Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  12/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went to Legacy Tree Geneaology to assist in finding ancestry information needed for my Italian Dual Citizenship. After discussing my goals with them, they seemed confident they could help with my a 25 hour time block at the cost of $3,000. With little update and communication along the way with progress, I was told my time had been spent and to continue my research they required an additional 10 hours at a cost of an additional $1,000. Fed up with the lack of *********************** and ability to complete any of the objectives identified, my wife and I took the research into our own hands. We were able to find out more in a day than they did in the 25 hours.Majority of legacy trees findings that were presented to me were provided to them at our initial contact. All the other information from their findings was all found in public records. I am requesting a refund due to the lack of communication, inability to provide updates as to how the time and money was spent until it was gone, and deceitful nature of proposed results identified in the initial meeting.

  

  Business response

  12/18/2023

  Hi *****,
  
  
  Thank you for sharing your concerns. We are very sorry that you are disappointed with your project. In looking at your project files, it appears that your Project Manager, ***, has already attempted to address your complaints, so I'm not sure there is much more we can add here that she has not already explained. With regards to the amount of communication and updates you received - *** explained to you at the outset that time spent on communication and updates eats up valuable research time, and therefore we generally keep updates to a minimum unless we have a question or need more information from you. When you first expressed concern about the lack of updates, *** provided you a list of all the updates and emails she had sent you throughout the process and asked that you let her know if you hadn't received any of those updates. Because we didn't hear back from you about that, we assume they were received.
  
  
  With regards to many of the findings of your project coming from public records - this is correct, and is standard procedure. We don't have access to any "secret" databases that the general public does not also have access to. When you hire us you are paying for the use of our time and expertise to conduct research for you, but all the records that we obtain are things that you could obtain yourself as well. When we begin a project we do spend some of the project time reviewing the information you've already collected, because this is how we are able to create a plan for achieving your goal(s). We review each document to see what clues it provides, and to make sure we are not duplicating your efforts by searching the same databases again. This is a necessary part of any research, as we cannot begin until we know what has already been done. With regards to the request for more time - this is also not unusual. We can never guarantee specific results because we don't know what we will or won't find until we start looking. We work in blocks of time so that we have a set stopping point and can provide you with an update on our progress and recommendations for future research. We recognize that hiring a professional is a big investment, so by stopping at the end of a block, we are providing you the opportunity to decide whether the progress and potential seem sufficient enough to invest more in the project. We never want you to do more that you feel comfortable with. In your case, rather than wrapping up the whole project when the time was complete, your researcher had the bandwidth to do some additional work, and she thought she could make more significant progress with just 10 more hours, so rather than completing it and asking you to order 25 more hours (our minimum project size) and wait another 4-6 months (our standard completion time), she asked if you wanted to add the hours to the current project so she could continue the work right then. We apologize that this was confusing to you, and of course it is always your choice to decline and have the project wrapped up, as you chose to do.
  
  
  It sounds like you were able to use the recommendations she included in the report to accomplish more work yourself, and that's great! That's why we provide recommendations - so that you can follow them yourself or order additional hours for us to do so. We wish you the best with your dual citizenship process.
  
  

  Thank you,

  Legacy Tree Genealogists

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had ordered 2 binders for two of my kids and I’m still waiting on what work they actually have done cause I feel they might have not done enough for how much I paid for all this? Tani B******* as she’s laughing at me saying that there was miscommunication and that I only bought one binder. They are crooked and so far deceitful and I feel I might have been ripped off for more money than what was needed? I want to see what they say was the total amount I paid them? I’m curious?

  

  Business response

  09/13/2023

  Thank you for reaching out. Below are the details of the situation regarding payments and the project binders you mentioned.

  Client was upset and claimed she ordered and purchased two binders for her children. She indicated early on in her project she wanted extra binders. The project manager told her the price and she never paid it. She was on and off with her request.  She delayed payment for several months. Once the project manager received the payment, the project could be completed. Client recently said she didn't want additional binders until she saw her own. Binder was shipped to the "new" address she provided and then returned to us. Her project manager asked for updated address. Client wanted original binders shipped to her two children. PM clarified again that she would receive one binder with her project. She was given again the price for additional binders.

  Client got upset and said she would take her business elsewhere and give us a bad review and call the BBB. The project manager asked what address she would like us to ship her binder to. She provided an updated address and the binder was shipped. Client accused the project manager of "laughing" at her, which did not happen. 

  Payments made: 
  
  3/17: $2950
  4/28: $893.34 (payment was late – due 4/17)
  5/17: $893.34
  6/17: $893.34
  
  = $5630.02
  
  She was quoted an amount for the two extra binders, but never paid for them.

