I paid for a full access, internationally, and newspapers too. When I do a search for a newspaper, I am locked out unless I use a special PW. Also, when I fill out a form and the results are not av... See more
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Wish they had military rank and branch along with birth, death, sex, names. Search is overly complicated. Having to buy newspapers separately is expensive. Tree checker is helpful but again an addit... See more
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Ancestry seems to think it needs to fix things that are working just fine. Many of these 'fixes' have done nothing to improve using the program, in fact it has made many things far more difficult. I f... See more
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There are many resources you pull from z I am disappointed when U have to purchase more access to records such as newspaper and/or European records. I pay a lot for not having more access than I do.
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- #4 of 5 best companies in Genealogist
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About Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com® is the world's largest online family history resource home to billions of historical records, millions of family trees and much more. It's also the world's leading network of businesses dedicated to helping everyone discover, preserve and share their family history.
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I signed up for a trial period
I signed up for a trial period. Then forgot about it. When the monthly subscription fee hit my bank I went to the site to cancel the membership. They then charged me another $24.83 to cancel my membership on top of the monthly fee which is the same price of $24.83. They double charged me for the same month. DO NOT USE THEM. There are others out there that are better it’s a shame they have to hide and sneak fees like this in. You are forced to pay it to cancel. I am disputing it with BBB hopefully I can recover my money.
After your reply I will do everything I can to discourage people from using/paying for your site. At least this way they can actually see the type of people you are and know what they’re getting into. All they really need to do is look at the overall ratings you have at multiple sites. I guess your site is not good enough to retain people so you charge them for leaving to make enough profit. Yes I will post this on every site that I can. Maybe it will or won’t help but I will try. Hope you have a nice day too!
September 11, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hi there, James. We appreciate you reaching out, and we're sorry to hear about the frustration you've experienced while cancelling your membership. Cancellation fees apply only to semi-annual and annual memberships paid monthly if you cancel before the end of the 6- or 12-month term, which is explained in the terms and conditions you must read and agree to before checkout. We understand this additional charge can be frustrating if you're not expecting to continue after your free trial, but we can confirm this will ensure you are not charged again or subscribed beyond the time you've already paid for.
We would be happy to assist with any questions you have regarding your account after cancellation, and help with any of your family research. Thanks again for reaching out, James, and have a wonderful day!
I read a lot of complaints about…
I read a lot of complaints about Ancestry right here, and I agree it can be expensive for the average person, but it seems to me that if you reach out to a human support (reply "Agent" to get a live support person) you get their best efforts to make your experience right. That was true in my personal experience when the recent death of my mother, and the added loss of income prevented me from continuing my subscription. My agent (Ayesha) helped me cancel it, along with refunding the recent charge to my credit card. The agent helping me cancelled my subscription as a one-time exception and transitioned my accout to a free registered guest account.
They strive to make their customers happy whenever possible as is evident in their responses to these complaints. This is the kind of customer service that is so lacking in many other businesses and I value that integrity in their customer service. I trust in Ancestry for this very reason.
September 7, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hello Dolores. Thank you for taking the time and letting us know how well you were treated by Ayesha. We would let her know of your kind comments. Thank you for sharing!
It has improved over the years
It has improved over the years. The cost to access the many connected services is a little out of hand. Primarily the cost for newspaper information is outrageous and should be included in the service that I already have.
September 11, 2026
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hi there, Michael, and thanks for reaching out! We're glad to hear the changes we've made have been beneficial to your research and have helped your tree grow. If you use multiple other services, like https://bit.ly/2GaJqKC and Fold3, in your work, we offer an all-inclusive plan that provides access to our site and theirs for one price, rather than multiple pricey memberships. We've linked to more information here if you'd like to check it out: https://bit.ly/4gWXqao
Thanks again for sharing your experiences, Michael. We wish you luck in your family research and hope you have a wonderful day!
love the access with the 'all access'…
love the access with the 'all access' pass. but sometimes the website gets overloaded, slow and glitches. Also, read the 'hints' from AI very carefully, they aren't always correct.
September 11, 2026
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hello Vivian. We are glad that you like the All Access subscription. The website can get overloaded at times, when that happens we suggest that you clear your cache and cookies and then it should run more smoothly. The hints are just that, hints they are not always correct and so you should research them out before adding them to your tree. Thank you for sharing your input. We would love to hear more! What other interesting discoveries have you found along your journey?
