This weekend: Free access to Ancestry UK records [closed]

Question

I don't have the full details, so I don't know if this is just for people in the U.S. (I think it might be), or has other restrictions, but here's the content from the email I received from Ancestry.com:

This weekend only, we're giving you free access to more than 1 billion UK records—so mark your calendars and get ready to uncover some amazing family gems.

 

 

 

*Access to the records in the featured collections will be free from February 17, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. ET to February 20, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. ET. After the free access period ends, you will only be able to view the records in the featured collections using an Ancestry World Explorer or All Access paid membership. To see a full list of the records in the featured collections, please click here.

Comments

OH!

 you will only be able to view the records in the featured collections using an Ancestry World Explorer or All Access paid membership. 

Not so free after all. 

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This sounds wonderful!  May I post your article to FB please?

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Tom, the ad says that after the free access period ends, you'll need an expensive subscription to view these records.

Jamie, I don't see why you couldn't post this to Facebook. The email even included links for sharing to Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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you will only be able to view the records in the featured collections using an Ancestry World Explorer or All Access paid membership AFTER the free period ends, Tom.

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I get redirected to a 14 day free trial. http://www.ancestry.com/cs/ukrecords.

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When I search I just get

We're sorry, the site is temporarily unavailable.

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Like Kurt discovered, I too get directed to a 14 day trial and I cannot access any UK records unless I plug in my credit card. So this access is NOT really free is it?

We have to supply a means of payment, and then have to personally  cancel the membership before they charge us. NOT NICE at all!!

In Canada, I think that is illegal. I always ignore these "oh so kind" offers, because really, they are not free at all.

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Do you see a menu bar at the top of the screen? Click on "SEARCH".

(When I tested this, not logged in to US Ancestry and using a browser from which I had never logged in to Ancestry, I ignored that sign-in screen and went straight to the menu, where I was able to search records.)

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Thanks for the suggestion, when I tried it with the  Opera browser, which doesn't log me in, the "View" button did nothing. In Firefox, after logging out, clicking on that button brought up a pop-up asking me to register in order to view this record. Maybe they don't like Canadian I.P. addresses:) Probably nothing new there anyway, or rather I wouldn't know what to look for. Thanks again.

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Yesterday I used the free access both logged in (probably preferable) and not logged in (just as a test). But today I've had difficulty getting a search screen. My guess is that the site is slammed with eager users!

Answer 1

Note that the headline was for Feb, 2017.  This is May, 2018.

Answer 2

I thought I'd be doing my taxes this weekend...or taking down my Christmas decorations...but now, I'll be checking out my UK ancestors records at ancestry!!!!  I've been tempted to get the Ancesstry World Explorer membership...this will be a good time to see what's available without paying!

Comments

I've been downloading my ancestry records, so when I think I've got all I'm gonna get, I'll drop my paid subscription

Answer 3

This free access period has started. It works for me from the United States, both from my Ancestry U.S. login and from a browser on which I'm not logged in  -- the URL is http://www.ancestry.com/cs/ukrecords.

Answer 4

Can someone tag this to Irish_Roots as the access is to Irish and UK records and is for outside the US also please.

Thanks.

Comments

Great news! I added the Ireland tag.

Answer 5

I tried to access several UK  records via Ancestry this weekend, from Belgium
- I always get referred to a signin in screen , that requires me to enter my credit card data and offers me no option to access during the "free" period,
- I use a  pre-paid credit card that holds no current balance, the card gets refused because Ancestry is making charges  to it during the signin process
- in other words
a) I get billed the amount of a subscription
b) acording to previous contributors I  have to terminate the subscription myself  immediately .. No link found to make this termination , email doesn't work because there is no-one around at Ancestry

conclusion i expect that I will not to get a refund for the billed amount, on some "contractual clause" i will have to, I will have to terminate again at a later date, or i will get billed again

Ancestry is a fraudulent website that only bills customers

I woudl suggest to the wikitree community  that Ancestry.com references are no longer acceptable as they cannot be verified consulted by other wiki users