My Heritage Reviews

(based on 374 reviews)

36 of 65 people found this review helpful

I wanted to use their "Deep Nostalgia" photo animation which is amazing. It said I could do so by establishing a FREE Basic account which I did. I completed three animations, and on the fourth, I was interrupted EVERY TIME with being taken to the subscription page which had three choices. The ONLY choice I could choose was the most expensive.

In summary, I would not recommend My Heritage to a friend.

66 of 133 people found this review helpful

The DNA results are anomalous and questionable, but their “Instant Discoveries” are beyond bogus. First, the DNA results: Compared to the other tests that I’ve taken, the MyHeritage results were quite different. They are NOT at all in alignment with the other companies, NOT vaguely in alignment with my own genealogy (going back over 20 generations, in some instances), and NOT in alignment with the potential relatives that they’re identifying for me. Now, I realize that DNA is random and wouldn’t necessarily correspond to a genealogy. However, if they tell you that you have a high percentage of DNA originating from a particular place (in my case, Iberia), then there should be some evidence either in the genealogical record or in their DNA relationship match-ups — or in other companies’ DNA tests. There simply isn’t. Conversely, if other companies show a particular origin (ethnic composition) and if my genealogy confirms that ethnic origin, then I would expect to see some evidence of that same ethnic origin in MyHeritage — just as I see elsewhere. But I do not. Knowing the vagaries of DNA testing and the algorithms of origin assignment, I can guess that there might be some scientific explanation... (Read the full review)

In summary, I would not recommend My Heritage to a friend.

89 of 170 people found this review helpful

I tried to enter my actication code online. Response: This code does not exist. After trying verious venues to find out what went wrong I found out that I was booked as born in 2004, although I was born in 1942. Teleåhone contact with My Heitage. The lady on the phone fixed the problem and
I thought that I now finally would be able to enter my activation code successfully. No - the answer is still that it does not exist.

My concern is that I cannot go any further - please solve this for me.

Good points- the reception by the American support system. Bad point - I still have the same problem.

In summary, I would recommend My Heritage to a friend.

66 of 142 people found this review helpful

As a researcher for over 55 years and member of several genealogical sites and organizations I do no recommend this site unless you subscribe to more than the basic subscription.

"Matches" sent to you (as a member) are as accurate as the information you provide on your family tree information. However, with a basic membership (which is reasonably priced) you only get an individual match and when you click on that match to view the "add'l content" it contains you must upgrade to a higher level membership to see that information/documentation.

Total sham. Documentation and family group information is not available with a basic subscription. In addition they hound you with e-mails. A pop-up home page appears on your computer without you requesting it.

In summary, I would not recommend My Heritage to a friend.

74 of 141 people found this review helpful

The system is useless for searching. The navigation is repetitive and strange. All interesting links require a 185 USD payment commitment which renders the system useless. Minutes after registering, an anonymous call center calls me on my unregistered (!) phone to "advertise". So, not convinced.

In summary, I would not recommend My Heritage to a friend.

82 of 157 people found this review helpful

This is basically a scam, as others have written. They lure you in with a free trial, or promises of loads of data and family connections. But what they don't say is they've separated all of their services, so even if you do shell out money to find an unlimited number of connections, you have to pay more for a 'data' plan which is necessary to do searches of family members. And who knows what other hidden fees and charges are built into their plans. Plus the prices are ridiculous! And when you complain and try to cancel, they will tell you it's their policy not to do cancellations and refunds. And when they say that have cancelled it, despite this 'policy' what they have really done, is cancel your auto enrollment, not your actual account. You will need to call them repeatedly to get them to cancel your account and refund your money. It all comes off felling very shady and unprofessional. I do not recommend.

In summary, I would not recommend My Heritage to a friend.

84 of 166 people found this review helpful

I signed up a year ago. It wasn't what I thought because they wanted more money for search. I cancelled membership and asked for a full refund. I thought it was all settled. Wrong. I got a renewal notice stating they were taking $159 from my credit card. Don't know how they can renew something that was to have been cancelled. I called the billing department and was placed in a que #24. I got as far as #3 and was disconnected. Total waste of time on my part. I called back and now was #29. Not going through with that drill again. Not impressed by support or customer service. Sorry I ever used this company and would never suggest anyone sign up for this service. Waste of money.

In summary, I would not recommend My Heritage to a friend.

101 of 199 people found this review helpful

I ordered a DNA kit, what followed was an order confirmation email, nothing about an estimated date of delivery was included. When I called the customer service number to inquire through their sale department I reached an automated message giving me my place in line along with non-stop background music, this is a painfully L-O-N-G waiting process ! Finally a human answered telling me that my order should ship in a couple of weeks, whoa ! Again finally ... I got an email notice that my kit has shipped and that I can track my order online, theirs is not a website for dummies, not setup to make navigating even easy for the least savvy person. Once I figured out how to reach the page for tracking my order, I entered the tracking number using cut & paste, The USPS can't locate any such tracking number after trying 3 times !!!!

I suspect that this is a business run from someones garage, very bad website, very bad service after the sale.

In summary, I would not recommend My Heritage to a friend.

103 of 192 people found this review helpful

I cannot locate records for father, mother, grandparents and many many others. Support personnel totally unable to help. Response times very slow despite having paid for premuim service. When speaking to a support person on the 'phone he actually lied to me - said he had an image of my father's birth details online in front of him - NO - the Scottish Records Office only release data, not images to ancestry sites - when I challenged him on this he hung up!!

Having paid lots of money to MyHeritage I now have to pay extra money to find the records I need on Scotlandspeople.

In summary, I would not recommend My Heritage to a friend.

151 of 294 people found this review helpful

I canceled my account. They renewed it anyway, without warning, for $119, and claim their records say I only canceled the "premium account," but not the "data account." I complained the same day, but they say their policy is no refunds, ever, unless you plead poverty, then they will give 45% of your money back. So if you're homeless and starving they only take $77 for nothing.

In summary, I would not recommend My Heritage to a friend.