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
- 843 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 245 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:10/01/2023
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. I cancelled during the free trial but they changed me anyway. 3 months
Business Response
Date: 10/06/2023
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
October 6, 2023
RE: ********************* 20681970
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 **************** initiated a two-week free trial on July 13, 2023. However,we do not have record of a cancellation either online or via phone. Therefore,the trial rolled into a paid membership on July 28, 2023.
As a courtesy to him, we have issued 3 refunds in the amount of $40.39 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
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:09/26/2023
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.
Hidden fees with intentionally misleading terms of service.Business Response
Date: 09/29/2023
Title:Kaity, **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
September 29, 2023
RE: *************************** -- 20661759
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 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 $32.99 plus tax 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 **************** on July 26, 2023, including the following excerpt:
Please note that youll 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.
However, as a courtesy to ****************, we have made an exception to these refund policies and processed refunds for the two monthly charges of $35.10 each and the cancellation fee of $25. These refunds have been issued back to the account originally charged. The confirmation number for this transaction is 460481349.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
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:09/26/2023
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 am writing to express my dissatisfaction and concern regarding my recent experience with Ancestry.com. I subscribed to a free trial of Ancestry and expected to receive a confirmation email before any charges were made to my credit card. Unfortunately, I did not receive any such email, and to my surprise, I noticed an unauthorized charge of $97.72. Subscription Cost: $84.99 Tax: $12.73 Total Charged: $97.72 I was shocked to discover that I had been charged for a 6-month subscription without any prior notification or confirmation. Why would the company set up the most expensive membership with the free trial auto renewal?? I thinks it's to make money from people that forget they have a free trial!! Why would I choose the really expansive one? I think it was set up automatically unless you choose another one, but I only click because on the pop up add and did not see it was renewal for 6 months!! When I saw the fee on my bank account, I immediately attempted to cancel the subscription, only to find out that I could only cancel it without receiving a refund. Also, nowhere on the email for the confirmation free trial did they says that the subscription membership was for 6 MONTHS and that it would be AUTOMATICALLY renew at the end! This situation has left me feeling deceived and frustrated. And the date was confusing, the renewal is on 25 September 2023, but the cancellation date is also on 25 September 2023? What is going on! I'm really tempted to cancel my account at this point !I kindly request that you take the following actions to address this issue:1. Refund the full amount of $97.72 to my credit card as I did not intend to subscribe to the 6-month plan and was not provided with the necessary confirmation email or information.2. Provide clear and transparent communication about billing and subscription terms, including sending confirmation emails before charging customers.Initial Complaint
Date:09/23/2023
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.
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,
**** *******Business Response
Date: 09/25/2023
Title: Finley, Executive Office Response Team
Contact Phone: ###-###-####
Contact Email: [email protected]
September 25, 2023
RE: Mr. **** ******* – ********
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.
We apologize for any frustration this situation may have caused. Based on the information provided to us, we cannot locate any recent contacts from Mr. ******* concerning his DNA match issue. Because of this, we would ask that Mr. ******* please contact us at [email protected] with any of the following information:
A description of the issue
Step-by-step instructions to replicate the issue
The browser used
Troubleshooting actions taken
Once we have received this additional information, we will be able to revisit the original request.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at ###-###-####.
Sincerely,
Finley
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:09/18/2023
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 no money and need a job
phage no house have no car and clothesBusiness Response
Date: 09/19/2023
Title:
Kaity, Executive Office Response Team
Contact
Phone: ###-###-####
Contact
Email: [email protected]
September 19, 2023
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.
With the information Ms. ****** has provided, we were
unable to determine what type of assistance she needs. She may contact us to explain
her request once more, providing a description of the problem, so that we may
further review her situation and provide any possible assistance.
If you have
any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at
###-###-####.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive
Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:09/18/2023
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.
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 with a full refund of $259.00
Sincerely,
*********************Business Response
Date: 09/19/2023
Title:Kaity, **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
September 19, 2023
RE: **************************** 20621898
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.
At times,Ancestry provides promotional opportunities for sale pricing on AncestryDNA kits and subscriptions. When a member takes advantage of promotional pricing for renewing subscriptions, they are provided information during the order flow indicating that memberships will renew at the full price. Additionally, a notification is sent to members one month prior to the renewal of their membership reminding them of the upcoming renewal. This notification provides them with the date of their renewal as well as the price of the charge. It also provides information regarding to the process for cancelling the membership before the renewal if desired.
