Your statutory rights

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you're entitled to services performed with reasonable care and skill, at the price agreed, and within a reasonable time. If any of these aren't met, you're entitled to a repeat performance, a price reduction, or a full refund where the issue can't reasonably be fixed. Nothing in this policy limits these statutory rights.

14-day cooling-off period

As bookings are made online, by email, or by phone, you have the right to cancel your order for any reason within 14 days of booking, under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

If you'd like work to begin before the 14 days has passed, I'll ask you to confirm this in writing. Once confirmed, your cancellation right is waived in proportion to the work already completed — if you cancel after work has started, you'll be charged for the time and costs already incurred, with the balance of any deposit or payment refunded.

Deposits

Some services require a deposit before work begins. Deposits reflect time and resources already committed on my part (research hours booked, archive visits arranged, or similar) and are non-refundable once work has started, except where required by your statutory rights above.

Changing your order after consultation

If, following consultation, we agree your project requires a different service than originally purchased, I'll refund the original purchase so you can book the correct service — rather than issuing a bespoke invoice, except for genuinely bespoke arrangements that fall outside my standard product range.

Digital Archives Search and Physical Archives Search

• If, after starting work, no relevant records can be located, this does not constitute grounds for a refund — thorough, professional research is the service being provided, not a guaranteed outcome. Where nothing is found, I will share the search strategy used so you understand exactly where I looked.

• If you're unsatisfied with the standard of research itself (rather than the outcome), please contact me directly — I'll review the work and, where appropriate, provide a repeat performance or partial refund in line with your statutory rights.

• For Physical Archives Search, travel costs are billed separately and are non-refundable once travel has been booked on your behalf.

Family Tree Compilation

• As with all research services, locating records for every relative on your tree cannot be guaranteed — this does not constitute grounds for a refund. Where a record can't be found, I'll note this in your final report along with the strategy used.

• Once work has started, this fee is non-refundable except where required by your statutory rights above, or where you cancel within the 14-day cooling-off period before work has begun.

Family History Narratives

• Locating records for your narrative cannot be guaranteed — this does not constitute grounds for a refund. Where a record can't be found, I'll note this in your final narrative along with the research undertaken.

• Once work has started, package fees are non-refundable except where required by your statutory rights above, or where you cancel within the 14-day cooling-off period before work has begun.

Ancestral Travel Itineraries

• Confirming a specific family location or record cannot be guaranteed — this does not constitute grounds for a refund. Where a location can't be confirmed, I'll explain why and adjust the itinerary accordingly.

• As this is an itinerary planning service, not a travel booking service, refunds relate only to my planning work — I'm not responsible for, and can't refund, any travel bookings (flights, accommodation, transport, tours) you make independently based on the itinerary.

• Once work has started, package fees are non-refundable except where required by your statutory rights above, or where you cancel within the 14-day cooling-off period before work has begun.

Governing law

These terms, and any dispute arising from them, are governed by the law of England and Wales, and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, regardless of where you are based.

Questions

If you have any questions about a booking, a cancellation, or this policy, please contact me directly before starting any dispute process. Client satisfaction is important to me and most issues can be resolved quickly through direct conversation.

Contact

Wymark Ancestral
wymarkancestral@icloud.com

All Genealogy Research services (Digital Archives Search, Physical Archives Search, Family Tree Compilation)

• Every commission begins with a consultation, where scope, agreed hours (or the applicable fixed-price package), and any anticipated third-party record costs are discussed before work begins.

• As with all research services, locating a specific record cannot be guaranteed — professional effort and reasonable care are what's being provided, not a promised outcome.

• Some records are closed or restricted by law or by the holding archive — adoption records, certain Scottish records, or embargoed parish registers, for example. Where this affects your research, I'll explain what's restricted and why, rather than treat it as a record that simply doesn't exist.

• Third-party record costs (certificates, archive copying fees) are billed at cost, with no mark-up, and agreed with you during consultation before I incur them.

• This research is prepared for personal and family history purposes. It is not prepared to the evidentiary standard required for legal proceedings, immigration applications, or citizenship by descent, and shouldn't be relied on for these purposes without independent verification.

• Once your research is complete, I may ask whether you're comfortable with an anonymised or named version of your findings being used as a portfolio example on this site. This is always your choice — nothing is used without your specific agreement, and you can withdraw that agreement at any time.

Digital Archives Search and Physical Archives Search (hourly)

• Hours are agreed in advance at consultation. If it becomes clear more time is needed to meaningfully progress your research, I'll pause and let you know before booking further hours — you're never billed beyond what's been agreed without your authorisation.

Family Tree Compilation

• Includes up to 3 hours of online research. If your family history requires more time to complete the four-generation scope, I'll let you know before continuing, and further research beyond that is billed at the standard hourly rate.

• This service covers records in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Canada, the USA, and Germany. Ancestors or records outside these countries fall outside the scope of this service.

• This service provides source-cited research findings — dates, locations, and documented facts, referenced to where I found them. It does not include copies of the underlying documents or certificates themselves. If you'd like copies of specific records, this is available via Digital Archives Search or Physical Archives Search.

