Genealogy Chat

When I looked at it first time, our house name was included which did surprise me.

That doesn't seem to have an effect, Gins. Normally the site would tell you that you've done so many searches in x minutes and that you can't continue for a further y minutes.

There was never anything to say that you weren't permitted to see results at the street level. What they meant by that was that they'd withheld the house name or number which you had to pay to view.

Unless they have a systems fault, they're probably changing the whole site to pay-to-view/sub. They just haven't got round to removing the promise of viewing edited results!

Not sure if this has been mentioned?

If you clear your cookies/cache it will not recognise that you have searched before, well that's how it works on 192 !

This is weird. I hadn't used this site before but when I saw this thread on 29th August I had a look at it. I experimented by putting in OH's name and the region. It came up with all the information for free. It did still give our old address but I assumed that was because when we moved three years ago we opted out of the published electoral roll.

Just did exactly the same again and it tells me there is one record for every year from 1980 to 2015 but I have to buy credits to view them :-S

No, I didn't phone them.

Well, I had dialled the number, which was ringing and ringing, but at the same time I was trying the website again, and discovered that I could get free results again, so I hung up
I assumed at that time that it would be working for everyone.

Still not free :-(

Did you get round to phoning them or is that for another day?

How strange, Det - You could get free results when I couldn't, and now I can get them and you can't!

Nope - still saying to buy credits :-S

Woo hoo!

Two minutes ago, I tried a search, and still got the "Buy credits" message.

I have just tried again - and it is now letting me see free results!

Must have been a fault on the site.

I also noticed that the tick box has gone.

You can search for free, and find if any results show. This is without registering or using any money.

And then you have to pay to get any further, so I am agreeing with what you have put.

Very annoying it is.

When I accessed the site through this link, the requirement for money very obvious:

http://www.searchelectoralroll.co.uk/

The box to tick accepting T&C's has also gone.
The descriptive paragraph about how wonderful the site is hasn't changed
"Search for free to street level with a name or better still with two known names."

It isn't actually fraud as no one has coughed up at that point, but on the other hand they could be in trouble with the ASA and possibly be breaking the Trades Description Act.

It's a PC I'm using, so that doesn't make any difference.

The BT Phonebook (online) says "This business could not be found."

Re the company:

http://tinyurl.com/hto5n9w

Aha! Here's a number for another company run by the same people from the same address:

Intelligent Tracing Ltd
Tel: (01204) 657700
1A SWAN BUSINESS CENTRE, HIGHER SWAN LANE, BOLTON, ENGLAND, BL3 3AQ

https://www.endole.co.uk/company/07341742/intelligent-tracing-ltd

http://www.intelligenttracing.co.uk/

http://www.companydirectorcheck.com/ian-hurst-7

I might try phoning that number tomorrow.

Sorry, didn't spot your question earlier.

Just had a look for sis-in-law (again) and it is asking for credits to be purchased. On the other hand, the blurb does say that search results are free to street level. This was using an iPad. Could it be different on a PC?

Rather than use the premium phone no, perhaps there's one linked to the trading address?

Search Electoral Roll Ltd.
1a, Swan Business Centre
4 Higher Swan Lane
Bolton
BL3 3AQ
United Kingdom

They're still advertising "Search for free . . . . " on their website.

Is it also asking you to buy credits, patchem?

This is the only phone number I can find:-

"Can I get help with my UK Electoral Roll Search? or to obtain a contact telephone number or email address
Asking a question at the early stages of your investigations may save you both time and money in the final analysis.
Help is available by telephoning...
Instant People Tracing Line 0903 993 3333

Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 19:00
Saturday and Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00
Calls charged at £2.50 per minute, plus your phone provider’s access charge.
You must be over 18 and have the bill payer’s permission to call."

I think they have changed it to a complete paying site without telling anyone.

Is there a cheaper telephone line, as you do not want the help-to-find line but the site information one (if it exists).

It's still telling me to buy credits.

How about you, Det?

Let's hope so!

It costs £2.50 per minute to phone them, so not to be undertaken lightly.

I'll see what happens in a day or two.
Thanks for your interest, Det.

If its not gone back to usual by mid-morning tomorrow, it might be worth contacting them to ask what is going on. A lot of companies use the long weekends to undertake site maintenence. Perhaps this is the case here?

Hmm - see your point.
At first I thought it might have been because there were so many results, but even repeating the earlier search for Sis-in-law, they are now asking for credits to view the results.

Weird or what? :-S

That thing about 300 results on phase one search -
can't mean 300 results per search.

I've just tried searching for "John Smith" as an experiment, and it says there are 500 results - not that it will let me see them without buying credits!