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Vital Records Online Reviews Summary
Vital Records Online has a rating of 1.1 stars from 138 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers dissatisfied with Vital Records Online most frequently mention birth certificate, customer service and credit card. Vital Records Online ranks 84th among Government Records sites.
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This company is a fraud. Do not use them for Apostille services as they will waste your time and money. I paid $159.00 on May 10,2024 for an Apostille for a birth certificate. I followed their instructions exactly and sent the original birth certificate to them immediately. When I heard nothing, I contacted them and asked for an update on the order. They claimed there was no order on record. I sent them a copy of their own order confirmation as well as credit card info for tracking the payment that they had already received. They did not have the decency to respond to multiple emails asking what happened to the order. The customer service person was very rude and insisted she simply had no record of the order even though they had collected the $159.00 from my credit card and the USPS confirmed that my document had been delivered to them five days earlier. I finally found someone who did confirm that they received the order and had processed it. He gave no apology or explanation for the claim that there was no order. Already, ten days had passed despite their promise of a 3-5 day turnaround. Well, after 18 days, I was shocked to find that all the documents were returned to me unprocessed. I had no Apostille on my birth certificate and the Department of State of New York had rejected the application because VRO did not process it correctly. I lost all that time and I lost $159.00. Worst of all, they never did have the professional decency to respond to my many complaints about losing the order and subsequently failing to process it correctly. I strongly recommend that no one use this company for any service. They will take your money, fail to process your request and have no accountability to fulfilling their corporate promises. Such behavior is the definition of corporate malfeasance and fraud. Taking money for a service that they cannot provide is deception. It is also a disrespect of paying customers. Their customer service is atrocious. Please save yourself the hours of stress I have endured with Vital Records Online. Find a company that is professionally responsible, accountable and capable of completing the services they sell (or provide an explanation or refund if they cannot do so).
Spent $150 to get my birth certificate, I thought I paid for expedited service and shipping but I still didn't get my certificate. So I paid that money for nothing. Now my information is out in limbo and I now have to make sure no one is using my information. And now I can't get a refund. I suggest that going straight to the county office and getting what you need from them directly. Don't use VRO.
Hello,
Our expedited service aims to accelerate the processing time of your order to the best of our ability. However, it's important to note that expedited service does not guarantee immediate or next-day delivery. Instead, we prioritize your application within our system and work to expedite the processing time as much as possible.
The processing time ultimately depends on various factors, including the specific requirements and processing times set by your state's relevant Health Department office. While we strive to minimize processing times, it's important to acknowledge that certain states, like New York, may have longer processing durations extending to weeks or even months.
Please rest assured that our team diligently facilitates submitting and processing your application. However, the issuance of certificates is solely handled by the respective Health Department offices, over which we have no control.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by the lack of updates and difficulty reaching our customer service team. We're actively working to improve our communication channels and enhance customer support. If you have any further concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly. Your satisfaction is our priority, and we're committed to addressing your needs to the best of our ability.
Possibly the worst company. I ordered birth certificates for my children 7 weeks ago (order numbers VRO******* and VRO*******) They charge you 44USD for the service + 20USD for some useless notarization form. You have no idea if the birth certificates will arrive as there is no tracking. I called Vital Records numerous times and they told me to keep waiting, but do not provide additional information. I ended up again to get the birth certificated via a company called VitalChek (https://www.vitalchek.com/v/order-status-signon), which is recommended on the NY Department of State webpage. They also charged 44USD, but no made-up notarial fees. Also VitalChek use UPS, they give you a tracking number and I received my birth certificates in two business days!
I am asking my credit card company to dispute Vital Records charges as the company provided zero service. I have filed a complaint with the U.S. Government's consumer protection division: https://www.usa.gov/consumer-complaints. In addition, contact me privately( *******@yahoo.com) if you have a similar experience and are interested in taking legal action against Vital Records. My cousin is a lawyer and has agreed to represent us pro-bono if there is a critical mass of wronged customers.
Hello, Emil.
Thank you for sharing your concerns, and we sincerely apologize for the frustration and inconvenience you have experienced during your children's birth certificate request. We understand how important timely and reliable service is, and it’s disappointing to hear that we did not meet your expectations in this case.
