My family and I have had such wonderful experiences in using the BillionGraves app to photograph headstones. In a recent trip to Massachusetts I ran into a couple wandering around the cemetery I was continuing to photograph. They appeared lost. After a brief conversation explaining what I was doing, I was able to show the couple where the grave they were looking for was located just by using the app. The app lead us to the exact location. The couple were so happy as they had been searching for quite awhile.
I joined BillionGraves early on 6/17/16 and gave my credit card #, after checking what was available, it was not what I was looking for, so early afternoon on 6/17/16, I went to my account, per instructions and cancelled my subscription. It was and still is noted on my account that it was cancelled, but my card was charged and I have not yet received a refund. When should I expect that refund, it has been 14 days? Certainly did not expect this.
I use this site regularly when researching various family members. There are a number of ways that BillionGraves can point out other research opportunities - my favorites are:
--Names of people burried near by.
--Names of people with similar names (surnames both maiden and married) burried in the same cemetary.
--Known family members (this can be updated by users to help those researching in the future)
In addition - it is easy to help others by transcribing pictures taken by others. The tools make this easy - so you can do a few, or a few hundred depending on your time and desire.
It wasn't until I was checking my bank statement that I discovered I even had a subscription at Billion Graves. My card had been charged with my knowledge with no warning, no reminder, no email, nothing. My email to their "Priority" support only got me a copy-and-paste reply that had absolutely nothing to do with my questions. My second email didn't get a response at all.
Do NOT sign up here folks! You'll get no support and no refund when you're charged without your knowledge.
We are sorry your experience wasn’t stellar! Before signing up for an account our users agree to the terms of purchase. Our no refund policy is clearly written in that agreement. There are no surprises, as we believe in being above board and honest with our customers. Also, To show our customers good faith, we provide our users with a reminder email before their subscription is about to renew. This places our users in the drivers seat to decide whether or not they would like to continue their subscription for another year. As far as customer service is concerned, we provide our BG+ users with first class service. We have experienced genealogists and site users who provide help every step of the way in order to get our clients the most out of their subscriptions.
Really don't need to say much more than these folks. Couldn't even find my parents or grandparents who are buried in a cemetery that has probably a thousand or more stones. Billion had 5 stones in this cemetery and this was only cemetery even listed out of 10 or more in that county.
Literally thousands of new images are added every day! Keep checking back or better yet, go out and take some pictures. :) If you don't live close by you can always make a request for one of our other volunteers to take some pictures for you.
William S. Lawson was born and died in Ohio and was buried in Glen Haven Memorial Cemetery, Clark County. Now Billion Graves shows him buried in Roseland Cemetery
8200 W National Rd. Berkley, Oakland, Michigan,. United States His wife's memorial has also been moved and it seems that there is no way to correct it. If you have to be paid to create memorials you aren't in the right frame of mind to be doing it. When using Find A Grave you can communicate with other users to correct errors. Billion Graves is just another money grabber. A user caused the error possibly by linking a wrong person but it's BillionGraves that prevents the correction.
Hmm... I am unsure where you are getting this information, as BillionGraves does not show a William Dawson in the Roseland Cemetery. We have William S. Lawson listed in Glen Haven Memorial Cemetery born: 1875 and died 1951. It would be very difficult to have his stone in Ohio, as the photo was taken with the app. (Our app marks the GPS location.)
I too use both websites as I am a researcher. On Find A Grave, I have to ask an individual who created the record to change it. This sounds easy, but sometimes people refuse to correct information. On BillionGraves, I can go in and change any record information myself. This is the difference. When there is a problem, such as improper links, or cemeteries without boundaries, we can usually address these types of issues for paid customers within 24 hours. For free customers, this may take a bit longer. (Usually no more than 72 hours.) We do have a paid site, with more tools, but we also offer the free side of our site as well.
The major difference is that we are a small independent company that creates records by GPS tagging. Find A Grave is run by Ancestry, a large corporation. Some of their records have GPS, but a vast majority do not.
Really enjoy volunteering for billiongraves. It is so easy to contribute to their site with their app. You really have two ways to contribute. You can upload photos using their app or you can transcribe memorials by logging on to their website. No drama, no fighting over who owns the headstone photos. You are really made to feel like you are part of their team. In just 2 years they have over 7 million memorials. They are growing rapidly. They have joined with familysearch and myheritage.
Once you join you are on your own. Then, try to cancel! You can go into your account and cancel, but magically, when your anniversary date comes up... your account is charged! When you contact them about it (which is extremely difficult to do because there is literally no way to contact them) they don't answer their phone (voicemail only with no way to leave a message). I finally got ahold of them through the help desk (after they chided me that that's not what the help desk is for). They refused to refund the subscription that they charged for after I had cancelled!