  The 50 hour project that was commissioned was completed as per the agreement and no additional funds were charged. The project came with 1 binder. Any additional needed to be paid for as explained. 

  Thank you,

  Legacy Tree Genealogists

  Customer response

  09/17/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  when I first started I had placed an order to buy two binders cause I was only doing this for my two kids that I have. This was the beginning agreement and what I paid with, plus finishing the family tree that was made on my grandfather ******** side to be finished leading to my kids names on family tree which was hardly any work needed I was told. To find anything on  my grandmothers side family tree on the ******** side. Both were my mothers side. My grandmothers or Grandfathers  family tree which was done of  the famous ****** *****  related to one of them and wanted it to be finished leading to my kids names. Then the other grandparent that had a family tree done wanted it to end with my kids names on it.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ************

  

  Business response

  09/19/2023

  The $5630.02 that you have paid does not include any extra binders.

  Your 50-hour project had a cost of $5600, and then you selected the “split-payment” option, which allows you to pay the cost over 3 months for an additional one-time $30 fee. We actually made an exception and allowed you to extend the payments to 4 months instead of 3.

  As has been explained, each project comes with ONE binder, and you may purchase additional copies for $65 each. When we receive payment for the additional binders, we will be happy to create them for you and mail them to any address you select. 

  Thank you. 

  Customer response

  09/26/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I haven’t even got the binders they were supposed to have sent awhile now??? Not one!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ************

  

  Business response

  10/04/2023

  The binder with the research that comes as part of the project was mailed to an address given to us by the client and was returned an undeliverable. We were able to get a new address and send the binder out. The tracking from USPS shows it as delivered on September 30th to her Pittsburgh address. 

  At this point we have fulfilled all of the agreed upon deliverables and she has received the binder that was paid for. 

  Any additional binders would need to be paid for as we stated in the previous response. 

  Thank you. 

  Customer response

  10/05/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I’m still waiting for this binder? I get my mail everyday here so I know it wasn’t here yet? I get home from work everyday at 3 pm. I’m patiently waiting but I will not come back and do business with this company. I don’t like to be laughed at when I and the other person had agreed on the first payment was the two binders for the two kids I have. Why would I get one when I have two kids???? I’m doing this for them. I’ve been raising my kids to learn some of their cultures and this was important to me. I wanted to surprise them with these and now I can’t? I was going to continue my work with this company about my grandmother on my moms side and more on my grandfathers side on my fathers but why would I do this when I was cheated out of the agreement I had with these binders? Her laughing at me like this was a joke is a joke. I sent them family trees all ready made so I’m anxious to see what they really did on this? Cause I had family trees made from both sides just certain things I needed touch ups on and a background of my grand mother on my mothers side and grand father on my fathers side?I’ll wait and see when I get the work that was done and see what my money had spent?
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ************

  

  Business response

  10/05/2023

  We did ship the binder and it arrived on September 30th and was delivered to the front porch. Here is the tracking number from USPS: ********************** and I've attached a screenshot of the delivery confirmation from USPS.

  The binder was shipped to the address provided by the client:

  *** ******** ***
  Pittsburgh, PA 15202

  One binder was included in the project price. Any additional binders would cost an additional fee as stated previously.

  Thank you. 

   

  Customer response

  10/06/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I’ll check the tracking when I get home because I see no package here
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ************

  Customer response

  10/09/2023

  No I have not received the package I looked everywhere around the house.

  

  Business response

  10/18/2023

  Your research binder has been shipped to the address you have provided. This is in addition to the binder that was already shipped in September that you were unable to locate. 

  There will be a signature required for confirmation of your receipt.
  Here is the tracking number: **********************
  
  Good luck to you in all your future endeavors. 

  Customer response

  10/20/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I paid for more than one binder and Tani knows because she admitted to it on email but claims I only paid for one? It is ludicrous that I’d pay for only one when I have more than one child that I’m only doing this research for anyways and I literally remember telling the person that I’ll pay for these now and what I’ll owe now to do the research that I asked for so they charged me and plain and simple, it is common sense? Tani , responding to my emails recently had even stated, that in the notes, I wanted three, instead of two, so I paid for that too? No one told me that I would owe anymore then what I paid at the time, but then I received a bill for $800 to pay for more work the genealogists did? I was fine with that and paid them even more money and now they’re stating I have to buy my binders? This is uncalled for? I’m fine with them sending me it where it requires a signature cause I don’t believe they sent all those others they supposedly sent??to imagine, that I was going to have them do more work for me? So they can deceive me this whole time?
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