We would like to clarify that the notary service we provide is to ensure that your documents are completed accurately and legally. However, we understand that this may not have been necessary for your situation, and we are sorry for any confusion caused.
We are committed to resolving this issue for you. Please contact us directly by email or provide us with more details, such as your order numbers, so we can locate your requests (VRO******* and VRO*******) and work toward a resolution, including refunding any applicable charges. We are here to assist and will do everything possible to address your concerns.
We appreciate your feedback, and we would like to offer you further assistance to restore your trust in our service.
Still waiting on my refund. Don't go with this company. I've called numerous of times and they give you the run around. They are trash
Hello, Anthony.
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We sincerely apologize for the delay in processing your refund and for the inconvenience this has caused. We understand how frustrating this situation must be, and we deeply regret that your experience with our customer service team has not been satisfactory.
We are committed to resolving this issue as quickly as possible. Please contact our support team directly with your order details so that we can prioritize your refund and ensure it is processed without further delay.
We truly appreciate your patience and understanding, and we hope to restore your confidence in our service.
I ordered a birth certificate on 12-21-23 and still haven't received it. And i paid an additional $20 for a rush order. They don't respond to emails or chats. This is a joke. If you need a birth certificate, order it directly through your states website. Wish I would have done that instead. Back to square one. Disputed the charge through my bank. Hopefully I'll get my money back one day.
Hello, Donna.
We sincerely apologize for the delay you’ve experienced and for any frustration caused by the lack of communication. We understand how important it is to receive your birth certificate promptly, especially after requesting a rush order. Your situation does not reflect the level of service we aim to provide, and we deeply regret that you were left feeling dissatisfied.
We also want to assure you that your emails and chats are important to us, and it is concerning to hear that you haven’t received a response. We will look into this immediately to determine what went wrong and to ensure that such communication issues are addressed.
If you’re willing, we’d love the opportunity to work directly with you to resolve this matter as quickly as possible. Please contact us again by email or phone call so we can personally oversee your case and assist with your refund if applicable.
Again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience while we work to resolve this.
Terrible Customer service. No supervisor or chain of command. Inexperienced with dealing with crisis, Misinformation given
Hello, Felecia.
We are truly sorry to hear about your negative experience with our customer service team, and we sincerely apologize for any frustration caused. Your feedback is important to us, and we take your concerns very seriously.
While we strive to provide accurate information and resolve any issues promptly, it’s clear that in this instance we did not meet your expectations. Please know that we have a structured chain of command in place, and supervisors are available to assist when necessary. We will review this situation internally to ensure our team is better equipped to handle similar concerns in the future and prevent any further miscommunication.
We would love the opportunity to make things right. Please contact us directly by email or phone call and we’ll do our best to resolve the issue and provide a better experience moving forward.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we appreciate your patience as we work to improve.
0 stars. My delivery time was 2-3 weeks. It's been 6 weeks. CSR has new reason every time I call including delays on their end.
Hello, Christine.
We sincerely apologize for the frustration and inconvenience you’ve experienced with the delay in receiving your order. We understand how important timely delivery is, and we regret that our service has not met your expectations in this instance.
While we strive to process all orders within the estimated timeframes, occasional delays can occur due to factors beyond our control. We understand that you’ve been in contact with our customer service team, and it’s disappointing to hear that the explanations provided haven’t resolved the issue to your satisfaction.
We will review your case thoroughly to ensure that we’re doing everything possible to expedite the completion of your order. Please contact us directly by email or phone call so we can prioritize your request and provide you with an accurate update.
Again, we apologize for the inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this matter.
It's a SCAM do not use! I use this paid $50 and never received my birth certificate they couldn't tell me nothing no update or nothing. Called my local office and they said this company has no dealing with them that I've been scram
Hello, Jan.
We sincerely apologize for the frustration and confusion you’ve experienced. We understand how concerning this situation must be, and we regret that you have not yet received your birth certificate.
Vital Records Online is an independent document assistance service, and while we work to submit applications to the appropriate state or county offices, we do not process the certificates ourselves. After reviewing your case, we are committed to investigating what has happened with your request and will reach out to the local office to ensure everything is moving forward.
We will follow up with you directly to provide a detailed update on your application status. If there is anything more we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer support team. We are here to resolve this as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your patience and for bringing this to our attention.