Shady, shady business! Do not trust them and do not subscribe! Once they have your credit card number, they will continue until it expires!
BEFORE signing up with a subscription, you sign the Terms of Purchase that clearly state that all subscriptions are on automatic renewal, and that it is not our responsibility to remind customers of the renewal date. However, we always send out a reminder 14 days before the subscription renews. We do this because as a company we want to be fair to our users, as we all forget things at times. We do not have a fancy call center as this helps keep our operating costs down so low that we can offer low subscription costs as well as free accounts to our users.
We also always leave the subscribers in charge of their subscription. In the users settings page is the subscription management information. This is also clearly written on all of our help desk pages. Users ALWAYS have the ability to cancel a subscription at any time. Subscribers have the added bonus of having priority support from our wonderful customer service agents who are always up for the challenge of helping customers with any and all problems that may arise. It is unfortunate, that this user never took advantage of these features.
BEWARE of this site!
This is another rip off, as they do NOT have anything more than Find a Grave which is a FREE site and VERY friendly user. They automatically renew your membership, even if you do NOT want it. They will NOT reply to emails or a phone call. Next contact will be the Attorney General of Utah, as they choose to refuse to answer. How have they gotten away with this scam for so long?
Let me address a couple of these issues. We encourage people to use the FREE side of our site before taking out a subscription so you can see the real value in a subscription.( Our free side is no different than Find A Grave.) However, with the app regardless of whether you are paid or a subscriber, you can punch in the name of an individual that was photographed by our volunteers. If the name has been photographed you can walk to the grave with our app in less than 5 minutes. I've done this in several cemeteries in California with over 4,000 graves to look through. You can't do this with Find A Grave!
As a genealogist, I used their site for free for nearly 10 years as a volunteer. After I started working for the company, I finally got a subscription and would never go back. First of all, the subscription if taken out on one of our monthly specials, is less than $3 per month. Secondly, we provide many tools to our subscribers that are not offered anywhere else. As a researcher, would you find it helpful to know who is buried next to a stone you are looking at? With our subscription site, you can! Subscribers can also have things fixed by our helpdesk staff in minutes. Their problems and concerns are addressed typically within a few hours of creating a ticket. We do not have a fancy call center, so that we can keep costs down for our users. To get help, subscribers simply need to click on the yellow help button found on each and every page with those who have a subscription.
All subscriptions are placed on automatic renewal. Users have to agree to this before placing in their financial information. (This is a common practice in the industry.) Subscribers can delete their automatic renewal right after taking out a subscription if they so choose. They will still have the subscription until it expires on their one year mark. Although we are not required to, we send our users an email reminder 14 days before their subscription renews to be fair and upfront with our customers. Customers just need to simply open the reminder and decide if they want to go another year. If they do, nothing further needs to happen as the subscription will automatically renew. If they don't want to go another year, they simply open up the account. Go to their settings under manage account, and click cancel. Yes, it is that simple!
How do you contact this company, I want to rectify a mistake in an entry, wrong birth date, but not even an email address.?
To contact customer service for this issue click on "get help" at the top of the website. Type in the question: How do I fix a bad transcription. At the top of the article, you will notice the word "Submit a Ticket" Fill out all of the information about what needs to be done. This will be sent to a customer service agent who takes care of these issues for the site. We do not have a call center as this helps to keep costs for the subscribers very low. Unlike many other genealogy websites, our subscriptions sometimes are as low as $24.99 a year or lower depending on the promotion. Subscribers are helped first usually within 24 hours or less. If you do not desire a subscription, our agents will answer free customers within 48 -72 hours.
I was trying to use the site, but spending a lot of time on support pages, reading materials, I gave up.
Confusion on how to upload photos (they advertise the app on Applestore, but figured out that app in PlayStore is also available.
Tried to upload several - already taken - pictures which then showed as "You uploaded 0 photos" - though I can see the pictures under My Ppictures.
No way to correct name of a cemetery - resulting lots of overlap as small and capital letters are differ in indexing.
No support for local language characters (in many cases? Appears)
And they do ask money even from volunteers who are willing to transcribe and upload photos which they can sell...
So I decided to request to revoke my account - but guess, there is no such topic in the support options like account maintenance...
DO NOT give them your credit card, it is impossible to cancel. As close as anything to a scam with useless information that is provided by other members and completely unreliable.
