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.
- 247 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:10/27/2022
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.
Date of the unauthorized transaction is 11/27/22.I had a transaction from ancestry.com that was never made or authorized by **** emailed them about refunding the money,and basically was told it doesnt matter if it was unauthorized they wont refund me.
Business Response
Date: 11/01/2022
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
November 1, 2022
RE: Mr. ******************* 18321988
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 indicate that Mr. **** called our toll-free support line on October 28, 2022,regarding a refund on his account. A refund was processed at that time for $99.99 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 October 28, 2022,and there will be no future billing from Ancestry. Please note that it can take between 5-7 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 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
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:10/27/2022
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 Ancestry.com's expensive All Access Membership. Since July, I have been unable to download documents to my tree within the Ancestry site using my Apple MAC Laptop with the standard Apple Safari browser. This significantly impairs the functionality of the Ancestry site. My MAC is up to date with the latest software release. I have called Ancestry customer service every month about this problem. They acknowledge that they have the problem and are "working to resolve it". However, they have not offered any compensation toward the annual payment I made in April. Their response is "use a different browser". Constantly switching browsers is a difficult inconvenience. Fixing this obvious software problem certainly cannot be rocket science. My guess may be cost. However, if Ancestry cannot or does not want to fix the problem, they should offer paying customers some reasonable compensation.Business Response
Date: 11/01/2022
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
November 1, 2022
RE: ************************************** 18320153
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 misinformation that *** have provided regarding Mr. *********** complaint.We have not received multiple reports regarding the issue to which he is referring, and Apple Safari is one of our recommended web browsers.
We have tested this issue and are unable to duplicate the problem ************************ encounters as documents are able to successfully be downloaded using Safari. It should be noted, however, that upon downloading a document using the Safari browser, that a message is displayed which indicates that the Safari browser options *** be edited to choose from which websites the browser is allowed to download documents. Therefore, we would recommend that ************************ review those settings to see whether his browser *** be preventing downloads from our website. For his convenience, we have located the following help article online:
https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/websites-ibrwe2159f50/mac
If there are questions regarding the Apple support article above, we would recommend he contact Apple regarding additional Safari options or support.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:10/25/2022
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'll like to be refunded for a subscription charge. It was unauthorized and charged me on a card that wasn't even there initially. Ive cancelled the subscription through PayPal but somehow they still managed to charge me ( on a card I didnt even put as payment method. ) so I immediately emailed after the charge (within a hour) and was told I couldnt be refunded despite the fact that I didnt get any heads up , or even a confirmation email saying I signed up for ancestry.Business Response
Date: 10/31/2022
Title: ****** **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
October 31, 2022
RE: *************************** -- 18312335
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding ************** complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
Our records indicate that ************ called our toll-free support line on October 25, 2022, requesting cancellation of her subscription and a refund of the purchase of $27.20. Please note that refunds to PayPal may take 5-7 business days depending on their refund policies and procedures.
Records further indicate that ************** refund was completed in PayPal on October 27, 2022. The PayPal transaction ID for this transaction is 52066843CH132571Y. Therefore, if ************ has additional questions regarding her refund, we would recommend she contact PayPal for further 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 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:10/25/2022
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 cancelled an Ancestry subscription within 5 hours of being billed on 9/12/22. I disputed the charge of $177.45 with my credit card company and did not hear anything from Ancestry regarding a refund for over a month. I called on 10/5/22 and was told I was issued a refund of $177.45 that I was told would arrive within ten business days. It has been 20 days and I have seen NO money refunded back to me despite talking to MULTIPLE customer service representatives including having the issue escalated and having them talk to my credit card company on a three way call, promising the money would hit my account by 10/24/22. It is now 10/25/22 and I HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING. I called customer service and was put on hold for nearly 20 minutes and then transferred to a dead line when I asked to escalate the complaint again. This is absolutely unacceptable customer service and needs to never happen to anyone else! I want my refund that I have been waiting over a month and a half for and my family and I who have been loyal Ancestry customers for almost two decades will NEVER be purchasing any of their services again if this is not resolved.Business Response
Date: 10/31/2022
Title: ****** **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
October 31, 2022
RE: ************************** 18311098
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding Ms. ***** complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
We sincerely regret any misinformation ************ may have received regarding a refund. Our records indicate that she initiated a chargeback with her bank on September 15, 2022. However, she subsequently called our support center on October 5, 2022, requesting a refund. It appears that the agent was not aware that a chargeback had already been submitted.
