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
- 614 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 173 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:08/22/2025
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.
The *** results were vague saying northern Europe including numerous countries, that area being home to every race on earth, I needed more info like where did the relatives originate from or their path to that area. Really not worth the 35$. As you won't learn much and now they have your most personal information.
Business Response
Date: 08/25/2025
Title: Kaity, Executive Office Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************************************
August 25, 2025
RE: ****** ***** -- 23784459
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.
AncestryDNA provides a detailed ethnicity estimate by analyzing a customer's DNA and comparing it to our reference panel of over ****** individuals worldwide. The results are a breakdown of a person's family origins based on the percentages of DNA inherited from different regions. In this specific case, the ethnicity estimate shows a breakdown that includes:
******* and *******************
Germanic Europe
********, with further detail to the *********** and Scottish Highlands & ****************
*******
******
********
This level of detail is a result of our ongoing scientific advancements. While ethnicity estimates cannot pinpoint the exact village or town of origin for every ancestor, they offer a comprehensive overview of ancestral roots based on the percentages of DNA inherited from different regions. The science of inheritance is complex, and we are continuously working to expand our reference panel to provide the most accurate estimates possible.
For the price of his purchase, he is also provided with a list of his DNA matches which is updated regularly as more individuals test with us. As the science of estimating ancestral regions advances, our customers DNA results are also updated on a regular basis.
Regarding the customer's privacy concerns, ********************** takes the privacy of our customers very seriously. Customer trust is our top priority. We are committed to being a good ******* of Personal Information, handling it in a responsible manner, and securing it with administrative, technical,organizational, and physical safeguards. The Ancestry Privacy Statement gives a detailed outline of information we collect from our customers and how that information is used and protected for Mr. ******* review:******************************************************************;
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 08/25/2025
Complaint: 23784459
I am rejecting this response because:
Sincerely,
****** ***** My statement stands, their computer generated response is as expected , its still to unspecific, And I noticed in your response you admitted such. this is all you could come up withBut thanks you for the response. I need nothing further.
Initial Complaint
Date:08/19/2025
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 signed up for a free 2 week trial in order to find my grandfathers name. I cancelled my trial the same day I signed up. This was in June of 2025. I noticed today it had charged my ****** for June and July and was notified with an email today 8/19/2025 (the only email I have received about any payments) and it was about to charge me for August as well. I tried logging in and it wouldn't let me. I had to reactivate and change the password to even access the account to try and cancel again. When I did, it charged an additional $25 to cancel early for a 6 month membership that I never signed up for. I called the customer service number spoke to a "*****", whom was extremely rude and kept cutting me off. I told her I had already cancelled before the trial ended and shouldn't have received these charges. She asked me for the transaction number in the email for the cancellation that I never received. Then after spending 30 minutes explaining to her I did my due diligence and cancelled but do not have an email for 2 months ago from them she refused to refund the entire amount. She only refunded the cancellation fee and 1 of the 2 months that was charged to my account. THAT IS A FRAUDUALANT CHARGE!!! If you can rectify two of those charges but not the third then you are knowingly stealing money from people without consideration that your cancellation process is flawed. When I cancelled in June, YOUR system didn't send an email with a transaction number. It finally sent a confirmation today for cancellation but not for the amount that was to be refunded to my account. This company needs to sued for fraud!!!!Business Response
Date: 08/20/2025
Title: Kaity, Executive Office Response Team
Contact Phone:**************
Contact Email: ******************************************************************
August 20, 2025
RE: ****** ********* -- 23766571
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.
Our records indicate that on **** 13, 2025, Ms. ********* 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 Ms. ********* on **** 13th, including the following excerpt:
Please note that youll 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.
