Genealogy Chat

Can someone please advise the next step.
I have applied for 2 birth certificates from government site. I put the volume, page number, area, name, etc. paid for the copy. Only to get a email back advising money being refunded certificates are unable to be found.

What would be the next step.?

Thanks
Belinda. :-D

As you know the registration district where the births were registered may I suggest that you contact the appropriate registry office and try to obtain copies of the certificates from there.

Good luck

Did you include on your application any info which was not EXACTLY as recorded on the index?

Even one letter different would lead to the record being 'unable to be found'

If you are ordering from the GRO WITH a reference number only include information that appears on the Index - no more, no less.

If you don't have the reference number, include only that information you are reasonably certain is correct.

One letter out in the spelling of a name won't necessarily mean a rejection, as I can vouch from personal experience on at least two occasions, but it is better to check and check again that you have it correct before submitting your application.

As IGP has said when ordering from GRO you must only put on the form what information you have found

ie you are looking for George Matthew Smith born 1859 Bolton

You find a birth which you think is his and it is recorded as either

George M Smith George Smith or even Geo Smith Bolton in 1859, then you order as seen on record. So its the name recorded not the name you know.

I would suggest you re-check what details you put down because if what you requested is NOT exactly as the record then you will be refunded and get no certificate.

We have all learnt about this the same way as you. :-D

It is good now that you now actually get a full refund - back in the days when many of us started one only recieved a 50% refund

It came about because the GRO did a review of their practices a couple of years ago and realised it was technically illegal for them to charge for anything other than issuing a certificate. So now it's no cert, no charge, and no reimbursement for the time they might have spent looking either.

At the same time they also withdrew a facility which allowed you to specify "checking points" although you can get round this to some extent by ordering without a ref and full date, which forces a three year search using the information you have provided.

Thanks everyone for your advise and information.
Greatly appreciated.

Belinda.

I had a problem with a birth that seemed to have been registered twice in the same quarter and I didn't know which one to order. I phoned up and did the order over the phone. The lady I spoke to took down all the info I knew so she could cross-check both. Said it would take 2 weeks rather than one, but they would search either side to match up my checking points. Successful outcome and cert sent inside two weeks.

I would therefore recommend phoning.

Thanks Janice.
I will try that but I expect some registry staff and centres are more co-operative than others.

We will see how we get on.
Thanks again.