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 are unable to issue a refund for the charge, but can confirm that we have cancelled the subscription and that she will encounter no further billing.
If ************ is interested in further updates regarding this chargeback, we would suggest she contact her financial institution. They will be able to provide answers to any additional questions regarding the status of her chargeback request.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:10/18/2022
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.
"Several months ago, I cancelled my membership with Ancestry.com. I am still being charged for a service I don't even possess. I have been charged ***** each month for the past several months. Even after I completely deleted my account, I have still been charged twice. I asked for a refund for the past three months. I was told, they couldn't give me a refund, and they couldn't even locate my account. How in the world am I still being charged when I don't have an account?Business Response
Date: 10/24/2022
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
October 24, 2022
RE: Ms. *********************** 18241202
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 research indicates that ******************** initiated a two-week free trial of our website in February 2022. However, it seems that the email address linked to the account in question contained a typographical error in comparison to the email address she submitted in her BBB complaint. Therefore, after she initiated her subscription using the incorrect email address, it is possible that she was unable to access the account after its initiation.
Therefore, in light of the circumstances, we have issued 9 refunds in the amount of $39.99 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 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:10/17/2022
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.
My husband authorized payment for his elderly to father to create an ancestry account in December 2021 so that he could do a familial DNA test as a Christmas gift. Ancestry requires users to create a subscription account, providing no one-time-fee option. The subscription service continued to renew charges without our knowledge. They provide no contact information to request a refund after collecting hundreds of dollars from us by defrauding an elderly man.
The account, while using my husband's credit card info, was under my father-in-laws contact: [email protected] so we never received communication about recurring charges.Business Response
Date: 10/20/2022
Title: Kaity,
Executive Office Response Team
Contact
Phone: ###-###-####
Contact
Email: [email protected]
October 20, 2022
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.
Ancestry
does not require enrollment in a free trial nor require paid membership in
order to place an order for a DNA kit or activate a kit purchased by a friend
or family member on an account. Free accounts may be set up by navigating to Ancestry’s
website, clicking on the sign in link, and choosing the “Sign up for free”
option. Alternatively, if a DNA kit is purchased by a friend or family member
and an individual is activating the kit online, instructions are provided inside
the kit to activate it on a new account without requiring a paid subscription.
Based on the
information submitted in Ms. *****’s complaint, the subscription in question is not under her own name and email address.
Therefore, we are unable to locate the account based on the information
provided. Because of this, we would ask that Ms. ***** please contact us at [email protected]
with any of the following information:
Order Number or Cancel Confirmation number
Full Name
Full Address, Including Zip Code
Any Alternate Email Addresses or Usernames Used
First Six and Last Four Digits of Card Charged
Date and Amount of Latest Charge
If the charges in question went
through Paypal, any of the following information may be necessary:
Paypal Billing Agreement ID
Paypal Invoice Number
Paypal Transaction Number
Once we have received this additional information, we
would be able to revisit the original request.
If you have
any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at
###-###-####.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive
Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:10/14/2022
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 made several attempts over the past few months to cancel my monthly subscription only to find that I have been billed again.At this point I want to make sure that they stop billing me.If I can find confirmation of previous request to cancel, I will seek a refund,Sincerely,*****************************Business Response
Date: 10/20/2022
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
October 20, 2022
RE: ********************************* 18226593
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.
As a courtesy to him, we have issued two refunds in the amount of $49.99 back to the account that was originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is *********. The access to the databases associated with this membership has been terminated effective immediately, and there will be no future billing from Ancestry. Please note that it can take between 3-5 business days for these funds to become available within their financial institution,depending on their refund policies and procedures.
