Findmypast new subscriptions available

[At home in NZ]

I have received a notification by email of new packages available.
The email states that the offers are available to UK based customers only.
I view this as blatant discrimination.
Are there any anti discrimination laws in UK that back up my view ?

 

[Liberty]

I have received a notification by email of new packages available.
The email states that the offers are available to UK based customers only.
I view this as blatant discrimination.
Are there any anti discrimination laws in UK that back up my view ?

There are in the UK laws against discrimination on race, religion, gender etc. but not location.
Ask anyone in the highlands of Scotland how they feel about paying extra for delivery (or being refused delivery) because of where they live.

 

[At home in NZ]

With respect Liberty, I don't think that's quite the same. Living here in NZ I am used to higher charges for what is called 'rural delivery'. However, I am not used to being denied purchase of anything based on where I live. The reason it irks me so much is that FMP are denying those of us who are UK born and therefore UK researchers paying for the ability to do the same research as people who are actually residing in the UK.
FMP further annoys me because whenever I open a new session (I am not subscribed but I have been) it assumes I want to research Australia and NZ and I do not like assumptions being made about me.

 

[Rhian]

It may just be that the changes are being phased in, UK first for support reasons, and in a few months it will spread to the colonies.

I just looked at their subscription page, at the co.uk site, and I get offered the new subscriptions even though I do not live in the UK. I am not sure what happens if I try to buy one as I am currently waiting for my 50% saving offer to arrive.

 

[At home in NZ]

I get offered the new subscriptions even though I do not live in the UK

I'm not sure which subs you are being offered. The email in question is offering Starter, Plus and Pro subscriptions and states that the 1939 is available on a monthly sub.
When I click on the Subscribe now button in the email it takes me to the Select a Subscription page which is displaying the choice of a World sub or an Australian sub and the prices are in AUD. It points out that the 1939 register is not included in the one month package.
I cannot for the life of me understand the logic in any of this. Law or no law i see it as blatant discrimination.

 

[Tim]

This is what I'm being shown in the UK

 

[Rhian]

That is the same as I get, not in the UK!

It could be because you are not of the co.uk site, the delay in roll out I suggested earlier or discrimination. Asking cantfindmypast might clarify the situation, they did send you the email and presumably know your are in NZ so might be prepared to explain.

 

[At home in NZ]

Thanks for all your replies, I used to subscribe to findmypast.co.uk and the email is from them. When I go to the findmypast.co.uk site it tells me it looks like i'm in NZ or Oz and would i like to continue with the UK site, so i say yes to that. Then I select subscribe now and it takes me to findmypast.com.au and I get the choices offered to Oz people and there is a heading 'Why become an Australia & New Zealand member?' That really does my head in!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope canyfindmypast has a nohelp service.................

over and out

 

[NicolaP]

I wonder if FMP are trying to stop people from one country subscribing to their sites for other countries so they can offer deals and restrict them to specific countries only? I know in the past some have taken advantage of very good offers on the US site which weren't available elsewhere. Seems rather mean I'm afraid, but the redirect when trying to subscribe does suggest that is what they are up to. Will only cause bad feeling and probable affect their levels of subscribers.

 

[At home in NZ]

I had two goes at getting a proper answer from FMP and this is what they have now told me:

As my colleague Sophie has advised, these new packages are currently only available on our British site findmypast.co.uk to those living in Britain.

These are new packages, indeed these have only been released within the last month.

Before the launch of these packages were trialled onsite randomly to new users, and to ensure these packages were received successfully and met the needs of our members, the decision was made to extend the trial of this packages to Britain only, before developing new packages for our other territories.

The new packages are restricted to Britain IP addresses currently.

This means anyone outwith Britain using the findmypast.co.uk site will be directed to the website linked to the local territory - in your case findmypast.com.au

This is linked to your IP address, rather than the email address used.

I can appreciate your disappointment, however, we do hope in the near future, to roll out these packages to our other territories, please keep an eye on email updates for news of this.
end of quote.

I wonder why the hell they sent me an invitation to subscribe to the new packages???????

and, Rhian not in UK are you sure you remain in the UK site if you select subscribe?

I have never been keen on FMP and as NicolaP says this is causing me to have bad feeling. Oh well, guess I'll have to wait and see what eventuates.

 

[Rhian]

I can confirm that I get the new offers if I select subscribe on the UK site, I can also confirm that I will not be subscribing.

The interesting thing with the reply you got was "...developing new packages for our other territories." This means they may be offering different types of subscription in different regions, possibly with a different price structure, which adds fuel to the fire that Brightsolid are mainly interested in profit from genealogy and genealogists are a nuisance they have to put up with. They are still better than MyHeritage though.

 

[peter]

Whilst it was a shock at first to discover that Findmypast were redirecting those with IP addresses outside the UK, it doesn't surprise me that when trialling new subscription packages they wouldn't want the numbers to be distorted. (Ancestry do exactly the same with DNA tests, for regulatory reasons.)

I think it's worth pointing out that any discrepancy between the prices in different regions is largely a function of exchange rates and local taxes, and not about increasing profits for Findmypast. For example, World subscriptions have long (perhaps always) been cheaper at Findmypast's Australian site, because their sales tax is lower.

Something else to consider: without a strong competitor for Ancestry we'd all be paying a lot more for our Ancestry subscriptions. Whether or not you prefer Ancestry, you most certainly wouldn't want to live in a world without Findmypast!

 

[Bryman]

This is linked to your IP address, rather than the email address used.

You could try subscribing via a VPN to make it look as though you are located in UK at the time of subscribing.
Alternatively, you could ask a friend/relative in UK to subscribe as you.
There doesn't appear to be a restriction on where subsequent use must be from.