Find My Past automatic subscription renewal, scam?

I purchased one months subscription for FMP, , I only wanted one months worth as to find my fathers military POW records, the record(transcript) I found on the paid site was no more than the records that were available for free on it I am also concerned I have to pay at all to find my late fathers military service records given he gave his youth and health for this country as a WW2 POW. Anyway, they have now already automatically renewed my subscription, this i believe in in the contract, but there was no renewal email, I don't like these sites, the govt sold our records to them, but even on those terms this auto renewal is dubious, thoughts, responses?

Contact them and tell them how dissatisfied you are. They may waive the fee.

The records weren't sold. The service you subscribed to (not familiar with all of them, sorry) charges you for the pleasure of finding the records in digital form - they spend that money you pay them to digitise the records.

The original records are still available for free at the records office. The big problem is - which record office. For some people that isn't a problem, they enjoy the thrill of the hunt for that one piece of information. For others it is a problem - they are prepared to pay for a service like this.

That doesn't mean it doesn't still require some skill and aptitude to find what you need, nor does it guarantee that everything you need is available through this service. Basically it is a supplement available to you at a subscription fee.

Anyway - if you feel they duped you, contact their customer service?

Not wishing to sound harsh, but if you signed up for a service on an auto-renew basis you can't really complain that they have auto-renewed it. If you don't want it any more you need to find out how to cancel asap!

Would have been nice to get a reminder email, some people have cognitive difficulties, memory, etc.

Would have been nice to get a reminder email, some people have cognitive difficulties, memory, etc.

If you go on to the site and click on "Personal Details" the second from last option allows you to unclick the auto renew option.

thanks, wish I had seen that, oh well, i will see what dodgy ancestors i have for a month, then leave.

Norton did that with me, I didn't get a reminder when my year was up. I mailed them and they refunded me.

Not wishing to sound harsh, but if you signed up for a service on an auto-renew basis you can't really complain that they have auto-renewed it. If you don't want it any more you need to find out how to cancel asap!

Very modern way of talking... and it's a modern con*.

In reality, every site, every company, every one varies in its layout... and my opt-out/opt-in theory is just shown with all of them, to make things all 'opted in' unless you find the trickier way to 'opt out'. This is the exact opposite of how things operated pre-internet.

*not this site in OP, just meaning in general

---------- Post added 29-11-2016 at 23:14 ----------

Would have been nice to get a reminder email, some people have cognitive difficulties, memory, etc.

Companies don't give a **** about that gamezone. That's not how things work now.

For those who want FMP (or Ancestry)free:

1) wait for a free "weekend" offer- where you just sign up.

2) month free subscription- where you also give your account details and unless you tell them, they will start deducting money as you agreed to when you started the free months subscription. They will not tell you again until 12 months later. Cancel yourself as shown on your account page.

3) buy credits for pay per view or timed limited subscription.

There are countless offers around which rely on customers failing to cancel a subscription after the initial offer has ended.

As for being free to view I think the Government would have to decide that.

There are countless offers around which rely on customers failing to cancel a subscription after the initial offer has ended.

 

Yes. The thing to do is to cancel the day after you sign up, you'll still get your free introductory period.

They have cancelled it for next month, but no refund.