1911 census - doesn't do what it says on the tin

[usignuolo]

On the 1911 census.com (official site of the National Archives) it says

SEARCH FOR FREE
Search the whole census to add vital branches to your family tree
See transcribed details of your ancestors and the original census images
Find out where your family lived, who else lived there and what jobs they did.
PAY TO VIEW
Once you are sure of the record you want, you’ll need to register and buy credits (see left) to view and print and save a typed transcript or an image of the original handwritten page.

Only you can't actually Search for Free like it says. I have searched on my ancestor, and found a summarised entry - name, age, district where they lived, but to look at the original images and find out things like address, I have to pay.

1911 census person search Your search has returned 1 result.

Search criteria used:
County : London Last name : Jackson
First name : Wilfrid Year of Birth : 1881, plus or minus 2 years
Birth place : London Searching within : Households, Institutions, Vessels

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Household Original Census Image
Household JACKSON, Wilfrid H 1882 29 M Wandsworth London VIEW VIEW

If you click on View Household it says - 10 credits unless you have a subscription
If you click on View Original Census Image - it says - 30 credits unless you have a subscription

Cost:
You will be charged 10 credits for a transcript and 30 credits for an image, unless you have purchased a subscription for this set of records


So why does it say you can view this stuff for free, when you can't?

[Jimmy]

It says Search for free, pay to view.

[usignuolo]

This is a direct cut and paste from their site

SEARCH FOR FREE
Search the whole census to add vital branches to your family tree
See transcribed details of your ancestors and the original census images
Find out where your family lived, who else lived there and what jobs they did.
PAY TO VIEW
Once you are sure of the record you want, you’ll need to register and buy credits (see left) to view and print and save a typed transcript or an image of the original handwritten page.

Surely then it should say

SEARCH FOR FREE
Search the whole census to find vital branches to add to your family tree

PAY TO VIEW
Once you are sure of the record you want, you’ll need to register and buy credits (see left) to

See transcribed details of your ancestors and the original census images
Find out where your family lived, who else lived there and what jobs they did
View and print and save a typed transcript or an image of the original handwritten page

[sparkstopper]

This what your'e looking for:
1911. 72 Wellfield Rd. Streatham,SW
Wilfred H.JACKSON marr: 29 Boot Shop Assistant b.Islington
Ellen JACKSON wife marr: 27 b. St.Pancras.
Wilfred A.JACKSON son 10 mths. b.Wandsworth.

[Jimmy]

Wilfred Henry Jackson. Shop assistant.
Age: 26.
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1883.
Spouse Name: Ellen Eliza Goss. Spinster.
Spouse Age: 25.
Record Type: Marriage.
Marriage Date: 02 Aug 1909.
Parish: St Martin, Kentish Town.
COUNTY: London.
Borough: Camden.
Father Name: Henry Jackson. Deceased.
Spouse Father Name: Charles Goss. French Polisher.

[SRD]

<snipped>
So why does it say you can view this stuff for free, when you can't?

Do what I did, report them to Trading Standards. It would appear that TS are getting quite a bundle of complaints about the various ancestry sites not living up to the implied benefits of their advertising. Trouble is, many of them are registered off shore where the advertising rules don't apply although I understand that legislation is under review to apply the same rules to offshore companies as onshore which will mean ISPs may have to take responsibility for allowing false advertising on their servers.

[Antie Em]

It is misleading - but I can't ever imagine that anyone would let you view the census pages for free. It costs them money to set up the site and pay staff to index and check the pages. Not sure if they have to pay money to the government to use the census books, but they probably do. There are census sites you can view for free, which use volunteers to transcribe, but these don't show you the census page - only the family details, but I don't think the 1911 will be included for some time.

[snoopysue]

I'm happy to look up the 1911 (and other census's) time and subscriptions permitting.

I agree with Antie Em though, it's be surprising that they'd let you see the image. But what they say is also misleading.

[pmtay]

hello

I am happy to look up for you on the 1911 census

I found a bigger scam. A lot of the 1911 census has not been transcribed properly.
I think people must spend a lot of money buying credits that dont give information that they need

I have contacted Find my past often to complain about missing areas.

I use ancestry and find my past as ancestry dont have a search of 1911 only the books.

xx

I'm happy to look up the 1911 (and other census's) time and subscriptions permitting.

I agree with Antie Em though, it's be surprising that they'd let you see the image. But what they say is also misleading.