Over 300 years of newspaper articles
Vast archive of books and government documents
Extensive YouTube Channel with hours of training materials
Blog with the latest information relevant for genealogists
First month trial for $9.95 allowing researchers to try out the service risk free:Trial is a full-access trial, giving the researcher access to all records
Website is user friendly and easy to navigate
Comprehensive Genealogist Q & A
Helpful and professional customer service staff
Social media presences which are active communities: Facebook, Twitter
Ability to buy gift memberships (even selecting the very day that the membership term begins) in advance

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The Bad

Bait and switch
Cancellation

Most of the complaints center around billing and recurring charges. These fall under two categories: Bait and switch

When first accessing GenealogyBank.com, you can search for an ancestor's name. The results page loads with the results and what they are without showing the actual documents. To see the actual documents, one must sign up for a trial. Nowhere on the site does it give the cost of the trial until entering billing and payment information.
The trial is stated to be "no risk," but there are strict terms to cancel the trial (and prevent being billed the annual price of $69.95) which are on the site, but not easily accessible

Cancellation

After 30 days have passed in the trial membership, the credit card used for the trial period is automatically
Some members have reported difficulty getting their memberships canceled
Members must speak to a customer service representative to cancel

Other problems our review team sees with GenealogyBank.com is that the records are for the United States only and there are holes in the number of newspaper archives for which information is available - mainly in the New England States and across the Southern US.

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The Bottom Line

GenealogyBank.com has many unique records which allow researchers to put more of their family history together and to put stories to their ancestor's lives. For those interested in obtaining more information (obituaries, etc.), this service can be invaluable. Our experience with customer service did not match the complaints online of ineffective and representatives who are not helpful. GenealogyBank.com offers many records which are not as easily found with their competitors and as such is a good option. The website is intuitive and user friendly. As such, we can recommend GenealogyBank.com if the researcher needs information from newspaper or government sources.

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User Reviews

Star Rating

1.6

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10 Reviews

Review Breakdown

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10%

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10%

1 grade

70%

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Kristi Bailey

I paid the start up fee and then decided not to use their services and I requested a refund. Two collegues from Genealogy.com contacted me and told me the refund would arrive in about 30-45 days. I wrote a follow up email after 30 days and they said that the refund would arrive in 7-10 days, and it did! I am very pleased that the refund arrived as promised, in a timely manner. From what I understand they have new managment as of a few months ago. Based on my experience the new management is doing a good job.

8 years ago