RootsChat.Com
General => The Common Room => Topic started by: BrazilianBombshell on Monday 28 November 16 18:25 GMT (UK)
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Had an email of Friday from James at Familyrelatives.com offering a special price of £20 instead of the usual £34.95. All seemed legitimate. Paid up (money has left the account today) only to find that I've actually paid £34.95, and haven't been able to access their paid for records since. I've sent 1 email, 1 message in their "contact us" page, and also a message on their Facebook. Anyone else had this disappointment?
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Have you contacted your credit card company? Send them the email from "James" as proof and leave them to deal with it on your behalf
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Thank you, CaroleW, I'll do that straight away. My pride was hurt for being fooled, and I didn't think straight. Thank you.
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Thank you, CaroleW, I'll do that straight away. My pride was hurt for being fooled, and I didn't think straight. Thank you.
??? You were not fooled, he offered you the sub for £20.00 - contact your credit card company and see whose the foolish one then! Lets hope he gets his hand slapped good and hard. And at the very least other Rootschatters have now been warned after reading your post :)
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I've emailed Nationwide and will go into the office tomorrow with my evidence of email offer, my invoice, and proof that I cannot and have not been able to access their site for 3 days! I'll change the heading to read Warning, instead of Query if I'm able to. If not, I'll ask if a kind moderator could change it. Thank you again.
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I think you can amend the title yourself.
Go back to your first post and Modify the title.
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Thank you Scouseboy. Learned something tonight.
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Just a thought or two.
I have just had a look at the website and the first thing that struck me as odd was it said "Welcome! Lynn Hilditch" in the top right hand corner. Who is Lynn Hilditch - certainly not me??
I also found it odd that your invite was from "James" rather than from the actual company.
Have you subscribed to the site previously?
Did you make your payment via a link in the email or did you access the site and pay that way?
If you used a link in the email - there is the possibility this is a scam and they now have your credit card details
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I just went to the website and got 'Welcome Lynn Hilditch' as well ??? :o
I see they have a Facebook and Twitter accounts, can you leave a sharp message there?
( I love the way they say viewing their records is free when you have to pay a sub!)
Bev
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You might find this useful:
https://genealogy-website-review.org/genealogy-website-reviews/
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How rotten!! :'(
Hope you get your money back, and thank you for the warning. >:(
That is a huge number of rootschatters who will never go there again!!
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CaroleW, I noticed the Lynn Hilditch welcome too, but only subsequently. I was a member in 2014, and have used them for their GRO Consul births, etc. which is free.
An invoice/receipt on my account on familyrelatives.com website shows me the James email was genuine, though I should have been wiser....
I have a debit card which I use only for internet purchases, and never keep more than a couple of hundred pounds in it.
Bevj, I left a message on their Facebook, a message on their "contact us" and a reply to James's email. I don't use Twitter, otherwise I would've left a message there too.
Nanny jan, thank you for the link, I'm now forewarned.
A very big thank you to all.
Update: Credit card purchases refunds start at £100; fortunately I made the payment with a Visa debit card which has no starting amount. Nationwide are now instigating a Visa dispute and I should have my money back in a few days. He'll probably have his hand slapped now, Suey. Thank you again.
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Worrying that so many people on that link given by NJ say that it is impossible to contact them and that the website has been down for some time. Let's hope that Nationwide have more success!
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I looked up the domain name registration information for familyrelatives.com, seems they are a company based in Jersey. But according to companies house, they dont seem to be in business?
Registrant Contact Information:
Treequest Limited
1 Parade Mews, 10 The Parade, Union Street
City
St. Helier
Jersey
JE2 3QP
+44.8456003128
Fax
+44.8456003128
Companies house info.
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/05238479/filing-history
Im not trying to judge them, but I would put your money into more well know sites.
Turnip.
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Worrying that so many people on that link given by NJ say that it is impossible to contact them and that the website has been down for some time. Let's hope that Nationwide have more success!
The website comes up for me, and I also see "Welcome Lynn Hilditch". Very weird.
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Is there any organisation you can report this site to for possible fraud? Is it possible to have the website removed from the net?
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Is there any organisation you can report this site to for possible fraud? Is it possible to have the website removed from the net?
Probably quite difficult to do, without having solid evidence that fraud is going on. The only thing we can do at this point is make others aware that people are having problems with this website regarding money, and make sure no one else gets taken by them.
If its clear that they are taking money fraudulently, then its a case for the police.