We are unable to locate a cancellation request either online or via customer support until it was submitted online on August 19th. Because the subscription was then successfully cancelled, she received an email confirmation of the *************** this case, because her subscription was scheduled to go from **** 27th to December 27th, her cancellation on August 19th incurred the early cancellation fee. However, as a courtesy to her, an exception to these refund policies was made during a phone call to our support center on August 19th, and the agent processed refunds for the July charge of $24.83 and the cancellation fee of $25. We have made an additional exception and also refunded the **** charge of $24.83. 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 Ms. ********* becomes interested in researching or saving her family history, she may continue to use the free services found on Ancestry even now after her subscription has ended.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:08/15/2025
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.
We received the kit. Sent it in, and the kit was never processed. I called to find out why we did not have any results and was told they did not receive the kit, so I requested a replacement kit. Did not receive one. Called again, requesting a replacement on November 15, 2024. Did not receive one. Called on August 15, 2025, requesting a refund. I was told it could not be refunded because it was over 6 months since I bought the kit. I requested to talk to a supervisor, but was told there was no one to speak to. Then, I insisted on speaking to a supervisor and was disconnected.Business Response
Date: 08/20/2025
Title: Kaity, Executive Office Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************************
August 20, 2025
RE: ****** ***** -- 23753862
To Whom It May Concern,
Thank you for forwarding Ms. ***** complaint to **. 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 the *** kit in question over 2-1/2 years ago in January of 2023. The kit was then registered by the recipient on their account, but the saliva sample was never received by our lab. Because the kit was registered by another person, that individual became the owner. The kit was marked to receive a replacement, and an email was sent to that individual stating that they could log into their account and accept the replacement kit. However, our records show that the replacement was never accepted. We sincerely regret if this information was not provided or explained properly to Ms. ***** as the purchaser.
Because the kit was purchased over two years ago, it is no longer eligible for a refund. However, if the person who registered the kit wishes to obtain a replacement, they may log into their account and click the button to accept the free replacement and enter their preferred shipping address.
Alternatively, as Ms. ***** was the purchaser, we are willing to instead provide the replacement directly to her so that she may give the kit to the person of her choosing. To accept this offer, she may contact us at ****************************************** with her preferred shipping address.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
Kaity
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:08/07/2025
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 an AncestryDNA test during a sale in June. My sample was processed and marked as “Analyzed” on July 14, 2025. According to Ancestry’s own documentation and extensive user reports, DNA results are usually released within 2–3 days of analysis. My account initially estimated July 27 as the results delivery date.
It is now Friday, August 9 — 26 days after my DNA was marked as analyzed — and I still have no results. The delay has not been explained or addressed meaningfully by Ancestry support.
I have contacted Ancestry support on three separate occasions:
On July 27, the agent told me my DNA was “still analyzing,” despite the analysis having occurred two weeks earlier.
On July 28, a second agent acknowledged the issue, agreed it was unusual, and claimed to submit a lab escalation report.
On August 1, a third call revealed that no escalation had actually occurred. I was told that a real report would be filed this time, though no time estimate could be provided. I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told there is no technical support access, no tier-2 agents, and no escalation beyond this level. The supervisor merely offered a free month of Ancestry membership (which I must call back to redeem), but provided no substantive help.
Ancestry’s support staff repeatedly gave contradictory or inaccurate information. I was denied access to anyone with actual insight into the back-end systems or escalation authority.
As of August 9, there has been no follow-up, no resolution, and no transparency from Ancestry. I have strong reason to believe my DNA data is valid and that a minor back-end technical issue is preventing the results from being delivered. Ancestry has provided no timeline, no accountability, and no resolution.
I am requesting:
That my results be released immediately.
That I receive a formal explanation of what happened.
That Ancestry take steps to ensure its customer support is better trained and empowered to handle these situations in futureBusiness Response
Date: 08/11/2025
Title: *****, Executive Office Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************
August 11, 2025
RE: *****
******* -- 23713047
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.
