DNA again

I've sent off for another DNA test - this time for myself. I saw on Family Tree Magazine's Insider Blog, that FamilyTreeDNA & MyHeritage had hooked up and were offering discounted DNA tests. I was able to get a mtDNAplus test for $50 off. It arrived in the mail today.

who cares about Mac users?

Who cares about Mac users? Not Ancestry.com!

http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2008/10/30/introducing-the-“ancestry-toolbar”/

Them: "Valerie, Lonnye, and Terri, we love our mac users. The “why” for each case is different, and complicated, and probably not something we’re willing to share. Rest assured there is no anti-mac conspiracy raging or even simmering here. These are practical business decisions, and we’re honestly trying to do our best for all customers."

Me: "I don’t think that there’s a conspiracy - I just think you don’t care about us and you’re not hiding it. None of your responses have done anything to reassure me that you are working to do the best for *all* customers. It’s in your wording - “not willing to share.” Not that you *can’t* explain yourselves, but that you *won’t*. Ignoring your mac users will save you money in development costs and you just don’t get enough flack to make it worth your while. I can’t think any better of this company unless they are willing to give a valid explanation. And I’m not about to download an application to my computer that isn’t supported and might bug out other programs - aside from the basic fact that I don’t use firefox. Well, my subscription is up in February - I think I’ll take my $300 a year elsewhere unless you can learn to better respect your customers. (this decision also based on new search and a lack of new records in areas of personal interest)"

This is Ancestry.com's idea of customer service.

This is a series of emails between Ancestry.com and myself. All I want to know is when my subscription to Ancestry Magazine started, so that I'll know if I missed any issues. I'm a little rude, yes, but this is how I get after having dealt with their customer service a few times in the past. I honestly don't know what to think at this point. Their Customer Service isn't worth anything.

1) ------

“a form has been submitted on July 28, 2008, via:

> > http://www.ancestrymagazine.com/talk-to-us/ [IP

> > 72.145.193.95]

SECOND REQUEST - I subscribed to your magazine at the beginning of June. I did not receive the July issue that is now available. I wanted to make sure that my subscription was processed so that I get all issues that I paid for. Can you let me know when my subscription began”

2) ------

From: "Ancestry Magazine - Subscriptions" <amsubscriptions@tgn.com>

Monday, October 13, 2008 6:51 PM

Valerie-

Will you confirm your address? Is it the same as the one listed below? We just wanted to double check to see if our records are correct and if so, we’ll move on from there.


Thanks

Jenny

Ancestry Publishing Sales & Support ancestry publishing

3) ------

From: Valerie

Sent: Monday, October 13, 2008 5:39 PM

To: Ancestry Magazine - Subscriptions

Subject: RE: A comment from a site visitor

Umm... I email this question Two And A Half months ago - Two Weeks after the first questions wasn't answered either.

But yes, this is the correct address and, btw, I am now receiving my magazines. Can you tell me when my subscription started so that I know if I missed any issues?

Thanks for finally getting around to responding...

-Valerie

4) -----

Valerie-

Your subscription started 02-28-2009.

Thanks

Jenny

Ancestry Publishing Sales & Support

ancestry publishing

5) -------

From: Valerie

Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 8:53 AM

To: Ancestry Magazine - Subscriptions

Subject: RE: A comment from a site visitor

I was asking about my Ancestry Magazine subscription, not my ancestry.com subscription. I subscribed to the magazine sometime in the summer.

Again, "I am now receiving my magazines. Can you tell me when my subscription started so that I know if I missed any [magazine] issues?"

-Valerie

6) -------

Valerie-

All my system tells me is that your active Ancestry Magazine subscription started Feb 2, 2009. So it sounds like you have missed some issues. They come ever 2 months, so there is only 6 issues a year.

Thank you

Ancestry Publishing Sales & Support

ancestry publishing

PawPaw & the CCC Camp

I have a copy of a photo of my PawPaw, Thomas S. Craft, at a Civilian Conservation Corps Camp. According to the back of the photo, the camp was in North Carolina. I don't know anything about his time in the CCC Camp, so I'm sending off a form to find out more.

I hope to find out

• Where exactly was he
• What time he was there
• What he did while he was there

Hopefully, sending off the form will do the trick. I seem to have bad luck with these things lately - from having sent it to the wrong address, to not providing enough info (I don't have any more!) to lazy staff that doesn't call me back... talk about customer service