Astonished!

[Sue from Southend]

Just taken a phone call from GRO about a death certificate I applied for. It's for a James Jones and she called as there were two James Jones on the page and wanted clarification on which one I wanted. After some discussion we decided that neither were correct and she'd arrange a refund.

It's a first for me and I'm very impressed (easily pleased:d)

[Olde Crone]

I'm astonished too! I had no idea the GRO ever did this. (Local ones do, or at least did, but not the mighty GRO).

OC

[Just Gillian]

Wow - how lucky Sue! I wonder if it was a slow day, or if this is the beginning of a new trend? *smiles hopefully*

[Sue from Southend]

I've just ordered another one. Hopefully the right one this time as I suspect that todays call is unlikely to repeat itself.

It would be nice though if it was a part of a new customer service policy.

[Merry]

Well done Sue!

I once ordered a death cert where there were two of the same name on the page. I gave the age of the one I wanted and also a note explaining I definitely didn't want the other cert which I guessed they would see first as it appeared first in the alphabetical list on the GRO page. Of course you can guess which one they sent!! I complained and "as a gesture of goodwill and on this occasion only" they sent me the cert I wanted without me having to pay again!!

Glad to see things have improved! :D

[Sue from Southend]

I hadn't seen that there were two of the same name available. I had searched on a fairly narrow age range and there was a 14 year age difference between the two James's. I was asked on the phone for some extra info, both deaths had been registered by the coroner, so that was no help but as neither of the two candidates was an upholsterer we opted to cancel the order.

I did get an unasked for refund once before when I ordered two certificates with the same name on the index thinking that they would probably be related but the GRO claimed that there was an error in the index (a double entry I think) and only sent one.

[Sue at the seaside]

Well done Sue!

I once ordered a death cert where there were two of the same name on the page. I gave the age of the one I wanted and also a note explaining I definitely didn't want the other cert which I guessed they would see first as it appeared first in the alphabetical list on the GRO page. Of course you can guess which one they sent!! I complained and "as a gesture of goodwill and on this occasion only" they sent me the cert I wanted without me having to pay again!!

Glad to see things have improved! :D

I had that too, they sent the right one and refunded the charge, now that was a lucky day!

[Jill]

Somewhere I have a photocopied page from the sacred GRO tomes of 1855 with my relative and several other people which was sent along with the cert following a call from a nice young man in Southport when the birthplace I'd mentioned wasn't quite a match. A bit of a one off, bless him.

[Kit]

shhh Sue, poor woman may lose her job for being helpful.