Although DNA results may typically be released within a certain schedule, not
all tests fit within that schedule and some delays may occur. We sincerely regret any frustration this matter may have caused. In this case, our
records show that Mr. *******’s test results were posted to his account on
Friday, August 8th, within the typical 4-6 week processing period.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do
not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
*****
Executive Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:08/06/2025
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 2 accounts on Ancestry. ******** ***** *************************************** and ******** * **** ** ******************, The second one my DNA is connected to. I didn’t have this 2nd e-mail until 2016/17 when I lived in ******** ** when I did my DNA. I did my son’s dna back around 2012 and I used ***************************************.
Over the years, I asked Ancestry many times if they could fix it so that my son’s DNA and my DNA were with our own e-mails. For a long time they wouldn’t do anything. Finally, one day when I called them, a supervisor, said she thought she fixed it, but she didn’t. She made it worse, putting both of our DNA on the *************************************** and said I put them both on there which is not true.
Then when I open my account I see ******* DNA first and not my own and it didn’t use to be that way. Then just recently, Ancestry screwed up my granddaughter’s DNA, ******* ***** *******, to where she see’s ******* DNA, and her mother thought I had something to do with it. I want to see my DNA when I open my account, not my son’s.
Problem #2 – I capitalize names on all of my trees when I find documents with those names. When I add records, they revert to the uncapitalized name. I keep recapitalizing them but they don’t stay capitalized until I’ve done it maybe four times. Before when the people owned Ancestry before now, they fixed this problem, but it started again a few years ago and these new people who own it, won’t fix the problem. I went so far as to buy a new computer and the problem persists. I feel they are doing the two problems listed for spit because I don’t show my trees publicly and so they give me a hard time but they have gotten paid probably 10s of thousands from just me over the years. I’d like it so I don’t have to recapitalize at all for the money I pay.Business Response
Date: 08/11/2025
Title: *****, Executive Office Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************
August 11, 2025
RE: ********
**** -- ********
To Whom It May Concern,
Thank you for forwarding Ms. ****’s complaint to us. At
Ancestry, we are committed to providing excellent customer service and hold our
customers’ satisfaction in the highest regard.
We sincerely regret any frustration this matter may have caused.
Per Ancestry’s Terms and Conditions, DNA tests for minor children must be
registered on the account of a parent or guardian. Our records show that a DNA
test for ***** was registered on an account in Ms. ****’s name in 2013. However,
the test was activated as a “self” test. This means that while activating the
test, the question of whether the test was being activated as the owner of the
account was answered in the affirmative. Therefore, his test was the automatic “subject”
of all tests which may be later registered or shared to the account. This
information cannot be edited.
In 2017, a test was activated on a separate account for Ms.
**** with herself as the subject of the test on her account. However, it
appears that her test was then shared from the account on which her own test
was registered to the account on which ******* account had already been registered.
That means that when she logs into the account on which ******* test was
registered, his test would be displayed first because ***** is the original
test subject, and Ms. **** would need to choose her test from the dropdown list
of tests shared with the account.
If Ms. **** wishes to see her results first, she may
instead wish to share ******* DNA results to her account. To facilitate this,
we have provided instructions on sharing the test below:
******************************************************************
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do
not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
*****
Executive Response Team
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 08/12/2025
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because: You did not explain why the capitalization on each person on the tree changes back to uncapitalized two or three times until it stays that way. It reverts to uncapizalized with adding records. You said it was my computer settings repeatedly over the years but I bought a new computer and the problem persists and I told you guys that and still you haven't fixed it or replied about it when I stated it was part of the complaint.
Sincerely,
******** A ****Business Response
Date: 08/15/2025
Title: *****, Executive Office Response Team
Contact Phone: **************
Contact Email: ******************************
August 15, 2025
RE: ********
**** -- ********
To Whom It May Concern,
Thank you for forwarding Ms. ****’s response to us. We
apologize for not addressing her additional complaint in our previous response.
Unfortunately, we are not aware of the issue she describes
as it has not been reported by any other of our numerous users. In order to
report her issue, we need additional information. We ask that she please
contact us at ****************************** with the following information:
The device type she is using (i.e. PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, etc.)
