Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Ancestry.com's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Ancestry.com

  1300 W Traverse Pkwy Lehi, UT 84043-5373

  
• 

  Ancestry.com

  24 Mercer Street Toronto, ON M5V 1H3

• 

  Ancestrydna.com/activate

  347 Garden Oaks Blvd Houston, TX 77018

• 

  Ancestry, Inc.

  7349 Van Buren Ave Hammond, IN 46324-2547

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  Ancestry.com

  1300 West Traverse Parkway Lehi, UT 84043

  

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:07/07/2025

  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.

  I canceled my membership IMMEDIATELY after I got my results. They have a system setup to let you THINK you canceled your service when you cancel it. It's a scam. Plan and simple. Multi-million dollar company stealing money from poor people.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/09/2025

  Title: Kaity, Executive Office Response Team
  Contact Phone: **************
  Contact Email: ******************************************************************
  
  July 9, 2025
  
  RE: ***** ***** 23563653
  
  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.
  
  Ancestrys cancellation flow consists of a few steps to gather feedback and provide users with helpful alternatives before they finalize their decision whether to cancel their subscription. The questions typically consist of yes or no questions or can be skipped, such as reasons for the cancellation. While we strive to make each step of the cancellation process clear and informative, we understand that we must trust that users read every page in detail. However, these pages are designed to ensure transparency and to provide important information that can help users make an informed decision about their subscription. Once a subscription is successfully cancelled, the customer will receive an email confirmation of their cancellation.
  
  As a courtesy to Mr. ****** we have issued a refund in the amount of $161.52 back to the account that was originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is CANCELNUMBER. The access to the databases associated with this membership was terminated on June 17, 2025,during a phone call with our customer support center, 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
  Ancestry

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/10/2025

   
  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,
  
  ***** *****

  I'll remove any comments i have made on your ******** posts. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/07/2025

  Type:Billing 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.

  Charge $24 the first time and then charge me again. A couple days and later $25 and question. A refund have contacted ancestry.com.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/09/2025

  Title: *****, Executive
  Office Response Team
  Contact Phone:
  **************
  Contact Email: ******************************
  
  July 9, 2025
  
  RE: **** ********** -- 23563490
  
  To Whom It May Concern,
  
  Thank you for forwarding
  Mr. **********’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 Mr. ********** initiated a free trial for a World Explorer 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 $24.83
  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 $24.83 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 June 9, 2025, including the
  following excerpt:
  
  “Please note that
  you’ll be billed $24.83 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.”
  
  Records show that Mr. **********
  did not cancel his free trial and it was scheduled to roll into a paid
  subscription on June 23rd. However, our system was unable to capture
  the payment until July 4th. He then cancelled his subscription that
  day and incurred the early cancellation fee.
  
  However, as a courtesy
  to him, we have made an exception to these refund policies and processed
  refunds for the monthly charge of $24.83 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 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,
  
  *****
  Executive Response Team
  Ancestry

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/10/2025

  
  
  Complaint: 23563490
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  **** **********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/04/2025

  Type:Billing 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.

  1. On 7/4/25 at 7:29 am me and my fiance canceled a subscription the world explorer package as soon as we attempted this ansectry charged us for a whole month of services even though the bill was not due until Monday. They then told us they charge for the month prior which makes absolutely no sense and to my knowledge I did not sign anything saying that or that I was oblighted to pay another month when I end the subscription. Further more they were unwilling to hear me when I was asking why they charged me when canceling a service that doesn't have a shedualed payment until 7/7/25

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/08/2025

  Title: *****,
  Executive Office Response Team
  Contact
  Phone: **************
  Contact
  Email: ******************************
  
  July 8, 2025
  
  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. 
  
  The price of a monthly World Explorer subscription typically
  ranges from $32.99 to $39.99 per month depending on the length of the
  subscription. As Mr. ******* states that the charge in this case was $27, and
  based on the timing of the charge, it is most likely an early cancellation fee
  for an annual or semi-annual subscription paid on a monthly basis.
  
  In cases where a customer chooses an annual or
  semi-annual subscription billed monthly, they are presented with information
  stating that they are committing to the entire length of their subscription and
  that early cancellations may be subject to a $25 cancellation fee (plus tax) or
  the remainder of the subscription price, whichever is less. This is presented clearly
  just above the button clicked on to start the subscription.
  
