Tuesday 3 July 2012

RootsIreland offers 'free' searches for July

From today until 31 July, RootsIreland has a special offer for viewing Search Results Pages. This, they announce, will allow researchers 'to view Search Result Pages without using purchased credits'.

Of course, this being RootsIreland, it's not simple and you have to have already purchased credits to get any free searches.

Currently, you have to pay to view Search Result pages. (Newly registered users of the site get 10 free Search Result pages to get them started; thereafter it's pay all the way.)

Under this special offer, registered users can view Search Results Pages at NO additional charge based on the number of unspent credits already held in the account.

So, for example, if you have already coughed up for 75 credits in your RootsIreland account, you will be able to view 75 Search Results pages at no charge. Your paid-for 75 credits will remain 'in the bank', as it were, ready to spend on viewing record transcriptions or for saving.

When you have used up your free views of Search Results you will need to purchase or use existing credits to continue viewing pages of Search Results.

Any special offer Free credits remaining at the end of the month will disappear.

You can read the full complicated instructions here. The last paragraph suggests they KNOW this is complicated and likely to confuse.

Why don't they just come up with a simple, straightforward, discount? Or, even better, get rid of the fee for viewing search result pages altogether?