The browser she is using (i.e. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)
Whether the error occurs with another browser
The name of the tree(s) on which the error occurs
The name of a person within that tree on which the error occurred
A description of the steps taken when the issue occurred.
Once we have received this information, we may consult with
the appropriate internal team(s) to investigate any possible issues.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please do
not hesitate to contact us at **************.
Sincerely,
*****
Executive Response Team
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 08/15/2025
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because: I have called many many times over the years about this and have even given them browser, etc information and even talked to supervisors. They always say to take videos of what's going on but even with a new computer? This problem should not be going on with a new computer when I paid thousands for it. Who do I specifically call to fix this?
Sincerely,
******** A ****Initial Complaint
Date:08/02/2025
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 canceled my subscription immediately after signing up for the free trial, it appears not to have worked as I woke up this morning to having been charged for another month - fine, whatever, I’ll just cancel now and pay for the month. Upon cancelling, however; there was no option to completely cancel the subscription - every cancellation option included paying $10 a month for record retention AND a $25 cancellation fee! This can’t be legal. I’ve called support and been disconnected twice in an attempt to ensure I don’t pay ANY more money, cancel the record retention as well and have my card removed from the account.Business Response
Date: 08/05/2025
Title: *****, Executive
Office Response Team
Contact Phone:
**************
Contact Email: ******************************
August 5, 2025
RE: ****** ***** -- 23691150
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.
Please note that when
cancelling a membership, members are offered several different options: Pause
membership; Preserve my tree (for $10 per month); Cancel membership; and Keep
membership. The option to completely cancel the membership is available as “Cancel
membership.”
Our records indicate
that Ms. ***** initiated a 14-day free trial for a World Explorer subscription on
July 18, 2025, 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 Ms. ***** on July 18th, 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.”
Because the free trial
was not cancelled, it rolled into a paid membership on August 1, 2025. Ms.
***** then cancelled her subscription online on August 2nd which
resulted in the early cancellation fee.
However, as a courtesy
to her, we have made an exception to these refund policies and processed
refunds for the monthly charge of $26.47 and the cancellation fee of $26.66.
These refunds have been issued back to the account originally charged. The
confirmation number for this transaction is 526291781. Please note that it can
take between 3-5 business days for these funds to become available within their
financial institution, depending on their refund policies and procedures.
We always appreciate any
opportunity to assist our members in discovering, preserving, and sharing their
family history. If at any time in the future Ms. ***** becomes interested in
researching or saving her family history, she may continue to use the free
services found on Ancestry even now after her subscription has ended.
If you have any
questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us at
**************.
Sincerely,
*****
Executive Response Team
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 08/05/2025
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 23691150, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. However, I believe I was misunderstood re: the $10 a month membership to keep your tree - from my end the only available option was this one, and I ended up having to call several times to ensure it was fully canceled. I was assured that it was but am concerned that I wasn’t able to fully cancel!
Sincerely,
****** *****Initial Complaint
Date:07/30/2025
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.
These people are complete rip off charging astronomical fees and half of their services do not work then they hire people from different places whose system messes up all the time when you call customer service and you can't hear them or they can't hear you we signed up for the all access membership at a discounted price and none of the extra services worked the newspapers didn't work the military part didn't work and one other thing did not work we kept trying to access it and life happened and it just didn't work and then they were talking about renewing us for $250 for 6 months which is crazy we called in and told them not to do that and that we wanted credit for at least 3 to 6 months because our membership did not work as it was supposed to and the girl kept going round around trying to buy another membership at half off which would have still been a hundred and thirty dollars which is not acceptable you're selling stuff that doesn't work and you have agreements with third parties and it is not working so we call back today to tell a person at their customer service office that we wanted credit for three to six months and nothing worked with their all access membership except for looking up stuff in the US and her phone kept going in and out and in and out finally I hung up I asked for supervisor I never got one she wanted repeat everything I said and got nothing done and her phone s system and or headset kept going in and out well we want 6 months free of all access and we want it to work. Very poor customer service all they're taught is to sell sell not to resolve problems enough is enough of this and they don't provide the services advertised.Business Response
Date: 08/05/2025
Title: *****, Executive Office Response Team
Contact
Phone* **************
Contact
Email: ******************************
August 5, 2025
RE: ******* ****** – 23679118
To Whom It
May Concern,
Thank you
for forwarding Mr. ******** complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to
providing excellent customer service and hold our customers’ satisfaction in
the highest regard.
