FindMyPast ends subscriber compensation for Free Access days

FindMyPast is changing its terms and conditions (section 9) relating to free access offers to researchers without a subscription. In the past, Pro and World subscribers have been 'compensated' for free access periods, when traffic to FindMyPast's sites might negatively impact the speed with which research can be carried out, or even cause difficulty reaching the site.

Over the years, many subscribers have learned to stay away and do other research when a popular free access weekend was announced, and that was okay when the company added the number of free access days to their subscription. No one lost out.

It is this compensation that is being scrapped under the new terms and conditions. So said a very determined pop-up on the site today. Unfortunately, it was so insistent on remaining on my screen, I concentrated only on getting rid of it, rather than the details of the message. But I think it comes into effect today, and I assume it will do so across all the sites.

This won't be a popular move.