Be A Smart Consumer Of Products

Have you ever considered your responsibility as a genealogical consumer, buying and using the products or services of a genealogical business? Like consumerism in general, there are tips to alleviate needless aggravation for both buyer and the supplier.

Fran Carter listed guidelines for genealogical consumers in Issue 39 of Heritage Quest magazine in 1992:

1. Read the advertising carefully. Know exactly what you are ordering! Don’t read more into an ad than is there, and if something is unclear, before you order, send the company or researcher a self-addressed, stamped envelope asking for clarification.

2. Do not expect suppliers to check their book or files for your surnames before filling your order. If you buy a book and your name isn’t in it, consider donating it to your local genealogical library.

3. When you hire a professional, realize there is no guarantee that they will find your ancestor. You are paying for the search - the researcher earns his money by performing the search.

4. Always include an SASE a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

5. When you order something, make sure your complete name and address are printed on the order, and not just your check. Often your check is deposited and your envelope discarded before the order is filled. You end up waiting, frustrated and angry because your order hasn’t arrived, when the company (having deposited your check) has no idea what you ordered or where to send it.

6. Never send cash! And make sure your check is signed.

7. For extra insurance, make a photocopy of your order. Write your check number on the order, the date you made the order and the date the company said your delivery would be made. This information will make a reference easier if it’s needed.

8. If your order doesn’t arrive within a reasonable time (usually 30 days unless otherwise stated), don’t automatically expect the worst. Consult your bank statement to determine whether your check has been cashed; if not, the company might not have received your order. Write or call them again.

9. With pre-publication orders, be sure to read the fine print. Pre-publication orders are designed to give the publisher an advance on publication costs. This isn’t all bad, but there should be an understood release date. If the order isn’t filled by then, your money should be returned or an explanation of delay given.

10. When all else fails, write the company or researcher explaining the problem. Supply all the information from your carefully saved records. Be pleasant in your inquiry; give them a chance to correct the problem. They value you as a genealogy customer.

What about phone orders? What about giving your credit card number over the phone? I do it all the time. I figure most genealogists and genealogical businesses are honest and reputable and I’ve never been “burned.” Nor do I know of anyone who has. But realize that when you see ads in the Everton’s Helper or Heritage Quest magazines they are just that: ads. The magazines don’t check them out, but you can be sure that if they receive many complaints, the ad won’t run again.

And, major credit card companies are good to subtract fraudulent charges from your bill, should that occur. In this busy world, when I hear of a new genealogy resource, I want it NOW and so I’m quick and happy to make a phone call and use my card.

I might add that any genealogy resource item - book, shop or service - that I recommend in this column, has been checked out by me. If you find any problem with any of them, please let me know.

On another genealogy consumerism note, there’s a new genealogy business that holds great promise. Jean A. Swaim, president of Soldier Search, a home business, will find your ancestor’s military records in the National Archives for you.

In my genealogy classes I teach that there are only three ways to access your ancestor’s military records from the National Archives in Washington, D.C.: Go there and look at them in person; use NATF-80, the official government request form; or hire an agent to obtain the records for you.

Of the three, I recommend the third avenue when possible.

Solider Search will go into the National Archives’ dusty shelves and locate and copy your ancestor’s records from the Union military and pension records, the Confederate military records, and from Physician’s Reports during the Civil War.

Swaim will also search records from the Mexican War, Spanish-American War, the War of 1812 and the Indian Wars.

Her fee is $49.95 per surname, and all but a $10 search fee will be refunded if no records are found.

Send your full name and address, your ancestor/soldier’s name, the state in which he enlisted (if known) and his wife’s name - plus your check - to Solider Search, P.O. Box 1492, Culpeper, VA 22701. (Allow four to six weeks for delivery.)

I’d like to hear from anyone who takes advantage of this service. Write to me of your experiences, good or bad, in care of this newspaper.

Kudos to literary winners

Congratulations to Lois Tomason and Rosemary Braun, first and second place winners in the first Eastern Washington Genealogical Society’s Literary Competition. Their winning stories will be published in future editions of the EWGS Bulletin.

, DataTimes MEMO: Donna Potter Phillips welcomes letters from readers. Write to her at The Spokesman-Review, Features Department, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. For a response, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Donna Potter Phillips The Spokesman-Review