Our records
show that Mr. ****** initiated a semi-annual US Discovery subscription on
January 23, 2025, for the sale price of $59. However, two days later, the
subscription was upgraded to an All-Access Family Plan and assessed the
prorated charge of $70.33. We have not received numerous complaints regarding
the inability to access the additional features associated with an All-Access
subscription and he should have been able to access those features. Records
further show that the account owner called to cancel the subscription on June
28, 2025, and the subscription was cancelled so that it would not automatically
renew. On July 22nd, another call was placed to customer support
asking about promotional pricing available at that time. Account notes do not
provide any information regarding complaints of the inability to access
specific features of the subscription which already ended. However, on July 30th,
the account owner called our support line stating that the features of the
previous subscription did not function correctly and a free 3-months of
All-Access subscription was applied to the account.
Because Mr. ****** has stated that he prefers a refund, we
have issued refunds in the amount of $58.67 and $70.33 back to the account that
was originally billed. The confirmation number for this transaction is *********.
The access to the databases associated with the free membership applied on July
30th 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
1-800-262-3787.
Sincerely,
*****
Executive
Response Team
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:07/28/2025
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 paid for a 6 month subscription (billed monthly). After the 6 months It automatically renewed for another 6 months. I tried to cancel, and now they want $25 to cancel my subscription because I am canceling before the next 6 month period is up. I should not have to pay an early cancellation fee after completing the original 6 months I agreed to.Business Response
Date: 07/30/2025
Title: *****, Executive
Office Response Team
Contact Phone:
**************
Contact Email:
******************************
July 30, 2025
RE: ***** ******** -- ********
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 the account owner initiated a free trial for a US Discovery subscription
and chose the option of a semi-annual subscription billing monthly. The full
six-month price for the subscription type chosen was billable monthly for the
promotional price of $16.50 per month after which the renewal price would be
$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 the free trial and
entering credit card information. It is located above the button clicked on to
start the subscription:
“By clicking Start
membership, you agree that:
Automatic Renewal: You
will automatically be charged $16.50 plus applicable taxes every month during
your 6-month subscription. Your subscription will automatically renew beginning
[date of 6-month ending] until you cancel. To cancel your subscription, visit
My Account or contact us at least two days before your membership renews to
avoid being charged for the next billing cycle. After 14 days, if you cancel
before the end of your subscription, you may be charged a cancellation fee of
up to $25.”
Additionally, this
information is provided in the free trial order confirmation email sent to the
member after signup in the section detailing the membership they initiated. In
this case, the email was sent to the account owner on January 1, 2025,
including the following excerpt:
“Please note that you’ll
be billed $16.50 after 14 days. Even though you will be billed monthly, you are
committing to the entire length of your 6-month subscription. If you choose to
cancel earlier, you will not be eligible for any refunds, but you will retain
access to your services for the remainder of paid months. If you cancel after
your free trial ends, you will be charged a cancellation fee equivalent to the
lesser of $25 (plus applicable taxes) and the remaining of your 6-month
subscription.”
Because the free trial
was not cancelled, it rolled into a paid membership on January 16, 2025. On
June 14, 2025, an email was sent reminding the account owner that the
subscription would be automatically renewing in July per the agreed-upon Terms
and Conditions. It included instructions on how to cancel the subscription in
case they no longer wished to continue with the subscription. However, as it
was not cancelled, it renewed on July 15th. Therefore, as Mr.
