I did it again three months after when I realize you were still charging me! I informed your customer service agent this and they informed me that you can’t do it online only by calling in which defeats the purpose of your cancel membership button online. It was only after your agent canceled for me that i received an email stating it was canceled. To recap I did canceled before your “free”14 day trial! Turns out you don’t allow that!

Sincerely,

******* *****
Business Response
Date: 04/22/2024
Title: Kaity,
Executive Office Response Team
Contact
Phone: ###-###-####
Contact
Email: [email protected]

April 22, 2024

RE: ******* ***** -- ********

To Whom It
May Concern,

Thank you
for forwarding Mr. *****’ response to us.

We sincerely
regret any incorrect information or any confusion regarding information
provided to Mr. ***** during his phone call with Ancestry. Ancestry members are
able to cancel online any time by completing the cancellation steps on our
website. Members are not required to call our support line to cancel their
memberships.

If Mr. *****
attempted to cancel online, the steps to do so were not completed before the
renewal date. It should be noted that the member would need to perform each
cancellation step until they arrive at the page confirming the cancellation and
are provided a cancellation confirmation and will receive a cancellation
confirmation email.

In this case, we have already
provided Mr. ***** with refunds for all charges. Therefore, we feel that we have done all we can for this
member regarding this particular concern. We ask for a review to be completed
concerning the situation, by reviewing the member’s original complaint and the
subsequent responses to confirm this statement.

If you have
any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at
###-###-####.

Sincerely,

Kaity
Executive
Response Team
Ancestry
Customer Answer
Date: 04/29/2024

Better Business Bureau:

Your customer service team as well as their supervisor all told me the only way to cancel is by calling. I went thru the process twice and completed everything! Do better!

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:04/02/2024
Type:Product Issues
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 cancelled my membership and asked for a $229.00 refund on Friday, March 29, 2024.

After speaking to Customer Service Billing, my refund was granted and I received a confirmation code of #*********. I checked my account to make sure that the refund was being processed and my bank listed the refund as pending.

On Sunday, March 31, 2024, I checked my bank account for a separate issue and noticed that the pending Ancestry.com refund was no longer listed. In its place was yet *another* Subscription Charge for $229.00 --i.e., the subscription amount originally confirmed for a REFUND.

I called customer service (again) and the only thing that they could verify is that the subscription was cancelled. They couldn't verify if another subscription charge was made. They referred me to another email (******************************).

I emailed ****************************** on April 1, 2024, at 10:43 a.m. outlining the issue above. I didn't receive an emailed response.

I sent a follow up email at 6:14 p.m. on the same day asking for an update and response to my email. I didn't receive an emailed response.

It's now Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 2:48 p.m., and I still haven't received a response or a refund.

(I've been a subscriber to Ancestry.com for years and I'm disappointed that it's this difficult to receive a refund that their company agreed to. As I explained to Customer Service on March 29, 2024, I don't use the service enough to justify paying $229.00 for a subscription.)
Business Response
Date: 04/08/2024
Title: Kaity,
Executive Office Response Team
Contact
Phone: ###-###-####
Contact
Email: ******************************

April 8, 2024

RE: Ms. ******** ******** -- ********

To Whom It
May Concern,

Thank you
for forwarding Ms. ********’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
show that Ms. ********’s refund encountered a processing error when it was originally
submitted on March 29, 2024. We have successfully processed Ms. ********’s
refund of $229 back to the account that was originally billed. 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 Ms. ********
becomes interested in researching or saving her family history, she may
continue to use the free services found on Ancestry even now after her
subscription has ended.

If you have
any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at
###-###-####.

Sincerely,

Kaity
Executive
Response Team
Ancestry
Customer Answer
Date: 04/08/2024

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.

Sincerely,

******** ********
Initial Complaint
Date:03/30/2024
Type:Product Issues
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 signed up for a free trial with Ancestry.com. I immediately cancelled my subscription. Come February, they charged me the monthly fee (which I missed). Then they charged me again in March (which I noticed). I went in and cancelled my subscription again. They charged me $25 dollars to cancel! This is absolutely absurd. I was able to get a refund for the $16.50 in March, but they wouldnt refund the one in February (I havent logged in since the week I got the trial, until a couple days ago), and they wont refund the $25 cancellation charge. Ive never encountered a $25 cancellation charge for an entry level subscription service in all my days. I would like a refund of the $25 in addition to the $16.50 from February. Appreciate your time!
Business Response
Date: 04/05/2024
Title:Kaity, **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************

April 5, 2024

RE: ****************************************** 21508448

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.

Our records indicate that *********************** initiated a free trial for a US Discovery subscription and chose the option of a semi-annual subscription billing monthly. The full six-month price for the subscription type chosen was billable monthly at $16.50 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 $16.50 plus applicable taxes every month during your 6-month subscription. Your subscription will automatically renew beginning [date of 6-month ending] 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. In this case,the email was sent to her on February 12th, including the following excerpt:

Please note that youll be billed $16.50 after 14 days. Even though you will be billed monthly, you are committing to the entire length of your 6-month subscription. If you choose to cancel earlier, you will not be eligible for any refunds, but you will retain access to your services for the remainder of paid months. If you cancel after your free trial ends, you will be charged a cancellation fee equivalent to the lesser of $25 (plus applicable taxes) and the remaining of your 6-month subscription.

