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
- 846 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:09/22/2022
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.
My account was charged for a renewal at 6:03 a.m. on September 22, 2022. I immediately canceled my account at 6:05 and logged on and chatted with a representative, who informed me there was nothing I could do to refund the charge. I never received any kind of email informing me of the upcoming charge, and therefore was railroaded into the charge that would have otherwise canceled. I feel that ancestry.com is taking advantage of this by not informing of upcoming charges. I am requesting a refund in the full amount, as I did not use this service 1 second over the billing period.
Business Response
Date: 09/26/2022
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
September 26, 2022
RE: ******************************* 18061008
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 ****************** was sent an email reminder on August 21, 2022,regarding the upcoming renewal of her semi-annual subscription on September 21st.However, the subscription was not cancelled and therefore automatically renewed on that date.
However, it appears that ****************** called our customer support center on September 22nd and requested a refund of the charge and a refund of $169 was issued at that time back to the account that was originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is *********. The access to the databases associated with this membership was terminated effective September 22nd, 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 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
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 09/26/2022
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.
Sincerely,
***************************Initial Complaint
Date:09/22/2022
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 was charged ****** in error on September 21, 2022 for a subscription renewal. I cancelled this subscription weeks ago and I received the message saying that my order had been cancelled. But I just received notice that I was charged for another year anyway. I live on a fixed income and can not afford this charge. So I will be filing a dispute with my credit card company. This is shameful.Business Response
Date: 09/26/2022
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
September 26, 2022
RE: *********************************** 18060840
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 ********************** subscription renewed on September 21, 2022, yet the cancellation was completed on September 22, 2022, and a cancellation confirmation email was sent out at that time.
However, it appears that ******************** called our customer support center on September 22nd and requested a refund of the charge and a refund of $169 was issued at that time back to the account that was originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is *********. The access to the databases associated with this membership was terminated effective September 22nd, 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 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:09/20/2022
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 been charged ****** for services I have cancelled. The newest charge occurred today for *****.When I called to cancel services I was immediately charged again the following day for multiple charges.When I called to cancel I was laughed at by the representative on the phone when I asked about a refund.I called the following day when I saw the additional charges and was laughed at again.Now more charges!!!A full year membership is only As posted on their site:Your subscription will automatically renew at $***** every three months after the introductory 3-month offer.so introductory rate for 3 months and then ***** for 3 months puts us at 6 months and my membership started I believe Dec 2021 and I called to cancel in June 17 2022 would be 3 months promotional price and one month of ***** AND YET nov 1 2021 ***** dec 21 2021 ***** march 16 2022 ***** march 21 2022 ***** april 18 2022 ***** may 17 2022 ***** june 17 2022 ***** june 21 2022 ***** june 21 2022 ***** sep 20 2022 ***** ****** is the amount I fully expect to be refunded total charges ****** this has got to stop and be refunded I expect to pay ***** and nothing else. All else should be refunded immediately I have the verification of termination e mail from june 7th 2022Business Response
Date: 09/21/2022
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
September 21, 2022
RE: ************************************************** 18050311
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding ******************** complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
We have located an account in ******************** name connected with DNA results and a membership which began in March of 2022. The subscription chosen was a semi-annual US Discovery membership with the option to bill monthly. The full six-month price for the subscription type chosen was $99, billable monthly at $16.50 per month plus applicable sales tax. The subscription type also stipulates that a $25 cancellation fee will be incurred upon early cancellation, or the remainder of the $99 subscription price, whichever is less. Records indicate that ***************** cancelled that subscription online on June 17, 2022, and case notes on the account do not show any phone calls received.
As a courtesy to her, we have issued refunds for the four subscription charges of $17.87 each plus the early cancellation fee of $27.08 back to the account that was originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is 340995489.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.
Based on the information provided by ******************, it would seem that a duplicate account *** also exist which includes an earlier subscription which is billing for $84.99 every three months. However, we have been unable to locate the charges based on the information provided in her complaint.
Because of this, we would ask that ****************** 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 *** 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:09/20/2022
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.
After being unable to locate the information I was looking for, I called in and cancelled my subscription on 09/15/2022. Before the end date of my free trial. I noticed a charge for subcription renewal in my bank account today 09/20/2022. I called customer service and could not get through, same with the live support chat. I then went online and cancelled the subscription after several attempts I was able to get it cancelled then I was informed I would be charged a $25 dollar cancellation fee.Business Response
Date: 09/21/2022
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
September 21, 2022
RE: *********************************** 18049843
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.
There are no case notes associated with ******************** account which would indicate that a call had been received by our ************************ Upon cancellation of a subscription,a confirmation email is automatically sent as well. However, in this case, the cancellation email was not sent until ******************** cancelled her subscription online on September 20, 2022.