We ordered both our girls Birth certificates from Vital records. The first one arrived with no issue. The second still hasn't arrived. Apparently the picture i sent of my ID was blurry, even though I reused the same picture I took. They require me to PRINT, sign, then send in a picture of a document. I have done this 3 times and they keep refusing my signature. I have called the help line 3 times. The emails are no help and im running out of time to get this for our health insurance. I don't know what I'm doing wrong and Noone will help me.
Hello, Hannah.
We sincerely apologize for the frustration and inconvenience you've experienced while trying to obtain your second daughter’s birth certificate. We understand how stressful this situation must be, especially with the urgency related to your health insurance.
It appears there has been an issue with the quality of the ID photo and signature documentation, and we deeply regret that this has caused delays in processing your request. To help resolve this as quickly as possible, I will personally escalate your case to our support team for a more thorough review. Additionally, I’ll make sure that you receive clear guidance on how to submit the required documents in a way that will meet the necessary standards.
We want to ensure you receive the birth certificate in time and will be here to assist you every step of the way. One of our representatives will be reaching out to you directly to provide further assistance and ensure that we can expedite the process.
Thank you for your patience, and we are committed to resolving this for you as soon as possible.
Best regards.
**DONT USE THIS COMPANY***I submitted a request for my birth certificate a month and 9 days ago and paid $150 for expedited service, plus notary fees. I still haven't recieved it. I've emailed them 3 times and finally called the health department to see if they recieved request from Vital Records and there is none. I requested a refund because of this and was told I couldn't get one because they processed it on Jan 3rd. Really then why hasn't the health department recieved it? Don't use this company just go thru the health department where your requesting a copy. Now $175,1month+ later I have to start this process all over. I needed my birth certificate asap for DL and registration in new State. Wish I would have known this company is a waste of my time and money. CLOSE THEM DOWN MAKING MONEY OF PEOPLE SAYING ITS EXPEDITED SERVICE WHICH IS A LIE- THEN NO REFUND.
Hello, Pam.
We sincerely apologize for the delays and frustrations you've experienced while trying to obtain your birth certificate. We understand how important this document is for your driver's license and registration, and we deeply regret that our service did not meet your expectations.
After reviewing your case, we can confirm that your request was processed on January 3rd. However, we understand your concern that the Health Department has not yet received the application, which is extremely disappointing. The processing times and delivery of documents are handled by the Health Department, and while we aim to expedite your request on our end, we unfortunately have no control over their processing timelines.
We also apologize for any confusion regarding our refund policy. Since your application was successfully submitted, we are unable to issue a refund at this stage. However, we would like to further investigate why the Health Department has not acknowledged your request, and we will follow up with them to ensure that your application is being handled appropriately.
We are here to help resolve this issue and will keep you updated on the status. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we are committed to assisting you through this process.
Best regards.
Ordered a birth certificate for my son and paid for all the extras as I cannot get to our county seat to order from the health department very often and this appeared to be faster. Fast (2-day) processing took 29 days (Dec 28-Jan 23) before it was sent to the health department. Overall it took 42 days to receive my order. Save yourself time and money and take a day off to go order it yourself.
Hello, Don.
We sincerely apologize for the delay you experienced in receiving your son’s birth certificate and understand how this has caused frustration, especially when you were expecting a faster process.
We strive to provide efficient services, but there are times when delays can occur due to the specific requirements and processing times at the state or county level. While we offer expedited processing on our end, the Health Department's timeline for handling and delivering documents is something beyond our control.
We truly regret that the process did not meet your expectations and appreciate your feedback. Please know that your experience helps us identify areas for improvement, and we are committed to enhancing our services.
If there’s anything more we can do for you, or if you have further concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us directly by email or call.
Best regards.
Started the process for a death certificate Dec 18,2023 still have nothing. If you call they say they need some other form.
Absolutely no return communication from them, they just want your info
Hello, Robert.
We sincerely apologize for the experience you've had and understand how frustrating this situation must be for you.
Upon reviewing your case, it seems that your request for a death certificate has been delayed due to additional forms required by the Health Department. We understand that this can be frustrating, especially when dealing with sensitive matters. Please rest assured that we do not collect information for any purpose other than fulfilling your request.
We also regret any lapse in communication and are here to assist you. Our team will reach out to you promptly to guide you through the necessary steps and ensure that your application moves forward as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your patience, and we are committed to resolving this for you. Please feel free to contact us directly for any immediate assistance.