We always appreciate any opportunity to assist our members in discovering, preserving,and sharing their family history. If at any time in the future ********************** 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:10/08/2022
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 went to cancel my account, but Ancestry said they would send an email 3 days before it had to be cancelled. This email was never sent, and today I was charged. I cancelled my account immediately. I want the money refunded immediately. I attempted to contact Ancestry but all I got was a chatbot. It said a human would come on if it could not solve my issue, but I was unable to reach a human. There is no other method to contact them.Business Response
Date: 10/13/2022
Title:******, **************** Response Team
Contact Phone:**************
Contact Email: [email protected]
October 13, 2022
RE: *********************** -- 18185491
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding Mr.******* ********* 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 **************** purchased a free trial of the monthly World Explorer membership on September 23, 2022. A free trial cancel reminder email was issued on October 5, 2022 to the email address associated with the account. Since the free trial was not cancelled, the subscription renewed at the regular price of $39.99 on October 8, 2022. Members are able to manage their subscriptions under the account settings on Ancestry, or request assistance from our support line by chat or calling **************, Monday through Sunday 7am-9pm MST.
As a courtesy to ***************, we have made an exception to our refund policy, and have issued a refund in the amount of $39.99 back to the account that was originally billed.The confirmation number for this transaction is *********. The access to the databases associated with this membership has been terminated effective immediately, and **************** will have 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 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 or any other matters pertaining to Ancestry, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
******
Executive Response Team
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 10/13/2022
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 appreciate your work and the quick and courteous response from the business. Thank you!
Sincerely,
***********************Initial Complaint
Date:10/07/2022
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.
This company screwed me when I bought my wife a membership. They didn't tell me I had not bought a *** kit, but only a membership. They even told me the *** kit would arrive in 7 to 10 days. It never did. Then, they started my wife's 6 month trial for a product they never sold me. Then, when I asked them to reset the start date so it would align with a kit I was still willing to purchase they said no. Then, they refused to refund my money. Horrible way to treat a repeat customer.Business Response
Date: 10/12/2022
Title: ******* **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
October 12, 2022
RE: ******************* -- 18184152
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.
As a courtesy to Mr. ****** we have made an exception to our refund policy, and have issued a refund in the amount of $136.49 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 Mr. ***** will have no future billing from Ancestry. Please note that it can take up to 30 days for these funds to become available within their financial institution, depending on their refund policies and procedures.
In light of these circumstances, we would be willing to provide Mr. ***** with a complimentary six month subscription to our World Deluxe membership (a value of $129.99) at no cost. To take advantage of this offer, please email us at [email protected]. Please note that this subscription may be applied to an account of Mr. ******* preference and start date of his choosing.
We always appreciate any opportunity to assist in discovering, preserving, and sharing family history.
If you have any questions regarding this or any other matters pertaining to Ancestry, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
******
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:10/07/2022
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.
8/15/2022 the ancestry.com collected money I was unaware of I never signed up for them to take $39.99 I was just looking in there downloaded the site but wasn't aware I had to pay anything and they didn't give me information on any of my realitives anyway I just so happen to look on my bank statement and seen it this is the first time that I have noticed and I don't appreciate it I want my money back or I'm taking them to small claims court because I really don't know how they took money from me so it would be nice If someone took care of it thank youBusiness Response
Date: 10/11/2022
Title: Emily, Executive Office Response Team
Contact Phone: ###-###-####
Contact Email: [email protected]
October 11, 2022
RE: ****** ****** -- ********
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 have made an exception to our refund policy, and have
issued a refund in the amount of $39.99 back to the account that was originally
billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is***-***-**** The access to the databases
associated with this membership has been terminated effective immediately, and Ms.
Nash will have 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.
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 or any other
matters pertaining to Ancestry, please do not hesitate to contact us at
###-###-####.
Sincerely,
Emily
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.