Terms & Conditions

Terms and Conditions

How will I receive my records?
All records are delivered as full-color digital images through a site called WeTransfer. You’ll get an email from WeTransfer with a download link when they’re ready. We do not provide paper copies.

How long does it take?
Most orders are completed in about three to four weeks.  Sometimes it's much quicker, but sometimes it might take a little longer to find the records for you.  Please allow up to 6–8 weeks just in case.  If you ask for an update before three or four weeks, we usually won’t have anything new to share—your order is most likely moving along normally. If there’s ever a specific issue, we’ll let you know.

What if there are government delays?
All records come directly from the National Archives, which is a federal agency. Occasionally, events like government shutdowns, staffing shortages, building closures, or policy changes can cause delays beyond our control. While these are rare, they may extend delivery times.

What if I provided the wrong details?
Please double-check the soldier’s information before ordering. We can’t be responsible if the wrong file is ordered or the wrong details are provided. If you’re not sure what records are available, we’ll be happy to point you in the right direction before you place an order.

Do you offer refunds?
If its our mistake, we'll be happy to fix it for you, but otherwise, all sales are final. We cannot guarantee what a file will contain, how large it will be, or whether it includes the specific details you’re hoping to find. Our role is to retrieve the records as they exist in the archives—we can’t change or control their contents.  This also applies to any discounts.  Those must be applied at the time of purchase and won't be adjusted after payment is made. 

What if no records are found?
We make every effort to locate your files in the index before we go, which eliminates most problems. However, occasionally files are missing, misfiled, or otherwise unavailable. In those cases, we will either refund your payment or let you use that payment as a credit toward another order.
Exception: Carded medical records, Regular Army enlistment papers, and land files under the Harrison Land Act are non-refundable even if no records are located, due to the time required to conduct the search.

Are there any extra charges?
In some cases, such as pension files that are over 300 pages, pensions stored in St. Louis rather than DC, and land files over 40 pages may require additional fees due to their size or location.

Does this include research?
No—record retrieval is different from research. Retrieval means pulling the file as it exists. Research (such as tracking down missing index entries, interpreting documents, or answering larger questions) is available for an additional fee.

What details do I need to provide?
We’ll need some basic information to locate the right file. We may ask for your help clarifying details, but we can’t sift through long family trees or dozens of pages of notes. The clearer and more concise the details you provide are, the smoother the process will go.

Will you interpret the records for me?
Our retrieval service does not include analyzing, rearranging, or summarizing the documents. We’re happy to answer small questions, but larger projects require a research agreement.

Why do the files sometimes look “out of order”?
The National Archives requires files to remain exactly as they were given to us. That means pages may sometimes appear out of sequence, but we must scan them as they are.

Can you share my records publicly?
We sometimes feature interesting discoveries on social media or in presentations, but we will never share your name or identify you as a client without your permission.  Please let us know if you have a specific issue with this.