Archives Travel Charges

• Travel zone is confirmed with you at consultation, based on the archive's location, before you purchase the relevant Archives Travel Charge.

• This is a fixed charge covering my travel costs for that visit. It's not itemised, and may include transport, subsistence, and overnight accommodation depending on the archive's location and the length of the visit — this is at my discretion.

• Once purchased, Archives Travel Charges are non-refundable, except where required by your statutory rights.

• Visits spanning more than one zone, requiring multiple days of physical, in-person research, or to an archive outside the mapped zones, are agreed as a bespoke arrangement before booking.

Cancellations, refunds, governing law, and general terms — see the Cancellations, Refunds & General Terms section above.

All Family History Narrative packages (The Chapter, The Anthology, and Bespoke commissions)

• Every commission begins with a no-obligation consultation to confirm the right package and scope before any work begins.

• Included research hours are agreed in advance. If it becomes clear more time is needed to meaningfully complete your narrative, I'll pause and let you know before continuing — you're never billed beyond what's agreed without your authorisation.

• As with all research services, locating a specific record cannot be guaranteed — professional effort and reasonable care are what's being provided, not a promised outcome. Some records are closed or restricted by law or by the holding archive; where this affects your narrative, I'll explain what's restricted and shape your story around what survives.

• Archive fees and travel costs are billed at cost, with no mark-up, and agreed with you during consultation before I incur them.

• This service covers ancestry connecting the USA and Canada to England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany. Family histories outside this scope are considered as bespoke commissions.

• Your narrative distinguishes documented fact from narrative interpretation. Where I reconstruct a scene, setting, or moment to bring your family's story to life, this is clearly identifiable as interpretation rather than a documented record, and I don't invent specific events, direct quotes, or details that aren't supported by the research.

• The accompanying family tree documents findings and citations; it does not include copies of the underlying records themselves.

• This narrative is prepared for personal and family history purposes. It is not prepared to the evidentiary standard required for legal proceedings, immigration applications, or citizenship by descent, and shouldn't be relied on for these purposes without independent verification.

• Family histories can surface difficult material — loss, hardship, conflict, or estrangement. Let me know at consultation if there are topics or details you'd like handled briefly, or left out of the final narrative.

• Includes 1 round of revisions to the delivered narrative. Further revisions are billed at the standard hourly rate.

• Once your narrative is complete, I may ask whether you're comfortable with an anonymised or named version of your family's story being used as a portfolio example on this site. This is always your choice, and you can withdraw that agreement at any time.

• If your family's story significantly exceeds the package purchased, see "Changing your order after consultation" in Cancellations, Refunds & General Terms.

The Chapter

• Includes up to 6 hours of research and a narrative covering four generations.

The Anthology

• Includes up to 10 hours of research and a narrative covering five generations.

Bespoke commissions

• Scope, hours, and price are agreed individually following consultation, and confirmed in writing before work begins.

Cancellations, refunds, governing law, and general terms — see the Cancellations, Refunds & General Terms section above.

All Ancestral Travel Itinerary packages (The Roots Itinerary Package, The Branches Itinerary Package, and Bespoke commissions)

• Every commission begins with a no-obligation consultation to confirm scope and how included hours will be used, before any work begins.

• Included research and planning hours are agreed in advance. If it becomes clear more time is needed to complete your itinerary, I'll pause and let you know before continuing — you're never billed beyond what's agreed without your authorisation.

• This is an itinerary planning service, not a travel booking service. I research and recommend a route; I don't arrange, book, or pay for flights, accommodation, transport, tours, or any other travel service on your behalf. Booking every element of your trip is your responsibility.

• Where your itinerary references hotels, restaurants, or other local recommendations, these are informational suggestions only. I don't book these on your behalf, or receive any commission or referral fee for them — any decision to book is yours, made independently and directly with the provider.

• Because I don't sell or arrange travel services, this itinerary isn't a package holiday under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, and doesn't carry the financial protections that come with a booked package. I'd recommend arranging your own independent travel insurance for the trip.

• As with all research services, confirming a specific family location or record cannot be guaranteed — professional effort and reasonable care are what's being provided, not a promised outcome.

• Itineraries are built from information available at the time of research. Opening hours, public access, and the condition of archives, churchyards, and historic sites can change — I'd recommend confirming details directly with a site before you travel.

• This service covers destinations across England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany.

• Archive fees, where applicable, are billed at cost, with no mark-up, and agreed with you during consultation before I incur them.

• Once your itinerary is complete, I may ask whether you're comfortable with an anonymised or named version of your trip being used as a portfolio example on this site. This is always your choice, and you can withdraw that agreement at any time.

• If your family's story requires more locations, more hours, or destinations beyond this scope, see "Changing your order after consultation" in Cancellations, Refunds & General Terms.

The Roots Itinerary Package

• Includes up to 6 hours of research and planning, focused on one ancestral line.

The Branches Itinerary Package

• Includes up to 10 hours of research and planning, across two to three ancestral branches.

Bespoke commissions

• Scope, hours, and price are agreed individually following consultation, and confirmed in writing before work begins.

Cancellations, refunds, governing law, and general terms — see the Cancellations, Refunds & General Terms section above.