  However, based on the information provided to us, we
  cannot locate the account Mr. ******* is referring to in order to confirm this
  is the case. The Ancestry account linked to the email address he provided in
  his complaint has not been charged since May and does not contain a charge for
  $27.
  
  Because of this, we would ask that Mr. ******* 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,
  
  *****
  Executive
  Response Team
  Ancestry

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/02/2025

  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 am a subscriber to Newspapers.com. I was double billed in Dec 2024 but didn't notice it until June 2025. After researching I found that there were 2 accounts: one with an old email account and one with my present email. Both accounts had the same name and address. I cancelled one subscription and then contacted newspapers.com for a refund. Their response was that they didn't refund cancelled subscriptions. This is unacceptable.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/09/2025

  Title: *****, Newspapers.com Response Team
  Contact Phone: **************
  Contact Email: ************************************
  
  July 9, 2025
  
  RE: ****** ***** -- 23546581
  
  To Whom It May Concern,
  
  Thank 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 apologize for any confusion regarding a secondary account with an alternate email. We have refunded $74.90 USD plus any applicable sales tax to Ms. ***** for the older account she had for the December charge. It will post to the account associated with the card billed in 3-5 business days.
  
  If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****
  Newspapers.com Response Team
  Ancestry

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/09/2025

   
  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:06/29/2025

  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.

  Ive been trying to cancel my subscription for 2 months and it wont let me

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/02/2025

  Title: Kaity, Executive Office Response Team
  Contact Phone:**************
  Contact Email: ******************************************************************
  
  July 2, 2025
  
  RE: ****** **** -- 23533460
  
  To Whom It May Concern,
  
  Thank 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.
  
  Ancestry members who wish to cancel their subscription may navigate to their account settings and click on the Cancel Membership link to enter the cancellation flow on our website.
  
  As a courtesy to ******** we have issued two refunds in the amount of $24.83 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
  Ancestry

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/26/2025

  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 have been a faithful customer since October 16, 2020, who has subscribed nearly a dozen times. Prior to April 17, 2025, I had a World Explorer Membership with ProTools. I decided that I needed to pause my membership to determine if I had the need and funds to continue beyond the renewal date. I went into the website and selected pause my membership under the cancellation page. Then, shockingly, my credit card was charged $170.69 for six months of service! I had to go and look into what had happened. It turns out that because I had World Explorer Membership with ProTools feature, the pause that I had requested was only on the ProTools component, not my entire subscription as I had intended and expected! I find this to be highly deceptive of the company. My credit card was charged in bad faith. I had never before had an extra feature before, and had no idea that they would not allow me to pause my entire subscription simply because I was using an additional feature. I called a representative about this and was given no redress. The man was very uncaring.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/01/2025

  Title: *****, Executive Office Response Team
  Contact
  Phone: **************
  Contact
  Email: ******************************
  
  July 1, 2025
  
  RE: ******* ********** – 23523316
  
  To Whom It
  May Concern,
  
  Thank you
  for forwarding Mr. **********’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 Mr. ********** had a semi-annual World Explorer subscription that had
  begun on October 16, 2024. On that same date, he also initiated a monthly
  subscription for Ancestry Pro Tools for $10 per month. When an individual
  initiates a semi-annual or annual subscription, they are sent reminders of the
  upcoming renewals. Therefore, we sent him an email on March 16, 2025, reminding
  him of the upcoming renewal of his World Explorer subscription.
  
  When an
  individual chooses to cancel or update their subscriptions, they are able to
  view the available subscriptions within their account settings. Our records
  show that Mr. ********** paused his Pro Tools sub on March 17th instead of making any edits to his World Explorer subscription.
  
