Family Historian User Group

I feel that I should bring an apparent anomaly in the GRO's PDF email system to your attention.
I recently ordered a PDF image of an ancestor's Death certificate, indicating in the box "Your reference" that she be the "Wife of Samuel...". This was to isolate the correct certificate from several deaths of the same name in that district
In due course I received the email, opened the PDF to find that the lady in question was the "Wife of James..."
I contacted the GRO in the hope that I may receive a refund under their "Incorrect information" policy, only to get the following reply:-
"Unfortunately, we are unable to issue a refund as the PDF image matches the information given in your application.
If any other information is supplied, this will not be checked against the entry.
........
Please note that this service is not available for PDF images."
I have contacted the GRO suggesting that they point this out on their order form.
If I had used their Standard Service, this Referral would have been checked and the wrong certificate not sent.
I trust that this is of some help in preventing others from making the same mistake.
Regards
Roger

Hi Roger,
Sorry to be awkward but surely you supplied the exact reference either from the GRO index or Freebmd. When they ask you to check what you have ordered they quote the reference you entered, so there should be no confusion. Is it possible that the death you thought was yours was in fact another one. I had an instance when the name was the same and age nearly spot on but even though I thought my person had died in Stoke and this looked like the exact one it wasn't. Later I discovered she died in Chorlton.
In the "My Ref" I put a number eg. AS 2, my initials and the number of orders I am up to.
Not trying to criticize but just trying to be helpful
Ann

Yes, the GRO index reference entry would be such as:

Deaths Jun 1967
TATE MATTHEW J.T. 84 STEPNEY 5E 93

i.e. Death in Q2 1967 of TATE, Matthew J.T. age 84 in Stepney District in Volume 5E on Page 93

So there should be no confusion.

Are you saying there were several GRO entries with the same Name and District at about the correct date, but you could not determine which was the one you wanted, so could not supply the specific Volume and Page number index reference.

But I do not understand how that is possible as Q18. What information do I need to apply online? says:
"You will need to provide the full GRO index reference number for the record that you are interested in"

Hi Roger

Unfortunately the 'Your reference' field is just that - a reference for the applicant to complete so that - perhaps different certificates on the same order can be dealt with by different people in a business environment, or can be assigned to a particular family if not obvious from the names shown.

I doubt that the GRO staff look at this, if it is even visible on their production system as the procedure is so automated when you request a pdf.

I think that the GRO withdrew its cross checking facility several years ago.

Have you tried looking for the record that you want on http://www.ancestry.co.uk or http://www.findmypast.co.uk etc, or the free http://www.familysearch.org before paying for the GRO certificate?

Thanks for all your replies. However, I have, in the past, had 'Your reference' inputs acted on when the order was for the Standard Service.
And, yes, there was a number of deaths registered with the same name and similar age registered in the particular area in the time span I was looking at. I plumped for the index that seemed most probable and gave those details.
At least I may now have another family line to follow up on.
Roger