General Chat

I've just had a nice letter from Ancestry advising me that they can no longer accept payment via Maestro (which I was already aware of)
Just though how nice it is when a Genealogy Website takes the trouble to communicate with it's paying customers !

It's almost a novelty LD ;-)

Hi Laptop
What do they accept then? Not this Paypal lark!
Tina xx

Tina, about to phone them, will post a response on this thread.

Excellent! Much obliged.
Tina xx

Yes I have received a letter this morning as well ,informing me they no longer take Maestro.
But my membership does not expire until June.

Gwyn

Oh, LD, you'll be getting the sleepy sounding american, if it's my sexy sounding guy tell him hi lmao

........er...? am I missing something here... a sleepy sounding american....please wheres the phone......lol

lol... Tina, when I phoned the Ancestry freephone number got a very sexy sounding american man. Almost never heard a word he said I was drooling over his accent so much. And the sleepy comes from the fact that it's probably about 6am there (or earlier depending on area of US). ;-)

I have just had a lengthy conversation with Ancestry. Firstly it took them 10 mins 41 secs to take my call. They confirm to me that the only forms of payment they Accept at this moment is American Express, Visa and Mastercard.
They will NOT accept - Cheques, Bankers Drafts, Postal Orders, Cash via Courier, Debit Cards or direct debit !
They say they are looking at a alternative method of payment and in the meantime have agreed this and I will put this in another paragraph.

"If your Membership is due for renewal and you are unable to pay via the accepted method of payment, please contact Ancestry on 0800 404 9723 and they will arrange free membership until such a time that mutually acceptable forms of payment can be agreed"

In the meantime I'm phoning my bank as I think Ancestry are breaking a code of practise.

Well, to be honest, I think they can refuse to accept a type of card if the terms don't suit them. I know that years ago when I had an electron card they were hardly accepted anywhere. The only solution was to get a different one.

SS..that would make sense if hardly anyone used that card but Maestro ? surely is a well known & used card?
Tina x

It's obviously well used, perhaps Maestro thought they could push fees up on it or something and that businesses would just accept it. In which case they would either be in a position to a) absorb the extra fees, b)pass the cost of fees onto customer and push up subs or c) reject the 'brand' of card.

They should however have put something in place for when they stopped accepting it.

.....tut!... thanks SS.
Tina xx

Thank you too LD for ring up and finding out for us. Will keep the telephone number for future reference.

Tina xx

I must say though, that I don't know for sure that the reason they stopped was fees, that's just what I heard on the grapevine.

I am sending the following to Ancestry just to remind them how important Maestro is. (Incidentally Maestro is owned by Mastercard, which Ancestry accept !)


MasterCard Brand Mark
Maestro Cards
Maestro®

No cash? Then you're likely to reach for plastic - either your credit card or your debit card. Now MasterCard® offers you this same convenience when you travel.

Maestro® is a Global network and can be used at over 3.7 million merchants in over 60 countries.

You may already have access to Maestro® in your wallet today as many financial institutions support Maestro®: In the UK, most "Switch" and "Solo" cards have the Maestro logo on the back of the card.

Switch is an all electronic debit card payment system. Founded in 1988, there are now over 19 million card holders and more than 425,550 outlets accepting Switch in the UK. There are 31 member banks and building societies. Direct access to your current account 24 hrs a day Convenient, fast and secure.

Solo was launched on 1st July 1997 by the Switch Card Scheme, one of the world's leading domestic payment systems. Like its sister card Switch, Solo is a fully electronic debit card and is just as convenient to use to pay for everyday goods & services.


If your Debit Card bears the Maestro logo, then you're all set. If it doesn't, contact your financial institution and ask for one. It's The Way To Pay!

* One card for shopping and ATMs.
* Access your own funds (directly from your current account).
* Safer than carrying a lot of cash.
* Keeps track of spending. You get a receipt when you pay and a detailed listing of every purchase on your monthly statement (including date, time, place, and amount).
* Lets you shop everywhere you see the Maestro logo (you can get favourable exchange rates when making purchases abroad).
* Maestro transactions are also converted from the currency of the merchant into £ Sterling at competitive wholesale foreign exchange rates.


Discover all the different places around the world that welcome Maestro® debit cards for payment of purchases - click here to find out.

Oh well done, that will make them sit up. Perhaps we should have a petition lol!

Maybe find out the definitive reason why they stopped taking it first. Also google to find out who else has stopped accepting it?

It wouldn't be so bad if they took cheques. I'm lucky though, mines a visa debit card.

May be owned by them but subsidiaries often apply own rules separate to parent company.

I too have had a letter today but a good few months yet before payment due no longer have a credit card so hope they can sort another payment method out.

Linda x