I have been a mmember of Ancestry for 11 years and have allowed my subscription to be automatically renewed each year as I have been researching my family history.
My subscription was due for renewal recently and I was aware of that. The details shown on “My Account” page on Ancestry showed that I would be paying $299.40 to renew my World Explorer subscription. A few days later, I checked my bank account and found that I was charged $474.96!
I used the Ancestry Help link to ask why I had been charged so much, and kept getting the message: “Sorry, I don’t know an answer to that specific question. I’m still being trained…”
I asked for my query to be referred to someone who might know the answer, but after waiting for another 40 minutes or so, I gave up.
The following day I contacted Ancestry by phone and my call went to someone in USA who was patronising and unhelpful, and also hard to follow as she spoke so rapidly in an American accent. When I asked her to clarify a point, her reply began with “As I have already told you…” Very frustrating!
I did gather that the different amount was largely because the amount shown as my subscription was in US$, but even so the amount in US$ was not $299.40 but something like $329. The renewal price shown was not right even in US$! Deceptive?
I decided to cancel my subscription but found that I would not receive a full refund, and that it would take a week or more for the funds to appear in my bank account. I did not acept that. After I insisted on receiving the full amount, and asked that my issue be referred to a higher level, that was agreed. I also accepted a new subscription at a lower price, which should have been able to happen within 24 hours. It hasn’t happened.
My access to Ancestry was cancelled immediately. Now some 3 days later, I still await the funds and there is still no sign of my transfer to a lower cost subscription.
Automatic renewal on Ancestry seems to be trap, especially when the amount you pay turns out to be about $175 more than you anticipated.