Fraser and Fraser I couldn't agree more with your sentiments if aimed at the wrong person. I also think you need to look at the law regarding certificates etc. They cannot legally charge you more thanb £7 for a certificate that is statute as you well should know. They can charge an exhorbitant price to view the indexes they hold but that is a choice we all have to use or not to use.
With regards to length of time one waits for certificates your company is one of the main causes of this. How are we I hear you say? Well programs such as Heir Hunters and Who do you think you are produce a lot of traffic for RO's to deal with. The GRO even post this on their website as new series are about to be aired so maybe consider refusing to do another series of self promotion. Oh and your researchers wouldn't get through my door for a job having seen the way they work.
Onto the photocopying of certs. Personally I think it is wrong to photocopy the registers. The bending of the spine will soon see pages falling out and then where will we be.
Now to put a positive slant on the topic.
I recently emailed Rochdale RO with details of a death I wanted checking prior to sending for the cert. I emailed them at 4am, at 10.30 am they phoned me, confirmed that some of what I had asked to be checked matched and I duly ordered by debit card the cert. It was posted that evening. Great service and one that would be nice to see repeated everywhere.
A second positive was for Gwynedd councils registrar at Dolgelly. I sent for a cert with the wrong year of birth given (clients details) and they duly returned it with a letter suggesting which office to try. After trying that office and being told it wasnt their catchment I phoned Dolgelly. We spent 40 minutes on the phone with no luck and I resigned myself to the cert being lost. 10 minutes later I got a call back saying we have found it. Great service and customer care by both offices.
Rob
