Unfortunately when you hit a dead end, it’s sometimes the only option. The funny thing was, I’d already gotten one of these forms from them before. So they clearly DID know it was a possibility. But my grandmother wanted to keep that copy (which is fine), and I needed another. That time they also screwed up — sent me an uncertified copy when I requested (and paid for) a certified copy and I was required to go to the local office and have them stamp it instead (what the hell did I pay extra for exactly??). They did eventually send the “real” certified copy, months later. Problem was that I needed it asap for the German consulate.

I’ve requested several others over the years without any problem. So I have no idea what the issue is lately. My guess is they’re just not educated about what they offer very well. If they don’t know their own organization’s website, that’s very concerning. How can they give citizens accurate info when they don’t even know the information their organization publicly gives?

I’ve not had to search for anyone using the government’s paid resources, amen. So far, all my information has been found either on a paid genealogy site or through search engine results.