  As a courtesy to him, we have issued a refund in the amount
  of $170.69 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,
  
  *****
  Executive
  Response Team
  Ancestry

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/01/2025

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 23523316, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ******* **********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/20/2025

  Type:Billing 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 recently realized that "ANC*Archives.com" has been deducting $9.99 from my checking account on the 11th of each month since August of 2024 fraudulently. I have never been a member nor subscribed to anything related to this company. Please help me put a stop to these deductions, I am requesting a refund of $109.89 because I feel they are taking advantage of the elderly. I am in my late 80's and unfortunately had not picked up on these withdrawals previously. I am living on SS and $109.89 is a lot of $$$ to me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/25/2025

  Title: *****,
  Executive Office Response Team
  Contact
  Phone: **************
  Contact
  Email: ******************************
  
  June 25, 2025
  
  RE: ***** ****** -- 23495984
  
  To Whom It
  May Concern,
  
  Thank you
  for forwarding Ms. ******’s complaint to us. At Ancestry and Archives, we are
  committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers’
  satisfaction in the highest regard. 
  
  Our records
  show that Ms. ****** initiated a 7-day free trial of the Archives website.
  Information displayed on the site when initiating the free trial inform the
  customer that if the trial is not cancelled within the 7-day trial period, it
  will roll into a paid subscription and will automatically renew each month
  until cancelled.
  
  As a
  courtesy to her, we have made an exception to our refund policy, and have
  issued 11 refunds in the amount of $9.99 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 Ms. ****** will have no future billing from Archives™.
  Please note that it can take between 5-7 business days for these funds to
  become available within their financial institution, depending on their refund
  policies and procedures.
  
  If you have
  any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at
  1**************
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****
  Executive
  Response Team
  Ancestry

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/17/2025

  Type:Billing 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 have only asked for the trial journey only. The company continued to charge me every month. I have asked this company to remove my credit card information and refund me for the entire few months that I have been charged. I'm asking a for a full refund. Please assist me with this issue.
  
  Thank you for your prompt and immediate attention in this matter.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/25/2025

  Title: Kaity, Executive Office Response Team
  Contact
  Phone: 1-************
  Contact
  Email: ******************************
  
  June 25, 2025
  
  RE: ******* ********* – 23483004
  
  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. ********* initiated a free trial of our website on May 13, 2024.
  While initiating the free trial, customers are asked for payment information
  and informed that if it is not cancelled during the trial time, it will roll
  into a paid membership and they will be billed until the subscription is
  cancelled. This information is fully displayed just above the “Start free trial”
  button. This information is also provided to the customer via email upon the
  successful completion of their order for the free trial. In this case, the
  confirmation email was sent to Ms. ********* on May 13, 2024.
  
  In this
  case, Ms. *********’s membership was cancelled on January 27, 2025, because
  payment was no longer able to be collected from her payment method.
  
  As a courtesy to her, we have issued 6 refunds in the
  amount of $21.76 each and 2 refunds of $27.20 each back to the account that was
  originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is 503466588. 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 her payment
  details has been queued for deletion and will be completely removed from our
  systems within 30 days 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 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,
  
  *****
  Executive
  Response Team
  Ancestry

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/16/2025

  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.

  I have been trying to cancel my membership for months. There is a button on the website to cancel membership but funds continued to be withdrawn from my credit card. When I hit the cancel button there was no mention of a cancelation fee. I had two withdrawls on my credit card this month so I called. I found out that they had auto renewed my account for another term in May. In On June 6, I was charged for the subcription and on June 10 I was charged a cancellation fee. I told them that I have been trying to cancel the membership for months and I should have never been renewed for a new term. I was told there was nothing they could do.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/23/2025

  Title: Kaity, Executive
  Office Response Team
  Contact Phone:
  1-800-262-3787
  Contact Email: [email protected]
  
  June 23, 2025
  
  RE: Shaka Forest -- 23474212
  
  To Whom It May Concern,
  
  Thank you for forwarding Mr.
  Forest’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 Mr.
  Forest initiated 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 $21.99 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 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 $21.99 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 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. Forest on March 3, 2024. Our records show that
  the most recent semi-annual subscription began on March 3, 2025, and was
  scheduled to end on September 3, 2025. The subscription was cancelled online on
  June 10, 2025, three months prior to the scheduled subscription end date.
  Therefore, the early cancellation fee was applied to the account.
  
