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What on earth is up with the GRO?

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  • What on earth is up with the GRO?

    I'm not really expecting anyone to have any answers to this, but I wanted to share this story because I'm really really cross and not sure there's anything I can do about it...

    I ordered 5 certificates from the GRO, using full and correct references, on 21st April. 4 death certs for 4 siblings who died in the 1870's in Wales, and one for a friend as a 40th birthday present, which was a birth cert for her grandfather who was born in Bethnal Green, London in 1911. She's just starting out on her tree and was very excited about finding out about him (he died before she was born).

    On 29th April I received 5 envelopes. 5 death certs. They'd sent one of the sibling deaths in duplicate, and the birth cert for my friend was missing. So I phoned the GRO and explained what had happened.

    The lady on the phone quizzed me in great detail as if I were trying to defraud her in some way, and eventually concluded that someone had made a mistake (er, yes!) and told me that she would get the correct cert and an empty envelope "for the duplicate to be returned in" sent out as a priority. I thought this was quite reasonable.

    Today I got sick of waiting. I thought two weeks wait since the new cert was meant to be sent "as a priority" was a bit too long, so I phoned to find out what was happening. I eventually got through only to be told that my query hadn't even been looked at yet, and that there was currently a three week wait for queries to be initially examined! After further questioning she conceded that I may have to wait another couple of weeks before receiving the correct cert!!! She wasn't interested in explaining why the previous lady had told me what she had, or why it was taking so long.

    Now I appreciate that people make mistakes - even that someone had mistaken a London birth cert for a Welsh death cert - but what I can't understand is why if it takes a week to receive a cert normally it has to take three weeks before someone even starts to think about sending one to replace one THEY'VE messed up on! Either they need more staff dealing with complaints, or they need to stop making so many mistakes!

    In the end, I told her how unhappy I was with the service, and indicated that I would be using local Register Offices where possible in future, even if they won't let me order online... and now I have to go and explain to my friend why her present is going to be over a month late.

    Does anyone else have any experience of GRO mistakes and how long they took to sort out?

  • #2
    Can only relay what happened to me, I ordered a cert giving details where poss and the cert number as we are used to and was sent the other corresponding marriage ie 2 entries on freebmd, the one I wanted and the other marriage for 2 other people.

    I was sent the alternate one which did not relate to any other details I had given, once the person I spoke to had confirmed the error, her attitude changed and I received the cert I wanted plus an envelope to return the wrong one within a few days. If I remember rightly, I suggested she sent both together because I was not happy waiting any longer.
    Elaine

    Looking for Ward, Moore, Hunt, Warren...and who was Gertrude Wills

    http://leicestermoores.tribalpages.com
    http://wardnottsleics.tribalpages.com

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    • #3
      I don't know how many certs I have ordered from the GRO without looking, but as I have about 400, I expect at least half of them have come from that source.

      I've twice been sent the wrong cert. Once they sent one very similar to what I requested and the other time someone elses order! Both times the mistakes were corrected fairly quickly (around the same length of time as I waited for the first cert), but neither of these occasions were recent (about a year ago), so maybe things have changed?

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      • #4
        About a year ago, I was sent a correct one and a wrong one (for somebody else entirely) although the order ref. matched. I phoned up and the lady was very helpful and ordered me the correct one and also sent me an enevelope to return the wrong one.

        I ended up getting the correct one but also another copy of the correct one from the 1st delivery! I had to ring back and make sure I had not been charged more than once. All was ok and they didn't bother asking for the spare one back this time presumably as it was meant for me in the first place.

        Also I once sent for a marriage and gave extra checking info. They sent the cert. and charged me even though the checking info was different. I didn't get a refund as the bride and groom's names were as expected.

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        • #5
          I recently had a completely wrong birth cert and when I phoned they said sorry of the mistake it was simply someone scrolling down the screen and selecting the wrong image to print. I was told however that it would take 2 weeks for my 'query' to be processed as they had so many outstanding. Fortunately I wasn't in a rush. The correct cert arrived after about a week and the envelope to return the wrong one a day or two later.
          They were very apologetic and like Merry I have hundreds of certificates and this is the only mistake they have made.
          I have a feeling that combining with the Passpost Office has meant that this lovely 'sleepy hollow' of GRO has been discovered and probably staff 'plundered' for other areas of what work in must now be a beleaguered department.
          Margaret

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          • #6
            Quick update - I STILL haven't received the correct cert :(

            I got an email through the day after my last post, saying the cert would be posted out within two working days (do they read this forum???) but as yet, no sign of it at all, although the empty envelope to return the wrong one in arrived on Saturday. Ho hum... getting VERY fed up with this now!

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            • #7
              Goes to show the benefits of using LROs - they're pretty quick, and very courteous and helpful. And if the 'check-point' doesnt match up, they'll send your cheque back to you!

              "Use it, or loose it"!

              Bee.
              Bee~~~fuddled.

              Searching for BANKS, MILLER, MOULTON from Lancs and Cheshire; COX from Staffordshire and Birmingham;
              COX, HALL, LAMBDEN, WYNN, from Hants and Berks; SYMES (my mystery g'father!) from anywhere near Bournemouth.

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              • #8
                Hi All

                Just wanted to let you know the cert finally arrived today. Thank God, I was beginning to think I would never see it!

                Now, I need to order a couple more certs fairly soon, and for obvious reasons am loath to give the GRO any more money... so... does anyone know whether Hereford or Ross (on Wye) Register Offices offer cert services to genealogists?

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                • #9
                  If you click onto wiki and then look for Hereford page there should be links to tell you if there is or not as far as I know now
                  borobabs passed away March 2018

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