Our records indicate that the membership was not cancelled during the trial period and automatically rolled into a paid membership on February 27, 2024.

However, as a courtesy to ************************, we have made an exception to these refund policies and processed refunds for the February monthly charge of $16.50 and the cancellation fee of $25. These refunds have been issued back to the account originally charged. The confirmation number for this transaction is 477130214.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 ************************ becomes interested in researching or saving her family history, she may continue to use the free services found on Ancestry even now after her subscription has ended.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.

Sincerely,

Kaity
Executive Response Team
Ancestry
Customer Answer
Date: 04/09/2024

Complaint: 21508448

I am rejecting this response because: I had tried to cancel twice to no avail, and have not used this service since the first few days of the trial. I insist on a full refund, including this absurd cancellation charge that literally no other online service uses, and that was not readily apparent when I signed up for the trial (which I immediately cancelled, but somehow kept getting charged for).

Sincerely,

***********************************
Business Response
Date: 04/10/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************

April 10, 2024

RE: ****************************************** 21508448

To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding Ms. *********** response.

Our records show that Ms. *********** account incurred three charges, two for $16.50 and one for $25. During her phone call to our support line on March 30th,Ms. *********** subscription was cancelled and a refund of $16.50 was submitted at that time as she indicated that she had already received within her Better Business Bureau complaint.

Within her BBB complaint, she requested refunds for the February subscription charge and the $25 cancellation fee. We provided these refunds and stated as much in our response.Therefore, all charges have already been provided. If she has additional questions regarding the status of these refunds, we recommend she contact her financial institution.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.

Sincerely,

Kaity
Executive Response Team
Ancestry
Customer Answer
Date: 04/12/2024

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:03/29/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
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 no way to cancel membership and Ive been charged 157 dollars. Ive gone on the website, chatted with the online agent who asks questions that take you in circles but never cancels the membership, and *** tried several 1800 numbers that refer me back to online. I literally cant cancel this membership and they have taken my money. Ive never not been able to cancel a membership with any other company Ive dealt with. This is wild. Im a student and cant keep paying for something that I dont want and cant afford. I received a free membership when I did my testing but didnt realize I wouldnt be able to cancel.
Business Response
Date: 04/05/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************

April 5, 2024

RE: ************************* 21503132

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.

Members may cancel their subscriptions at any time by navigating to their account settings and clicking on the Cancel membership link under the membership description. Additionally,an email was sent to her on February 21st reminding her of the upcoming renewal and charge. The reminder also provided instructions with how to cancel the membership if desired, yet the membership was not cancelled and automatically renewed.

Our records show that ************** chatted in to our support center after the renewal and that the agent cancelled her membership. However, since the membership had not been cancelled prior to the renewal, she was informed that it was not eligible for a refund.

As a courtesy to her, we have issued a refund in the amount of $157.94 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 ************** becomes 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
Ancestry
Customer Answer
Date: 04/09/2024

Better Business Bureau:

I followed the cancellation instructions posted but did not have the options they listed to be able to cancel. I tried reaching out via chat, it was an automated chat bot who instructed me back to the website. I looked up numbers to call and tried several that instructed me back to the website. I tried chatting with the website bot several times and finally was able to I believe deal with an actual person who was able to cancel the membership. It shouldnt take days to cancel a membership. However, 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:03/28/2024
Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
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 documents a method of canceling membership that doesn't exist.There's also no method of contacting support. No email address. No way to leave a message.Facts: - Purchased through website - Original membership expires on the 5th (monthly) - Help shows a cancel button. - No cancel button shows in app, or in the website I'm sure this is an "oversight".
Business Response
Date: 04/01/2024
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************

April 1, 2024

RE: ************************************* 21497640

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.

We regret any frustration ********************** experienced with contacting support. As he has stated that help shows a cancel button, we believe that he was able to locate our support center viewable through his account. When searching support center articles, each search page or support article ends with Dont see what youre looking for? and includes a blue Contact us button to view available contact options. The member is then taken to an option to chat with an agent. If that option is not helpful, they are given additional contact options.

Additionally,within the Canceling a Membership help article, the cancel link is shown and not a button. The article correctly shows the membership information along with the link to cancel. In this case, because Mr. ********** membership was not cancelled, it automatically renewed on March 5, 2024.

As a courtesy to him, we have issued a refund in the amount of $63.83 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 ********************** becomes 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
Ancestry

BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.

BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.

When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, except for customer reviews. Customer reviews posted prior to July 5, 2024, will no longer be published when they reach three years from their submission date. Customer reviews posted on/after July 5, 2024, will be published indefinitely unless otherwise voluntarily retracted by the user who submitted the content, or BBB no longer believes the review is authentic. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this company, please let them know that you checked their record with BBB.

As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.

Cookies on BBB.org

Important information

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

If you've experienced an issue

Filter and sort by

Sort by

Complaint status

Complaint type

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Ancestry.com is BBB Accredited.