GRO refunds

[Mary from Italy]

I recently wanted a birth certificate for an ancestor, but there are two possible entries in the same quarter, one of which is sure to be correct, as I have the burial date, but I didn't know which.

I applied to GRO without giving the index details; the price is the same, it just takes a couple of weeks longer.

If you don't know the date, you specify the year and put January for the month, and add any useful information you have (I gave her husband's name and what I thought was the village where she died, which is where she lived and was buried). They then search for 2 years either side of the year you give.

Unfortunately they didn't find my lady, so she must have died elsewhere, but they refunded the full fee, which I was really surprised at - as far as I remember they only refunded part of it under the old system when you used checking points.

So full marks to GRO.

[Olde Crone]

Mary

i think the full refund thingy was to bring the GRO into line with the local ROs, who charged nothing at all for having a look.

I remember the local Registrar telling me (years ago) that it was cheaper and easier for them to simply return my unbanked cheque, rather than go to the palaver of banking it and then giving a partial refund.

OC

[kiterunner]

I think the GRO found out that there was no legal basis for their old system and that was why they had to change it.