Cancelling your subscription is seamless and very easy! There is a rather large button on the research page that says “manage subscription” you click on that button and then a box opens up on the screen and you click “cancel subscription”. We believe in being transparent with our customers!
They automatically renew ur subscription without ur approval, then you cannot reach them to fix it! They seem to be a defensive and money only orientated organization
You do not have to have a subscription to use BillionGraves. BillionGraves is a free site. Subscriptions are for those wanting a better experience on the site, such as no ads, higher quality customer service, and tools that allow users to see stones located around a loved one's grave called "nearby graves". I personally used the site for free for almost 10 years before using the features on a subscription. I would never go back to free, but it is available, nonetheless. When you decide you are ready for a subscription you place in credit card or Paypal information and agree to automatic renewal. Each year 14 days prior to renewal, we send out a notice regarding the renewal as a courtesy. This gives users 14 days to decide whether or not they would like to continue with the subscription. If they decide they would like to continue, they do nothing. If they decide to cancel, they simply cancel it in their own account. Subscriptions are entirely in the drivers seat of those who hold them. Our staff does not cancel or add subscriptions. Also those with subscriptions have an orange button on their screen that says Help. This button allows users to click on the button and fill out a form for quicker customer service. Usually within just a few hours.
I have cancelled my subscription and have just got my credit card account and have been charged another subscription fee. I tried to log on but are inable to log in. Cant get in to my account to contact them. So if you are reading this review please cancell my account and refund my subscriprion on paypal. Paulette Hamilton *******@gmail.com
This user deleted their account, by doing so the subscription will not renew.
Useless for information unless you literally go to the grave sites and do the research yourself. They are making money by using your efforts and putting the information that you collect into their database and charging you for the privilege. Then they sell it to other suckers (like us) and collect twice on your sweat. They automatically bill you on your anniversary without telling you and refuse to refund even if you don't use or want. Even Pay Pal couldn't protect me on this one. STAY AWAY FROM BILLIONGRAVES! IT'S A BIG RIPOFF!
Let me address a couple of these issues. Everyone can get a free account. You do not have to pay money to have an account with us. (I personally had a free account for nearly 10 years.) People who desire extra tools such as quick customer support, nearby graves (which shows you who is buried around an individual, as well as other tools that enhance the experience, can pay for a subscription to do so. We tell our customers up front that this is a yearly subscription that will renew. (This is common practice.) We allow users to cancel their subscription at any time, they will still have the amount of time on the account that they paid for. Once a subscription renews, however, there are no refunds. (Also common practice.) We send out a reminder 14 days before a renewal to let the customer decide if they want to keep the account or cancel the subscription. We are not responsible to ensure that our customers read their email.
Auto Renewal + policy of No Refunds - even on day of money taken from bank + not worth it!
Most cemetery info limited & few pictures - GPS not good.
I found BillionGraves through a linked hint on an ancestors page on FamilySearch (a free service). I was delighted to find a photo of my ancestors grave, something I had looked for myself but was unable to find 20+ years ago. I even sent a thank you message to the volunteer who took the photograph. I tried to add the photo to my ancestors page on FamilySearch, complete with attribution to the photographer and a link to BillionGraves (not trying to steal anything here). A few hours later FamilySearch notified me that the photo was in violation of FS policy and it would be removed. OK, I understand, but why? Then I went and scrounged through the microfine print in a remote corner of the site, well-hidden from the all the FAQ info. Sure enough, BillionGraves has tight intellectual property rights clauses that make it illegal for site users to download, save, or share the information about their ancestor elsewhere. It's completely legal, and I or FamilySearch could be sued for using that image that a generous volunteer dedicated a great deal of time to obtain and submit. I'm a prhotographer, I understand. And now I know the way BillionGraves works and will most likely not use their services again. I'm grateful I logged in via Facebook and didn't give them a dime. I now understand how they are making money.
