First Free Records Available from Ancestry.com World Archives Project
The next collections to go online are likely the ones currently in arbitration, which include Middlesex Criminal Registers, Alabama State Census, Marriages of the Deaf in America and Historic Postcards from Sweden and Italy. Projects currently being indexed by volunteers include Historic Postcards (France), Lubeck Marriage Banns (Germany), England and Wales Criminal Registers, Nebraska State Census, and Naturalization Indexes for New England, New York, NYC and Southern California.
Ancestry.com says that *soon* active contributors (those keying at least 900 records per quarter) for the World Archives Project will receive free access to all images associated with World Archives Project collections, discounts on their current Ancestry.com memberships upon renewal, and the ability to suggest/vote on which collections are indexed next.
It irks me when I see “Free Records Available from Ancestry.com” They are never free.
While we can browse the indexes, the output of these indexes are “payment required”.
This is like having a loss leader at a department store. The “Free Records” are just to get you in the door.
I hate the false advertising from these sites, and I’m wondering if it is even legal. Almost every “free” site I have gone in to will not give you any information unless you pay a fee first. What a joke!
JMI
Ancestry thinks we are stupid! They continue to tempt us with a name and when we get to that word or name, then they let us know that we must PAY. Sorry they got most if not all of their info from the Later Day Saints who are a great group with no charge – now Ancestry has taken over most of their info.
Stay away from Ancestry!!!
Free records available. What a joke.
Your web site gives falls advertising. Nothing is free on it…… Shame on you…
Ancestry is asking for, and presumably getting, god knows how many hours of FREE LABOUR in return for what? – “SOON” giving free access (maybe) to a limited range of data to those who have slaved the most. That’s the way to make capitalism pay or make mugs pay!
I agree the Ancestry.com is not free and should stop advertising as such. Upon recieving a free demo they still had to have my cc# to give me that. I suggest we protest that African American genealogy should be free because our searches are like “looking for a needle in a haystack”. T
What is free these days and Ansetry is a rip off FREE they do not know the meaning of free
I took a a free trail with them and I had to give over my credit card details and they siad they would contact me before charging me for time or membership well they zapped me twice with a payment I had to get my BANK Lawyers to get my money back I will not use them at all and Yes they do get a lot off there infro from The Latter Day Staint and the Moman Churches
Such cry babies- do you know how much TIME and gas YOU would have to pay to go to all of the state and county buildings, cemeteries, newspapers offices, etc to find your information and maybe once you get there it isn’t available. I have used Ancestry for several years and it has broken down MANY brick walls and helped me get in touch with living relatives of which I would never have known about. Ancestry has catalogued and indexed millions of pieces of information that helps you put together your ancestry. I for one say “THANK YOU Ancestry.com.
If I subscribed to ONLY one site for research, it would be Ancestry.com. I find more there than anywhere else. Since I use it almost every day, it is WELL worth the cost. When I started doing genealogy 25 years ago, I had to go to libriaries and archives and spent countless hours with my head in a microfilm reader. I am so thankful to Ancestry for providing the information online.
The worst part of it is that the Later Day Saints have allowed themselves to be a part of the scheme. The are and have put their good name up for ridicule in the process. We might have thought some of their info was bad before but we didn’t have to pay for it.
Ihave used Ancestry.co.uk for the last 5 years or so on and of and find them the best for my needs. I don’t have a car so going around the country is out of the question in cost and time. I have used other sites but they cost more in the long run
I use Ancestry.com, but not happy with the charges, Most information has been logged on by families doing their research. To me their program is one of the slowest, especially photo part, the screen setup’s are slow moving too. I have a basic fee, always being hit with screen to pay more so I can dupicate info to my screen. I’m looking around to find a more friendly site.
I received Family Tree Maker for Christmas. Just loaded it and logged on to ancestry and every turn they were asking for a credit card. I went to there FAQ page…there were over 500 FAQs…. and searched for free trial. To my suprise…I was suposed to have a voucher in my box…YEAH RIGHT. Therwas no voucher for the 3 month free trial that is advertised on the box. The “free” stuff is exactly what is on the disk I already have. Led me to google Ancesty.com rip-off…and here you all are. Thanks for confirming my gut suspicions. Good luck to you all with getting your money back. Seems like somebody would stop all their false adverising.
Try geni.com. It is free, searchable, and very slick. Not as much info yet, but the more users, the better. I for one love it.
I have spent hundeds of hours researching and putting together my families records, but I do not charge for giving information away. I do not think you should have to pay to know who your ancestors are, or for public records!!!!!
second time I have tried to post. I will not pay for Ancestry.com. They are bleeding dry every “free service” and taking work I DID the research for and are selling it! One can barely find anything free anymore!!!
I don’t have a problem with a service, such as ancestry.com, charging a subscription fee. i do have a problem in that I signed up for a two week free trial and discovered that they charged my credit card $29.95 on the very first day of my trial period. I was thinking of continuing my subscription but immediately canceled because I felt that they had been dishonest in their advertising. I have contested the charge with my credit card company and am awaiting their decision.
I thought nothing is free on Family Tree Maker. Glad I read the comments here. I have an old version and I will keep it.
Not interested in getting a new version that charges for supposedly free information?
Nothing is for free these days and if you believe it is well anybody can sell you anything!