Best regards.
Please save your money and use Vital Check instead. Vital Records is cheaper but they are not as efficient. I ordered a birth certificate through both Vital Check and Vital Records. Within in minutes of my purchase through Vital Check, I received confirmation that my birth certificate will be delivered in 2 days. Vital Records on the other hand is still processing my request and it has been over 5 business days.
Hello, Sabrinna.
Thank you for sharing your experience, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.
We understand your frustration regarding the difference in processing times. Please note that while we aim to provide a seamless and efficient service, the processing time for birth certificate requests can vary depending on several factors, including the specific state or county’s requirements and workload.
We want to assure you that your order is currently being processed, and we are doing everything possible to expedite it. Our team will reach out to you with updates as soon as more information is available.
We appreciate your patience and trust in our service. If you have any further questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.
I had a really disappointing experience with the service. I paid to expedite my son's birth certificate, but it never arrived. Every time I called, they claimed they had everything they needed and that the delay was at the state level. After a year, I went to the county and discovered that my paperwork was never resubmitted. The customer service representatives gave me conflicting information and ultimately just told me to contact the state myself. It was a frustrating and ultimately fruitless experience. I would advise others to save their money and go directly to the county.
Hello, Melba.
We sincerely apologize for the disappointing experience you had with our service, and we appreciate you bringing this matter to our attention. We understand the frustration caused by the delay in receiving your son's birth certificate, especially after opting for expedited service.
It's crucial to clarify that waiting times can vary based on the state and the specific health department office processing the request. While we make every effort to ensure a smooth and timely submission, the processing time is solely under the control of the health department, which holds the authority to issue certificates.
We regret any conflicting information provided by our customer service representatives and understand the frustration this may have caused. We strive to improve our communication processes to avoid such issues in the future.
Upon learning that your paperwork was not resubmitted, we understand the added frustration this must have caused. We want to assure you that we take this matter seriously and will investigate the internal processes to prevent such incidents from recurring.
In the meantime, we advise you to directly contact the health department office to inquire about the status of your request and seek clarification on the delay. They will have the most accurate information regarding the processing of your son's birth certificate.
Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience you've experienced. If there's anything we can do to assist you further or provide additional support, please do not hesitate to contact our customer support team.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we appreciate your understanding.
This was an automated ad when I was going to state government. This site is not affiliated with state government directly. All this service will do is take your money and takes 3 weeks before they send request to state government, with outrageous fee.
It is over 1 months and I still not received any certificate, despite of paying expedited fee. And when I call the customer service, I just found out they do only apply to state government for records. You can do it directly to any state government and much quicker.
My daughter pointed out this is not government site, and I had applied directly to state government, and already received certificate, while I had not been waiting for this company to do any action.
Watch out for this service. It was useless for me since I did not receive the certificate in time.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you've experienced with our service. We strive to provide efficient and reliable assistance to our customers, and it's disheartening to hear about your negative experience.
It's important to clarify that while we facilitate the process of obtaining vital records from state governments, we are not directly affiliated with any government entity. We understand the urgency of obtaining these documents, which is why we offer expedited services for an additional fee. However, we regret to hear that your certificate was not delivered within the expected timeframe despite paying for expedited processing.
We assure you that your feedback is invaluable to us, and we will investigate this matter further to identify any issues in our process and ensure it doesn't happen again. Additionally, we will review our communication channels to ensure that customers are properly informed about our services and their expectations are set accordingly.
Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused, and we appreciate your patience and understanding. If there's anything else we can assist you with or if you have any further concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us directly.
Sincerely,
Customer Service Team
I filed an application for a death certificate with VRO weeks ago and had my application notarized online with Proof.com. 2 weeks ago I began leaving voicemails inquiring about the death certificate. In spite of a recording that ensures you will receive a call back within 24 hours, I never received the courtesy of a call or email about the status of my application. Yesterday, after 2 hours on the phone, the notary company agreed to call Vital Records Online as VRO was blaming the notary company for losing my application. Again, I was told I would receive an email by this morning for the status of my application if I sent a copy of the notarized application to prove I even applied for a death certificate which I did. Today, I waited for an hour to speak with a supervisor only to be hung up on after I informed him about his fraudulent service. Obtaining a death certificate for a loved one is difficult enough and this company made the entire process agonizing. I refused to cancel the application as I am eager to see if the death certificate will ever arrive.