******** states he then subsequently wished to cancel his subscription, it
would be subject to the early cancellation fee previously stipulated. However,
in this case, because the subscription has not yet been cancelled, the
cancellation fee has not been assessed.
As a courtesy to him, we
have made an exception to these refund policies and processed a refund of
$21.99 for the monthly charge for July. This refund has been issued back to the
account originally charged. The confirmation number for this transaction is 524433728.
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
AncestryCustomer Answer
Date: 07/31/2025
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:07/28/2025
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.
The website has an option to cancel the subscription, but it does not load on the button does not work. I’ve emailed them several times to cancel and they still attempting to charge my credit card. It’s been over a month.Business Response
Date: 07/30/2025
Title: *****, Executive
Office Response Team
Contact Phone:
**************
Contact Email:
******************************
July 30, 2025
RE: ***** ****** -- 23660930
To Whom It May Concern,
Thank you for forwarding
Ms. ******’s complaint to us. At Ancestry, we are committed to providing
excellent customer service and hold our customers’ satisfaction in the highest
regard.
We apologize for any
frustration this situation may have caused. Subscriptions may be cancelled by
navigating to the account settings and clicking on the “cancel” link next to
the subscription information. Unfortunately, based on the information provided
to us and the fact that no email address was provided, we cannot locate the account
in question with Ancestry. Because of this, we would ask that Ms. ****** 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 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
AncestryInitial Complaint
Date:07/26/2025
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 website has been repeated told to remove memorials that have false information and stolen photographs on it. It is a scam. The fake information is blatant. On top of that they have been taking photos without permission of grave stones. They've been specifically told the information for these memorials are fake and so are the photos they post. They have also been told that multiple times people have been not only creating fake profiles with AI generated photos but also vandalizing memorials to suit their own agenda filled with false information. Findagrave refuse to remove these memorials and the false information claiming they cannot remove them. One in particular they're running themselves and its full of false information. They also publish people's addresses on the site. It's disgusting. They claim accuracy but none of what they do is accurate. I have told them multiple times but they basically told me they won't remove it at all. Please remove these sites at the very least. You might as well ban findagrave because it is no longer an accurate and useful website it's full of false information, fake profiles and fake memorials, vandalized memorials even. Please get them to remove the memorials. Please let me know if you can do this and I will send you all the links of the memorials needing to be removed and all the users needing to be banned. I didn't put them all on here because there was no space to list them all.If you need more information and the links to these fake memorials with false information please let me know Thanking you in advanceBusiness Response
Date: 08/01/2025
Contact Name and Title: ***** ******, Senior Find a Grave Administrator
Contact Email:********************************************************
Date July 31, 2025
Re: Claims of false information and fake memorials and request for removal of content
To Whom it May Concern,
Thank you for forwarding *** *** Morans communication to us. We have carefully reviewed this request and have the following response.
As a company, we strive to serve our customers best interests. We apologize for any inconveniences that have occurred from this situation and appreciate the opportunity for a resolution.
We have reviewed all email correspondence regarding the removal and corrections of the memorials in question. We have also removed the memorial for ******* ****** ******** (*********) as requested. There was also a request to remove a memorial for ***** ***** (*******). This memorial has been approved and added to the famous section on Find a Grave. To protect the integrity of these memorials, all famous memorials are managed by Find a Grave. Find a Grave curates a special collection of memorials under our Famous section. Due to this, we will be unable to remove this memorial at this time.
If there is anything on a famous memorial that you feel should be edited or changed, you may make these recommendations through the Suggest Edits feature on the memorial.
Find a Grave continues its mission to provide a collaborative community where members can contribute memorials and record burial dispositions.
If you have any questions regarding this or any other matters pertaining to Find a Grave, please do not hesitate to contact us at *********************************
Sincerely,
***** ******
Sr. Find a Grave Administrator
**************************
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