Hi Kristina, I'm sorry that you had that experience with FamilySearch when attaching records to your tree. We have a wonderful business relationship with FamilySearch and have no problems with users connecting information to their trees. Not knowing the entire situation, it sounds like a misunderstanding when you received the notice on FamilySearch. Our Terms of Use and Privacy policies allow any user to use the photos for their personal research and non-commercial projects. If using on your tree in public spaces, we ask that you credit the volunteer photographer of the record and a link back to the BillionGraves website. In fact, we have tools that will connect records for you on the FamilySearch family tree at https://billiongraves.com/familysearch-login/. We also sync with your family tree on FamilySearch and provide hinting connections for free at https :// /billiongraves. Com/tree. Again, we apologize for any misunderstandings between our company, FamilySearch, and your desire to connect records. If we have resolved your concerns, will you please consider updating your rating to match your new experiences. Best wishes, Bonnie from the BillionGraves Team
My surname is so unusual that there are only two familes globally that have it - there is objective data that confirms why the two families are completely unrelated. My great-great grandfather was illegitimate (born in 18th century) and he and his mother had different surnames from all of his descendants: I have a complete family tree of the whole family down the paternal line. Imagine how horrified I was to discover my three living children all listed on their index as deceased - exact name matches: two of them have one middle name and the third has two middle names. It's highly likely that their names (without their dates of birth from 1988 onwards, giving a strong presumption that they are alive) were harvested from a GEDCOM file - certainly, all three names are globally unique. BillionGraves Holdings Inc. have been evasive in all their replies, claiming originally that all of their data comes from headstone records, burial records, or American Military and Social Security records, but then changing this to "the majority" - the company is also still offering to remove the relevant records if I include the relevant URLs (already sent) and information such as my relationship to the deceased(!).
I've had enough and published a warning on a UK consumer Web site about the quality of their data, and contacted the Mormon Church on whom the company is placing blame for any inaccuracies - of course, I don't believe that.
This issue was addressed immediately by our staff. The records in question came from public birth records released in the UK. These were not burial or death records as this individual claims, rather public records released in the UK and shared with both FamilySearch and other websites. This is how we obtained them, as we house records such as historical records, death records, burial records, social security death indexes, etc. The records in question had no death dates on them, our site listed these as historic records, as this is the data we received on them. When our staff received notification by this individual, that they were indeed living records, these were removed immediately as we do not keep records for the living on our site. However, these birth records still remain online in a public database of UK records on other websites.
We did not place blame on anyone, rather we told this customer where these records come from. (Shared with us from FamilySearch.) In this case, the individual was not forthcoming about the type of record they wanted to be removed. As we house millions of records we require a URL of the record in question and the relationship of an individual to the record so that we know this is a legitimate concern. As this individual could give us very few details, our staff searched through the records until we determined exactly where these came from and they were removed immediately! We are always happy to remove any record as long as they answer a few questions, so we know individuals are not wanting records removed to hurt others and cause harm. Many of our records are created by families to house information about the final resting place of a loved one. I have personally traveled all over the United States to capture photos of my own family at my own expense and would be very unhappy to have them removed by random individuals.
He was cremated and his ashes are with his wife and daughter. Why lie about his grave sight? Thank you. Marrina Blanthorn aka his wife!
If he has a headstone in a cemetery volunteers simply take the photo not understanding the circumstances behind the burial. This is not lying a bout a gravesite, if there is a stone with his name on it in a cemetery. As you are his wife, if you would like this information added to the memorial, we are more than happy to add any information in that you would like. If you would like this removed completely, we are also here to help.
The business practices of BillionGraves are really bad. I tried to sign up for BG+ several times but it wouldn't work. By the time they finally got it to work, I was turned off and immediately asked for a refund. I received a generic email stating there are NO REFUNDS, NO EXCEPTIONS! They tell you it's possible to cancel your subscription but you don't get a refund. Huh? Why would anyone do that?
I'm really kicking myself for subscribing. I thought there might be more information available than FindAGrave.com (which is free!) but when I did a family name search, it didn't even find one. Your ability to earn "credits" is a joke considering how much you would have to do for them to earn a month's worth of subscription.
I already see that it will be important to CANCEL MY SUBSCRIPTION before this one runs out or they will automatically resubscribe me. As far as I can tell, there isn't an option not to renew your next year's subscription without simply canceling your current subscription. This is the worst business practice I've seen.
Stick with FindAGrave and save your money.
We are very different from Find A Grave. However, we also offer our customers free access to our records just like they do. Before signing up with BG Plus, the terms clearly state rather boldly that there are no refunds, as we believe in being transparent with our customers. Do you want to see how we are really different from Find A Grave? GPS is the key:
https://support.billiongraves.com/a/solutions/articles/35000067276-difference-between-find-a-grave-and-billiongraves-
Overview
BillionGraves has a rating of 1.6 stars from 61 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers dissatisfied with BillionGraves most frequently mention credit card, auto renewal and last year. BillionGraves ranks 54th among Genealogy sites.
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Yes! This is what makes us unique compared to other sites out there. When a cemetery is completely photographed using the GPS technology, it blesses everyone. I was in California looking for my great-grandmother’s grave and found it in a cemetery with thousands of headstones in a matter of minutes. Why? Because a wonderful volunteer, such as yourself, took photos and transcribed the entire cemetery. It made finding the headstone a seamless process!