As a courtesy to her, we have issued a refund in the amount of $32.99 plus the early cancellation fee of $25 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 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:09/19/2022
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 NEVER signed up with Ancestry, but am getting charged $24.99 monthly. I tried reaching out to them but it appears that the website that is charging me monthly is a fake website.Business Response
Date: 09/20/2022
Title:*****, **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
September 20, 2022
RE: *************************************** -- 18048603
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 a monthly US Discovery membership was initiated on March 25, 2022 and rolled into a paid subscription on April 8th. ************************** called our customer support line to cancel the subscription on September 19th and was issued one refund of $24.99 at that time.
As a courtesy to her, we have refunded an additional five charges of $24.99 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 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:09/19/2022
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.
As per Colorados subscription law that went into affect on January 1, 2022 and it applies to all industries this company did not send any type of renewal noticeBusiness Response
Date: 09/20/2022
Title:Kaity, **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
September 20, 2022
RE: *************************** -- 18045882
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.
Reminders regarding subscription renewals for subscriptions longer than one month are automatically sent one month prior to the renewal date. In this case, ******************** was emailed a reminder on August 17, 2022, regarding the upcoming renewal of her subscription on September 17th. We would recommend that she check her spam and promotional folders with her email provider.
Our records further indicate that ******************** called our customer support center to cancel her subscription on September 19, 2022. An exception was made and she was issued a refund of $79.95 at that time back to the account that was originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is *********. The access to the databases associated with this membership was terminated on that date, 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 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:09/17/2022
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 signed up for a trial membership of Ancestry.com and cancelled within the allotted time. I have not been on the site since July 6th which the rep acknowledged. They continued to charge me for the next two months. I asked for a refund but they refused. I cancelled the subscription on their website under my profile. I explained to them this is a hardship as I am unemployed. I am due a refund of $80.76.Business Response
Date: 09/20/2022
Title:Kaity, **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
September 20, 2022
RE: ********************************** 18039231
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 ************** initiated a monthly World Explorer subscription on July 1, 2022. The subscription was not a free trial as ************** had already used her free trial in May of 2015. Therefore, this would have been evident while placing the order and in the subsequent order confirmation email sent to her on July 1, 2022. Ancestry subscription prices and renewals are not based upon usage. Our records do not indicate that any calls or cancellations were received for the account until ************** cancelled her subscription online on September 16, 2022.
However, as a courtesy to her, we have issued 3 refunds in the amount of $40.39 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 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
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 09/21/2022
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.
Sincerely,
***************************Initial Complaint
Date:09/16/2022
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 am being charged $42.55 every month for the last 4 to 5 months. I have not ordered anything to be charged. I deleted my account hoping this would stop the money being taken out of my account. It did not and I had to create another account to talk with them online.I want my money back, since I didn't order anything.Business Response
Date: 09/20/2022
Title:Kaity, **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
September 20, 2022
RE: ********************************* -- 18038624
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.
In cases similar to Ms. ********** complaint, we have found that the charges incurred are related to a membership that was begun on an account for which the claimant purchased a DNA kit or membership for a friend or family member.
However, as a courtesy to **********************, we have issued 5 refunds in the amount of $42.55 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 her family history, she may continue to use the free services found on Ancestry even now after the 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: 09/23/2022
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.
Sincerely,
*****************************Initial Complaint
Date:09/08/2022
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 am getting constant harassing emails from ancestry months and months after unsubscribing. If this company does not desist I will go the the federal trade commissionBusiness Response
Date: 09/09/2022
Title: ****** **************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
September 9, 2022
RE: ****************************** 18001827
To Whom It May ********************* you for forwarding Ms. ****** complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our customers satisfaction in the highest regard.
We sincerely regret any frustration this matter may have caused. We have disabled all email notifications on Ms. ****** account and have added her email to our Do Not Email list. We ask that she please allow **** business days for these changes to take effect.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 09/09/2022
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.
Sincerely,
***********************Initial Complaint
Date:09/08/2022
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 was recently using the Ancestry.com website and somehow signed up for "U.S. Discovery Membership." I had no intention of doing this and didn't even know I did it to be honest until I was charged $16.50. I went to the web site immediately to cancel once I did become aware of it and they charged me a $25 cancellation fee. I attempted to contact them to ask for a refund of $41.50, but there is no way to discuss this issue with them other than a chat session that does not accept/assist questions to resolve this situation.Business Response
Date: 09/09/2022
Title: ********************** Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: [email protected]
September 9, 2022
RE: Mr. *********************** 17937597
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 a refund in the amount of $16.50 plus the $25 cancellation fee 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 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
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 09/09/2022
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.
Sincerely,
***********************
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