Read the fine print
My only issue with Ancestry.com is that you cannot cancel a subscription, at any time, without receiving a $25 penalty. They sure got me. Yet another dirty business practice. Shame on them.
July 16, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Ancestry.com
Thank you for reaching out to us, Michele. We're sorry for any distress and disappointment this fee has caused and are eager to address it with you.
We want to clarify that members can cancel at any time and we only charge a cancellation fee if members subscribe to a semi annual or annual subscription but opt to pay it monthly and then choose to cancel before the end of subscription period. In opting for this plan, you are committing to the entire length of your subscription and so if you choose to cancel before the end of the 6 months/ 12 months, a cancellation fee applies. Cancellation fees are the lesser of (i) $25 for 6-month subscriptions or $50 for 12-month subscriptions (plus any applicable taxes) or (ii) the remaining cost of your subscription. We have linked our Renewal and Cancellation Terms below for your convenience. We also offer a monthly, semi annual and annual subscription which are paid upfront and there is no cancellation fee for cancelling these plans. Please see our Terms and Conditions for more information: https://www.ancestry.com/cs/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms. We hope this helps explain the charge you incurred and are sorry again for any distress caused.
Be careful what you wish for
Be careful what you wish for. I tried to sign up for an email offer for $159 and got pushed into a $250 package. Getting that cancelled and corrected was a nightmare. It could only be resolved by humans, not chatbots and AI voice prompts. Thank God I finally reached a human.
September 7, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hi Kelly and thank you for sharing your experience. We're very sorry to hear that the offer you signed up for was different to the one that was advertised and that you'd intended to purchase. That's very unusual indeed and we regret that this happened. We're glad to hear that the matter has since been addressed and resolved, though we're sorry it was not a seamless fix. Unfortunately anything to do with making changes to an account requires a human support agent and we're sorry if you found it difficult to get in touch with one. For future reference, we've listed our contact options below.
1-800-401-3193 (Seven days a week from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm ET.)
https://support.ancestry.com/s/contactsupport/
You'll first be met by our virtual agent, but if you type "agent", and hit send, you'll be patched through to the next available member of staff.
We wish you the very best of luck on your research journey with us and do not hesitate to get back in touch should you need any further assistance going forward.
Website is difficult to navigate
Website is difficult to navigate. Not easy to link trees. Subscription is too high and then a $25 cancellation fee even if you’re up to date on the subscription. Do not recommend.
September 10, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hi Lori and thank you for reaching out to us. We regret to hear that you've found the website so difficult to navigate and have had trouble organising your trees. We've linked an article below which should contain support articles that should help you better navigate the website and your trees going forward.
https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Ancestry-Family-Tree-Resources
If you continue to have any issues, feel free to give our customer support team a call on the number listed below and they'll be happy to talk you through everything over the phone.
1-800-401-3193 (Seven days a week from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm ET.)
We're sorry for any distress and disappointment the cancellation fee has caused and are eager to address it with you. We want to clarify that members can cancel at any time and we only charge a cancellation fee if members subscribe to a semi-annual or annual subscription but opt to pay it monthly and then choose to cancel before the end of subscription period. In opting for this plan, you are committing to the entire length of your subscription and so if you choose to cancel before the end of the 6 months/ 12 months, a cancellation fee applies. Cancellation fees are the lesser of (i) $25 for 6-month subscriptions or $50 for 12-month subscriptions (plus any applicable taxes) or (ii) the remaining cost of your subscription. We have linked our Renewal and Cancellation Terms below for your convenience. We also offer a monthly, semi annual and annual subscription which are paid upfront and there is no cancellation fee for cancelling these plans. Please see our Terms and Conditions for more information: https://www.ancestry.com/cs/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms. We hope this helps explain the charge you incurred and are sorry again for any distress caused.
We're sorry you feel our subscriptions are too expensive and appreciate you sharing this feedback with us. We'll relay this feedback to the appropriate team and would encourage you to subscribe to our promotional email list. That way you'll be first to know the next time one is announced. Check out the guide we've linked below for more information.
https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Signing-up-for-Promotional-Emails-from-Ancestry
Excellent customer service
Excellent customer service, very knowledgeable customer service agent. Using the chat option was very easy to use.