We sincerely apologize for the frustration and inconvenience you have experienced throughout this process. Your feedback is deeply concerning to us, and we understand the importance of obtaining a death certificate in a timely and efficient manner, especially during such a sensitive time.
We are actively investigating the issues you've encountered with your application and the communication with our customer service team. It's unacceptable that you have not received the level of service and support that you deserve, and we are committed to rectifying this situation promptly.
Rest assured, we will prioritize resolving your application and providing you with the status update you've been seeking. Additionally, we will be reviewing our internal processes and communication protocols to ensure that situations like this do not occur in the future.
Please accept our sincerest apologies for the distress this has caused you. If there is anything else we can do to assist you or if you have any further concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly. Your satisfaction is our top priority, and we are committed to making this right for you.
Sincerely,
Customer Service Team
I place an order for a copy of my BC in April. I have not heard anything or seen anything. They sure debited out of my account. Does anyone even work there? I have tried calling. I have not had any response. I would have given a 0 but the site would not let me. Get it together people 3 month is way to long!
Hello,
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you've experienced, and we understand your frustration regarding the delay in processing your order for a copy of your birth certificate. We want to assure you that we take this matter seriously, and we appreciate your patience.
Firstly, we acknowledge that a three-month delay is not acceptable, and we apologize for any lack of communication on our part. We are actively looking into the status of your order to identify the cause of the delay and address it promptly.
Please be assured that our team is working diligently to resolve this matter, and we understand the urgency of obtaining your birth certificate. We will escalate your case to ensure a swift resolution and provide you with the information you need.
In the meantime, we apologize for any difficulty you've faced in reaching our customer service. We are actively working to improve our response times, and we appreciate your feedback in this regard.
To address your concerns promptly, could you please provide your order number or contact our customer support team at [your customer support email or phone number]? This will enable us to investigate the status of your order more efficiently and keep you informed throughout the resolution process.
Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience caused, and we appreciate your understanding. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we will do our utmost to ensure a positive resolution.
I paid to $55.50 get certified copy of my divorce decree. Received it and the DOB is wrong. Called customer service and was on hold for 37 minutes only to have the representative tell me I would need to call Idaho Vital Records department. Now having to pay $66.00 to them to correct the DOB on the certified copy I already paid for.
This is only useful if you can wait 3-6 months for certificates. I did not realize that when you pay extra expedite a birth certificate it still takes 3 months or more to receive it. I also did not realize you can go in person to a local County Clerk Office and get it the same day for way less money. They would not offer a refund 2 days after paying and letting me know it would take 3 more months to receive. What a rip off.
From the business
VITAL RECORDS ONLINE provides the best document preparation assistance for your birth certificate, death certificate or marriage certificate request. We are proud to have gathered more than 3000 state or county applications to process in order to use the fastest agency to get your vital records. We have the experience and the system to ensure you will get your Vital Records Application forms custom made to your needs.
Our process is simple, fill out our simple forms online to generate your application then get your vital records application documents without hassle directly at your doorstep. Follow the instructions to complete your application and mail everything with the pre-paid provided envelope to your local post office. You will only to track online your application on USPS website and get notified when your vital records are ready.
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Hello!
We deeply regret the frustration and distress you’ve experienced with our Apostille services. Your feedback is important to us, and we sincerely apologize for the delays, lack of communication, and any errors in processing your request. This situation does not reflect the level of service we aim to provide, and we are genuinely sorry that we failed to meet your expectations.
We take your concerns very seriously, particularly regarding the initial confusion about your order and the unprofessional communication you encountered. We will be conducting a thorough internal review to identify where the breakdown occurred and ensure that such errors do not happen in the future.
Regarding your Apostille request, we understand the critical importance of accurate processing and the impact this has on our customers. While it’s disheartening to hear that your documents were returned unprocessed, we would like to offer our support in rectifying this situation. Please contact us directly by email or phone number, and we will prioritize your case to ensure a resolution, including a refund or further assistance in completing the Apostille process if you’re open to it.
We appreciate your patience and your detailed feedback, which will help us improve our services. Once again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration caused.