  However, as a courtesy to Mr.
  Forest, we have made an exception to these refund policies and processed
  refunds for the monthly charge of $24.23 and the cancellation fee of $26.63.
  These refunds have been issued back to the account originally charged. The
  confirmation number for this transaction is 510279189. 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. Forest 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 1-800-262-3787.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Kaity
  Executive Response Team
  Ancestry

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/28/2025

   
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 23474212, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Shaka Forest

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/13/2025

  Type:Billing 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 offers a free trial month to review hints & such then will charge $39.99 per month to continue using this service. Prior to the month end, I wanted to cancel as I could not afford the monthly charges, and discovered that they will now charge you to KEEP the hints & services you utilized during the 30 day trial. I think this is misleading as I do not believe this was explained when I accepted the trial period. I felt that if I continued the service, I could no longer review hints & continue to search further. It was not explained that I would lose all of the hints and such that I had found in that month unless I paid them $5/mo at the end of that 30 day trial. I did understand that I couldn't review any additional hints, but to lose all the work and research I had put in does not seem acceptable. At least it should be stressed and explained up front that if you do not continue with the program, you will be charged $5/mo or you will lose all the research you found during the trial. I feel like this was false advertising as I would not have taken the 30 day trial, or would have done thing differently. I feel I should have known this up front.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/17/2025

  Title: *****,
  Executive Office Response Team
  Contact
  Phone: **************
  Contact
  Email: ******************************
  
  June 17, 2025
  
  RE: **** ******* -- 23464223
  
  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. 
  
  Individuals
  who initiate a trial of our website are not obligated to continue with a
  subscription service and are able to cancel at any time within that trial
  period. Details regarding the auto-renewing nature of the subscription is
  provided online as well as within the order confirmation email provided to the
  customer.
  
  Subscribing
  members and are able to search for and view records within our collections and access,
  review, and save hints to their trees. However, without a paid subscription,
  individuals are unable to access the records within our record collections. They
  are still able to access the individuals they have added to their trees as well
  as the facts that have been added for them and any photos that the member
  uploaded. For more information about what can be accessed without a paid
  membership, the following help articles may be reviewed:
  
  ***************************************************************************
  
  If a member decides
  to cancel their subscription, they are offered the option of a $5 per month “Preserve
  My Tree” subscription during the cancellation flow. Preserve My Tree is a
  low-priced monthly membership that provides access to Ancestry records attached
  to trees that they own but does not provide the ability to access new records
  within our collections if they are not already attached to their tree. The
  member is not obligated to choose this option and may continue through the steps
  to cancel their subscription.
  
  In light of
  the fact that Ms. ******* does not wish to continue with the subscription
  charges, we have cancelled her subscription as of June 19, 2025. The
  confirmation number for this transaction is *********.
  
  We always
  appreciate any opportunity to assist our members in discovering, preserving,
  and sharing their family history. If at any time in the future she 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,
  
  *****
  Executive
  Response Team
  Ancestry

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/21/2025

  
  
  Complaint: 23464223
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I still want to access the details I saved.  I appreciate the cancelation of the subscription service but I did select the$5/mo service to continue accessing the hints I accepted.  I want to make site,  even if I have to pay,  that they are accessible. 

  I truly appreciate being able to research our family history but don't want my efforts to go to waste.  Iwould appreciate it if you would verify that this is still in place.  Thank you. 

  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  **** *******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/25/2025

  Title: *****, Executive Office Response Team
  Contact
  Phone: **************
  Contact
  Email: ******************************
  
  June 25, 2025
  
  RE: **** ******* – 23464223
  
  To Whom It
  May Concern,
  
  Thank you
  for forwarding Ms. *******’s response to us.
  
  We regret if
  Ms. *******’s original complaint was misunderstood. Because her complaint
  stated that she was “required” to continue paying for access to the records
  available on Ancestry, we provided information that individuals were not
  required to continue to use the service. As such, we cancelled the subscription
  she had initiated.
  
  Unfortunately,
  the “Preserve My Tree” subscription is only available during the subscription cancellation
  flow. Therefore, we have initiated another free month of World Explorer
  Membership to her account starting today, June 25th, and ending July
  24, 2025. If she is interested in initiating a Preserve My Tree subscription,
  she may go through the cancellation flow to choose that option once again.
  However, we wish to make her aware that pricing for this service is now $10 per
  month.
  
  As an
  alternative option, Ms. ******* may wish to download any documents she wishes
  to retain access to by following the instructions in the help article below:
  
  *************************************************************************************
  
  If you have
  any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at
  **************.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****
  Executive
  Response Team
  Ancestry