As a courtesy to **************, we have issued a refund in the amount of $259 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
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 09/29/2023
Complaint: 20621898
I am rejecting this response because:The business's response to resolve this complaint has not been taken care of. They said on September 19th that a refund within 3-5 business days would be given but I still have not received it. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
*********************Business Response
Date: 09/29/2023
Title: ****** **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
September 29, 2023
RE: ********************* -- 20621898
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding ************** response to us. We regret any frustration this matter may have caused.
Our records show that we attempted to issue the refund back to the original method of payment on September 19, 2023. However, Ms. ************** institution rejected the refund because the card was reported as lost or stolen.
When we issue a refund, it must be dispersed back to the original method of payment. Depending upon the financial institutions refund policies and procedures, if the card or account in question has been cancelled,it may be rejected by the financial institution and sent back to us, or it may be applied to another account the individual may have with that financial institution. Therefore, we would recommend that ************** contact her financial institution to inquire about their policies regarding this situation. If they are able to reinstate the account or accept the refund to apply to a different account with their institution, ************** may contact us again at ****************************************** to resubmit the refund in question.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 10/04/2023
Complaint: 20621898
I am rejecting this response because: I don't believe Ancestry is doing everything they can to resolve this issue. My financial institution ******* ****** has forwarded this issue to the dispute ***** with case #************** with the goal of getting the refund to my account.
Sincerely,
*********************Business Response
Date: 10/09/2023
Title: ****** **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
October 9, 2023
RE: ********************* -- 20621898
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding ************** response to us.
We have once again attempted to refund the charge in question. However, again, ************** financial institution has denied the refund since the card has been reported as lost or stolen.
As ************** case indicates that she has initiated a chargeback, we are obligated to follow through on that process. If this process has been initiated, please note that her subscription has been cancelled and she will no longer receive billing from Ancestry.
However, if she has not yet initiated a chargeback with her financial institution, we would once again recommend that she contact them to unblock the card so that we may once again attempt the refund in question.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 10/12/2023
Complaint: 20621898
I am rejecting this response because: I don't believe Ancestry is doing everything they can to resolve this issue. My card was blocked **BECAUSE OF THE ANCESTRY CHARGE** and I had to get a new card. My financial institution ******* ****** knows about the situation and has forwarded this issue to the dispute ***** with case #************** with the goal of getting the refund to my account.
Sincerely,
*********************Business Response
Date: 10/16/2023
Title: ****** **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
October 16, 2023
RE: **************************** 20621898
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding ************** response to us.
Ancestry has attempted on multiple occasions to refund ************* original method of payment. She has indicated that she reported the card for fraudulent activity due to Ancestry charging her card for her renewing subscription. Because she reported the card for fraudulent use, the card-issuing financial institution has repeatedly rejected any attempts to refund the card.
Our records show that ************** has now issued a chargeback for the transaction in question. In cases like these where a customer has initiated a chargeback process, we are obligated to follow through on that process. As this process has been initiated, we have cancelled the subscription and she will encounter no further billing. The confirmation number for this cancellation is *********. Our records indicate we received the chargeback request from her on October 14th and we accepted it on October 16,2023. When her financial institution accepted the funds from Ancestry, it generated the following Acquirers Reference Number (ARN): 24906413262183056973743.
If she is interested in further updates regarding this chargeback, we would suggest she contact her financial institution. 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
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 10/17/2023
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:09/18/2023
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 purchased a DNA test from this company which automatically signed me up for a 70$ membership. On their website it said you could cancel within 14 days and the wording implied that that would be 14 days of the membership charge.
I also signed up to be notified before renewal. However the notification was sent a month before renewal and I didn't see it amongst all the advertising emails from the same company. Today I saw I was charged for the membership and went to cancel it. I tried requesting a refund but was told that would only be possible 14 days after purchase of the DNA test and that there was no way to get my money back. I find this incredibly unethical and shady business practices.Business Response
Date: 09/19/2023
Title:
Kaity, Executive Office Response Team
Contact
Phone: ###-###-####
Contact
Email: [email protected]
September 19, 2023
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. ******* purchased a DNA test in June of 2023 and chose the option of
adding a quarterly World Explorer membership for $1 more. If the quarterly
membership renews, it does so at the regular price. In this case, because Ms.
*******’s membership began in June 2023, her cancellation did not occur within
14 days from that time as she did not cancel until September 18th three months later after the membership renewed. Additionally, Ms. ******* was
sent a notification via email on August 17, 2023, to remind her of her upcoming
subscription renewal and provided instructions on how to cancel if desired.
As a courtesy to her, we have issued a refund in the amount
of $79.95 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.
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 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
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