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Gosh Relatedtoturnips what a turnup! I've checked your link to Treequest (UK) Ltd and it appears it is connected to a James Varrie in Jersey. Nationwide shows treequest as the payee on their statement. Googling James Varrie you will find more about him and his activities. Thank you for your help.
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Gosh Relatedtoturnips what a turnup! I've checked your link to Treequest (UK) Ltd and it appears it is connected to a James Varrie in Jersey. Nationwide shows treequest as the payee on their statement. Googling James Varrie you will find more about him and his activities. Thank you for your help.
You are welcome. Yes I noticed James Varrie to. He is one some of the documents on the companies information website. He applied for "Striking Off" in 2011. This basically means he is closing down his business.
But as you have mentioned his company name, appeared on your bank statement. Something doesn't seem right! lol.
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Ask your bank to "chargeback ". The payment. And for the bank to report them to a fraud line
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ScouseBoy, I read up on chargeback and mentioned it when I called the bank, however when I called the lady said it is a Visa dispute case.
It seems the address for Treequest (UK) Ltd was in London. Would it apply to the one in Jersey? James Varrie's Facebook appears to have been inactive since November 2015.
When and if the bank calls I'll mention the various findings, though no doubt Visa will check it out if they get many disputes.
I'll keep bumping this up to warn as many Rootschatters as possible. Thank you all.
Note: f word removed.
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Looked on Familyrelatives facebook page and it seems there are several comments by subscribers who couldn't access records or site down - dated around Oct - Nov 2015.
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I'm a bit worried about the mention of xxxxx on a public forum like this, when, as Relatedtoturnips has said there is no actual proof at the moment.
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Hi Groom, I've removed the word.
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Hi Groom, I've removed the word.
I've taken it out of my post as well!
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Not trying to scare anyone, but our Mr Varrie seems to have fingers in many pies.
Hes mentioned in the Panama papers (Yes the dodgy Dave Cameron ones lol).
https://offshoreleaks.icij.org/nodes/11011022
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I would suggest everyone be very careful about the wording they use on this thread.
The site Familyrelatives.com is still active and can be accessed.
It does contain quite a list of free records, but whether the free records are of use to the users of this forum I do not know, they seem to be mainly things like the Overseas GRO Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes 1761-1994 and USA Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce, Immigration, Military enlistment, POW & Casualties
See
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ixt/
It seems, in my opinion, from what I have read on the site to hold records such as trade directories and other records sourced from books of transcribed records rather than original records but I am not totally sure about this.
Cheers
Guy
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I'm a bit worried about the mention of xxxxx on a public forum like this, when, as Relatedtoturnips has said there is no actual proof at the moment.
I'd think it would be fine to prefix it with 'alleged' or 'possible' - to properly convey the flavour of the whole thing ?
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I would suggest everyone be very careful about the wording they use on this thread.
The site Familyrelatives.com is still active and can be accessed.
It does contain quite a list of free records, but whether the free records are of use to the users of this forum I do not know, they seem to be mainly things like the Overseas GRO Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes 1761-1994 and USA Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce, Immigration, Military enlistment, POW & Casualties
See
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01ixt/
It seems, in my opinion, from what I have read on the site to hold records such as trade directories and other records sourced from books of transcribed records rather than original records but I am not totally sure about this.
Cheers
Guy
Good advice Guy. I am only quoting that which is publicly available by google search.
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Gosh Relatedtoturnips what a turnup! I've checked your link to Treequest (UK) Ltd and it appears it is connected to a James Varrie in Jersey. Nationwide shows treequest as the payee on their statement. Googling James Varrie you will find more about him and his activities. Thank you for your help.
You are welcome. Yes I noticed James Varrie to. He is one some of the documents on the companies information website. He applied for "Striking Off" in 2011. This basically means he is closing down his business.
But as you have mentioned his company name, appeared on your bank statement. Something doesn't seem right! lol.
Treequest (UK) Ltd registered at Companies House, Cardiff under company number 05238479 is indeed a dissolved company and therefore cannot trade in any way as it no longer legally exists. However, the company which runs Familyrelatives is Treequest Ltd, Registered in Jersey under Company Number 87643, and was reported as still being 'live' as at February 2016: https://www.jerseyfsc.org/registry/documentsearch/NameDetail.aspx?id=110542.
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Gosh Relatedtoturnips what a turnup! I've checked your link to Treequest (UK) Ltd and it appears it is connected to a James Varrie in Jersey. Nationwide shows treequest as the payee on their statement. Googling James Varrie you will find more about him and his activities. Thank you for your help.
