This Genealogy-Findings Disclaimer ("Disclaimer") applies to all family-history and genealogy research, reports, family trees, client websites, research films, and other deliverables (collectively, "Findings") provided by Tyler Mason, a Texas sole proprietor doing business as Genesis Legacy Journeys("GLJ," "we," "us," or "our"). It is incorporated by reference into our Website Terms of Service and into the Master Services Agreement governing our Services, and is governed by the laws of the State of Texas. Please read it carefully before relying on any Findings.
1. You Are Paying for Research Effort — Results Are Not Guaranteed
GLJ conducts genealogy research using an evidence-based approach, drawing on available records, sources, and family information and applying reasonable, professional research methods. However, genealogy is inherently uncertain. Records are incomplete, were created by other people and institutions, may contain errors, may have been lost or destroyed, and may conflict with one another.
WHAT GLJ SELLS IS PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH EFFORT AND ANALYSIS — NOT A GUARANTEED OUTCOME. When you purchase any GLJ research product, you are paying for the diligent, skilled application of research time, methods, and professional judgment to the available records and sources. You are not purchasing, and GLJ does not sell, a promised ancestor, lineage, relationship, connection, or conclusion. YOU PAY FOR THE WORK REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE RECORDS REVEAL — including where the available records reveal little or nothing, where they leave a question unresolved, or where they contradict, complicate, or disprove family lore, oral tradition, or a result you were hoping to confirm. A research effort that yields few or no confirmed findings, or findings you did not expect or want, is still a completed research effort for which the fee is earned.
THIS APPLIES TO EVERY RESEARCH TIER. GLJ offers research at multiple tiers, including without limitation:
- Snapshot (entry research product, $250);
- Brick Wall ($1,800);
- Sprint ($3,500); and
- Buildout ($7,500).
The price of a tier reflects the scope, depth, and hours of research effort included at that tier — NOT a larger or more certain guarantee of results. A higher-priced tier buys more research effort; it does not buy a promised finding. ACROSS ALL TIERS, GLJ DOES NOT GUARANTEE, WARRANT, OR PROMISE ANY PARTICULAR RESULT, FINDING, ANCESTOR, LINEAGE, RELATIONSHIP, CONNECTION, OR CONCLUSION. We do not guarantee that research at any tier will establish a specific lineage, confirm a family story, locate a particular ancestor or living relative, connect you to a particular place, person, or group, break through any particular "brick wall," or reach any specific outcome. The value of our Services is in the professional research effort and the deliverables produced — not in any guaranteed conclusion.
2. How We Classify Findings by Confidence — Documented / Probable / Lead
So that you understand the basis and reliability of each element of the Findings, GLJ classifies findings by confidence level. Where practical, individual facts, names, dates, relationships, and connections in our deliverables are identified by the confidence tier that reflects the strength of the evidence behind them. GLJ uses the following confidence tiers:
A. Documented.A finding is "DOCUMENTED" when it is directly supported by one or more primary records or sources (for example, vital records, census records, immigration or church records, archival documents, or other primary source materials). DOCUMENTED findings rest on identifiable primary evidence. Even so, source records themselves may contain errors, omissions, transcription mistakes, or conflicting information, and a DOCUMENTED classification reflects the available evidence — it is not a guarantee of absolute historical certainty. We rely on third-party records and are not responsible for their accuracy or completeness (see Section 4).
B. Probable.A finding is "PROBABLE" when it is supported by strong but indirect or secondary evidence — for example, a well-reasoned conclusion built from circumstantial records, secondary sources, or an accumulation of consistent evidence that points to a conclusion without a single direct primary record establishing it. A PROBABLE finding represents GLJ's professional assessment that a conclusion is more likely than not, but it is EXPRESSLY NOT A GUARANTEE OF FACT and may be revised or disproven by later research or newly discovered records.
C. Lead / Unverified.A finding is identified as a "LEAD" or "UNVERIFIED" when it is a hypothesis, inference, or avenue requiring further research — for example, where records are missing, where a connection is suggested but not established, where an inference has been made to bridge an absence of direct evidence, or where information rests on family testimony, tradition, or stories that have not been confirmed by records. LEAD / UNVERIFIED elements are working hypotheses, not established facts. They are EXPRESSLY NOT GUARANTEES OF FACT and may be confirmed, revised, or disproven by further research.
ONLY DOCUMENTED FINDINGS ARE REPRESENTED BY GLJ AS ESTABLISHED. PROBABLE and LEAD / UNVERIFIED findings are provided to convey the current state and direction of the research and are expressly NOT represented as established fact and are NOT guarantees of any kind. The classification of any finding reflects our professional assessment based on the evidence available at the time and may change as additional records or information come to light. Different researchers may reasonably reach different conclusions from the same evidence.