September 10, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Ancestry.com
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this wonderful feedback with us, Kevin! We are thrilled to hear that your experience with our chat support was smooth and that your agent provided knowledgeable, helpful service. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with our customer service team and want to wish you the very best of luck with your continued research.
No response to request for assistance
I had a previous account, but closed it before we moved, as I no longer had time to enjoy it. After moving, I rejoined. However my new account did not include my previous account which included DNA testing. I asked repeatedly for the accounts to be merged. I have never received any kind of response nor assistance in regaining my old account.
December 10, 2025
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hi Ruth and thank you for reaching out to us with this review. We are very sorry to hear you have had so much trouble trying to resolve this issue. It sounds like you haven't been able to get through to our team so we want to make sure you have our contact details so that you can speak to an agent and they can resolve this for you. You have been trying to reach us on an old phone number or email address which would explain why you haven't heard back from us. Rest assured, our customer support team should be able to locate your original account and help move information between the two accounts so they are more or less merged into one. We have a dedicated phone support team and also offer a live chat service. You can find more information on both listed below.
1-800-401-3193 (Seven days a week from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm ET.)
Live Chat: https://support.ancestry.com/s/contactsupport/
You'll first be met by our virtual agent, but if you type "agent", and hit send, you'll be patched through to the next available member of staff.
Family found each other from DNA
I will always be a great fan of ancestry.com. Shortly after completing my DNA results, someone messaged me. She shared with me that she had been waiting for years for someone to show up as a relative. She explained to me that she had been looking for her father but had very little information to go on. I shared some of the information with my dad and he confirmed some of the details that she shared. It turns out that she is my first cousin. Her dad, my uncle, had also been looking for her and her mother for many years! We just recently had a mini reunion. We had not ever met her before, but quickly became well acquainted. If it had not been for the ancestry DNA testing we most likely would not have ever found each other!
October 9, 2025
Reply from Ancestry.com
What an absolute dream of a story! Hearing about family reunions like this is the reason we do what we do. Bringing long-lost family together after years of searching—and helping your uncle and cousin finally reconnect—is truly incredible.
Thank you so much for sharing such a meaningful personal story with us, and for being such a valued part of the Ancestry community. We wish your family all the best as you continue to build on these wonderful new relationships!
Excellent Service !
The representative who helped me this morning, was very professional, knowledgeable and patient. I could not gain access to my account and by the end of the call I had full access. Prior to this morning's call another representative through the chat, did not succeed in helping me, signed off without asking if i gained access or needed anything else.
Speaking
September 10, 2026
Reply from Ancestry.com
Thank you for sharing this experience with us, Marcus. We are so glad to hear that the phone representative you spoke to yesterday morning was patient, knowledgeable, and able to get you back into your account!
At the same time, we sincerely apologize for the earlier chat experience. Having an agent sign off without ensuring your issue was fully resolved is not the level of support we strive to provide. We are using your feedback to coach our chat team so that every member receives the complete, patient support you experienced this morning.
We truly appreciate your patience, and we are glad you have full access to your account again!
you have to buy more like news paper/find a grave/ ect
I have been using Ancestry for over 38 years
January 8, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hello Rose Marie. Thank you for your feedback. We love hearing all about what works and doesnt work and what we can improve on. If you would like to add any additional feedback you can do so by clicking on the link below.
https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Providing-Feedback-About-Ancestry
We would love to hear more! What other interesting discoveries have you found along your journey?
My phone call was answered by Aoife O…
My phone call was answered by Aoife O Neill and she was very helpful, pleasant and professional. She answered all my questions and left me with a positive feeling about Ancestry.com
September 10, 2026
Reply from Ancestry.com
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this wonderful feedback, Karen! We are thrilled to hear that Aoife provided such pleasant, helpful, and professional support.
Knowing she answered all your questions and left you with a positive experience is so lovely to hear. We will be sure to pass your kind words directly to Aoife and her manager—we're sure it'll make her day!