You are welcome. Yes I noticed James Varrie to. He is one some of the documents on the companies information website. He applied for "Striking Off" in 2011. This basically means he is closing down his business.
But as you have mentioned his company name, appeared on your bank statement. Something doesn't seem right! lol.
Treequest (UK) Ltd registered at Companies House, Cardiff under company number 05238479 is indeed a dissolved company and therefore cannot trade in any way as it no longer legally exists. However, the company which runs Familyrelatives is Treequest Ltd, Registered in Jersey under Company Number 87643, and was reported as still being 'live' as at February 2016: https://www.jerseyfsc.org/registry/documentsearch/NameDetail.aspx?id=110542.
Well spotted!
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Well I must say this is very odd ???
I have never had any dealings with or registered with familyrelatives.com. But this morning I had an email from our friend James offering me 40% off their premium census subscription bundle, with instructions to hurry because the offer runs out today.
I wonder if this thread is the subject of stalking!!!!
Bev
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I've just had the same email?
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I got an email about an hour ago - to an email address I gave up using to send emails several years ago, but I still receive emails from a few people on it.
I don't think I registered with family relatives - if I did it would have been several years ago.
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Very odd isn't it, but must be a coincidence as there is no way they could get e-mails from this site.
:o Having said that, I've just checked and I have one as well, sent to the email I only use for this site and RC contacts! I've never registered with them.
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My email from family relatives came to the old email I would have used when I first joined Rootschat, but I have since updated my RC account to use my current email address.
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I've just had the same email from James as well.
Genna
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Me too..email from James an hour ago, to an email address not current on rootschat, but used when I accessed familyrelatives a few years ago [I think for some military records].
Josey
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BrazilianBombshell, this is probably a very silly question, but I notice to get the discount you have to add the code they give you when you check out. You did remember to do that didn't you?
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Yes I did remember and the code was Blackfriday. Having paid the full amount I cannot access the paid for records, hence the reason for the Visa dispute.
I received an email from James at 13.31 today. Something is certainly not right.
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Was it a phishing attempt?
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The email I received earlier today has code Nov2016.
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I don't believe it was a phishing attempt, SB. I have not received a reply from any of my messages. The email I received today has the code for the "special offer" which ends today is Nov2016, LizzieL.
Beware.
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The Welcome screen has a new name:Ruth Titshall.
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I have just signed up with them, paid by credit card. Seem very dodgy to me as they do not bother to reply to any messages I have sent on the website, twitter and facebooks, so I contacted Jersey Police who said they had no way of telling whether an email address or an address given for a business is currently active or exists, so guess they had no interest in checking it out and they said to contact the ActionFraud.co.uk, which I did, but because I can access the service they are not interested, however if people are not getting the service after paying and/or cannot get their money back and unable to contact them, then Action fraud line would be interested as that would be an act of fraud, so if you are in that situation this is what you need do. Contact 'ActionFraud.co.uk', if you call them they will tell you what you need do. Hope it helps those who have lost money, though I doubt if you would get it back but it could close the business down.
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Have any of you seen this? it's dated 9th January 2018.
http://edutechbook.com/lib/familyrelatives%20com%20new%20subscription%20packages%20one%20year.pdf
Malky
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I can't see that Malky as it has a big banner over it telling me I need to create an account, which I'm certainly not going to do!
I wonder if BrazilianBombshell sorted it out?
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This is another one from this month
http://motormodifikasiku.com/familyrelatives-com-new-subscription-packages-one.html
Malky
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I have just looked back in my emails and found two from "James" 31 Dec and 6 Jan offering 50% off subscriptions.
As I could not remember ever hearing about this site and couldn't understand how they got my email address I was a bit sceptical and as they seemed to be offering the same records for UK as I get with Find My Past.
There are websites where you can check on scams.
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"If it seems too good to be true, it probably is"
Could I afford a loss - probably but it would eat into me.
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Yes, thank you, Groom, for asking. I used a debit card and claimed the whole amount back on a Visa Chargeback. The site, however, had me down as a full member right up till November! Tread warily.
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HI All,
Just a warning this crowd is still around and I'm ashamed to say I was caught. So embarrassing after 20 years of genealogy research. :-[ :-[ :-[ Was trying to get through a longstanding brick wall, saw all the directories and didn't check! Lesson learned - next time check in here and of course, if it sounds too good to be true - it will be.
Paid about $55 AUD by credit card and now sorted through my bank though I did get a new card just to be sure no repeat payments. Jane