3. Snapshot Tier and Any Satisfaction or Refund Promise
The $250 Line Snapshot (the entry research product) carries the following satisfaction and refund promise: "The $250 Line Snapshot is fully refundable before work starts; if we can't meaningfully work the line, we refund in full." This promise is PRE-START ONLY. It applies before work on the line begins. Once work on the line begins, the performed-work terms of the Refund Policy apply, and performed research work is not refundable.
THIS PROMISE APPLIES ONLY TO THE $250 LINE SNAPSHOT. It does not extend to the Brick Wall, Sprint, Buildout, or any other higher research tier, and it does not extend to any travel, media, film, or other services, all of which are governed by their own terms and by the Master Services Agreement.
IMPORTANTLY, THIS SATISFACTION AND REFUND PROMISE IS NOT A GUARANTEE OF ANY PARTICULAR GENEALOGICAL RESULT. It is a COMMERCIAL term of the Snapshot offer only. It does not promise, and must not be understood to promise, that research will establish any specific ancestor, lineage, relationship, connection, or conclusion. The results-not-guaranteed terms of Section 1 apply in full to the Snapshot tier and to every tier, regardless of this satisfaction and refund promise.
4. Third-Party Records and Sources
Findings depend heavily on records and information created and maintained by third parties, including governmental agencies, archives, libraries, religious institutions, and commercial and historical databases. GLJ does not control these sources and does not warrant the accuracy, completeness, authenticity, or availability of any third-party record or source. Errors, gaps, indexing mistakes, and conflicting entries are common in historical records. GLJ is not responsible for inaccuracies that originate in third-party records or sources.
5. DNA and Genetic Information
GLJ does not perform DNA or genetic testing. Where a client chooses to share results from a third-party DNA or genetic-testing service, any use, discussion, or interpretation of those results in the Findings is provided for general family-history context only and is NOT GUARANTEED.
DNA results and their interpretation are probabilistic and are provided by third-party testing companies. They depend on the testing company's methods, reference populations, databases, and matching algorithms, all of which are outside GLJ's control and may change over time. GLJ DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF ANY DNA RESULT OR ANY ETHNICITY ESTIMATE, MATCH, RELATIONSHIP PREDICTION, OR OTHER DNA-DERIVED CONCLUSION, and does not warrant that any DNA-based inference reflects actual biological or legal relationships. DNA information is not medical or health information, and nothing in the Findings is intended to provide any health, medical, or genetic-health interpretation. (See Section 6.)
6. No Professional, Legal, or Citizenship Advice
GLJ provides family-history research and related media and travel services. GLJ does not provide legal, medical, genetic-counseling, citizenship, immigration, financial, or other professional advice, and nothing in the Findings constitutes such advice or creates any professional-client relationship of that kind. The Findings are provided for personal and family-history purposes only. They are not a legal determination of heirship, ancestry, identity, nationality, or citizenship, and are not a medical or genetic-health assessment.
THE FINDINGS ARE NOT A BASIS FOR ANY CITIZENSHIP, INHERITANCE, PROBATE, IMMIGRATION, BENEFIT, OR OTHER LEGAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL CLAIM WITHOUT INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION. If you intend to use any Findings for a legal, inheritance, probate, citizenship, immigration, benefit, medical, or other consequential purpose, you must consult a qualified, licensed professional in the relevant field and jurisdiction, and you must independently verify the underlying records and conclusions. Many such purposes require certified records, official documentation, or independent professional evaluation that GLJ's Findings do not provide.
7. Independent Verification Before Reliance
The Findings are provided for personal, family-history, and educational purposes. Before relying on any Finding for any important decision or for any legal, inheritance, citizenship, benefit, financial, or medical purpose, you should independently verify it against primary source records and, where appropriate, obtain qualified professional advice. You assume responsibility for any decision you make in reliance on the Findings.
8. Limitation
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, GLJ disclaims all warranties regarding the Findings, express or implied, including any implied warranty of accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose. Any limitation of GLJ's liability is set out in the Website Terms of Service and the Master Services Agreement, which govern the allocation of risk for the Services. This Disclaimer is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.
9. Contact
Questions about this Disclaimer or about the basis for any Finding may be directed to:
Genesis Legacy Journeys
Tyler Mason
Email: info@genesislegacyjourneys.com
Website: genesislegacyjourneys.com