She was so patient and kind ,knew so…
She was so patient and kind ,knew so much and helped me reach my goal ,she does her job effortlessly and had a lot of knowledge
Thank you so much
August 10, 2026
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hi Kathryn and thank you for taking the time to share this lovely review with us. We are thrilled to hear that your support agent you dealt with was so patient, kind, and knowledgeable, and that she helped you reach your goal so effortlessly.
Thank you for being a valued part of the Ancestry community. We want to wish you all the best on your continued research journey.
It has been very easy to look at…
It has been very easy to look at other's trees to add or verify information to my trees.
September 10, 2026
Reply from Ancestry.com
Thanks for sharing this review with us, Jennifer. We are so glad to hear that browsing community member trees has been a smooth and easy way to build out and verify your own family history. Connecting research and sharing discoveries is what the Ancestry community is all about, and we’re thrilled the tree features are working so well for you. Happy researching!
Unable to attach FGS to ancestry messages
I find it odd and unhelpful that a family group sheet cannot be attached to ancestry messages when corresponding from a dna match or research cousin.
August 21, 2026
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hi there, Arver, and thank you for your feedback! We always appreciate hearing from our members about helpful features and less helpful ones, so we can continue to improve. We'll ensure your feedback is sent on, but you can always submit further comments or concerns through our form here: https://bit.ly/3whSp9m
Thanks again for stopping by, Arver! We hope you have a lovely day!
Customer service was a great help to me…
Customer service was a great help to me today!
September 10, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Ancestry.com
We're so glad to hear our support team was so helpful, HSP! Thanks for sharing your experience, and have a lovely day!
No results just sneaky bills
I paid the money for ancestry.com. They sent me the test. I completed it. Sent it . six weeks later., I get a letter saying that the test didn’t have enough DNA so they sent me another one. I completed it and sent it. Never heard from them again. Except for the 99 and the $39 bills they were secretly sending me. I get no satisfaction from this company. Only hundreds of dollars of bills, and no way to contact them. I just got a thing from them in my mail, wanting to charge me 300 bucks real sneaky like for another three months of nothing. I repeat I have got no test and no test results. Just outrageous sneaky bills. This company blows.
February 3, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hi there, Derek. Thanks for reaching out; we truly apologize for the delay in your DNA results, as well as the unexpected charges you've seen. If it's been over 6-8 weeks since you returned your second kit, there may have been an issue in transit or processing, and our live support team would be happy to look into what happened and get it resolved right away! We've linked their contact details below to ensure you get help quickly. They can also check into any memberships on your account, so you aren't charged for anything you're not using or don't want. Thanks again, and we hope you have a wonderful day!
Live Chat link: https://bit.ly/3QSatxS
Phone support: https://bit.ly/44n4d6U
So many wonderful resources
There are so many resources to cross-reference to make sure the data I gather is correct and Ancestry is always striving to create a better experience. I've been a member since 2011 and I've been able to learn and pass on to my family so much we hadn't known. Thank you.
September 10, 2026
Reply from Ancestry.com
Thank you so much for being a dedicated member of our community since 2011, DB! It is wonderful to hear how much you value our cross-referencing resources to keep your research accurate. Knowing that Ancestry has helped you uncover lost history and pass those meaningful discoveries down to your family is the absolute best compliment we could receive. Thank you for your kind words and for continuing your family history journey with us! We can't wait to see where else this journey will take you.
I THOUGHT I GOT A SPECIAL DEAL FOR…
I THOUGHT I GOT A SPECIAL DEAL FOR LABOR DAY FOR UNDER 40.00 BUT CAN'T DO ANYTHING W/ IT AS WHEREVER I TURN THERE IS ANOTHER FEE REQUIRED. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS PROMO WAS EXPLAINED WELL. I AM DISAPPOINTED.
September 9, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Ancestry.com
Hi there, Lesley! Thanks for reaching out; while we're glad to hear you took advantage of our Labor Day discounts, we want to make sure you can use them for your research and self-discovery. We'd love to clarify how to best use your new membership and answer any questions you have about your DNA test. We've linked some great guides from our support center below, but if you have any other concerns, please give our live support team a call! Thanks for stopping by, Lesley, and we hope you have a lovely day!
World Explorer membership: https://bit.ly/3RfG4Kb
How to Search Ancestry: https://bit.ly/3UUtYrS
Phone support: https://bit.ly/44n4d6U
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