Free Autosomal transfer offer?

[LynCra]

AngeliaR, what was that supposed to be the url for?

[AngeliaR]

Just one more

Just need one more transfer kit to unlock this one.

https://www.familytreedna.com/autosomalTransfer?atdna=MA4vhjCFZF0DujQJwWEMQw%3d%3d&ekit=MA4vhjCFZF0DujQJwWEMQw%3d%3d

[Sarmat]

Got it. Thank you!

[efgen]

If one does the free transfer, do the top 20 matches include other people who have done the free transfer or only paying customers?

Only paying customers can be seen. No one is able to see the free transfers -- that includes the free transfers themselves

Elise

[Sarmat]

Question:

If one does the free transfer, do the top 20 matches include other people who have done the free transfer or only paying customers?

[keigh]

Seeing just the surnames should be a really big incentive.(Not) About half of my matches from when I started don't have surname lists to speak of. One or two names, a list doesn't make. And a totally blank space for surnames, a list doesn't make.

And unless you go to a tree now a days with a possible surname you are able to put in the search engine, forget it. A quick peek at a persons GEDcom was possible, dragging around these trees blind, forget it.

[MoberlyDrake]

I wish someone could tell me the common ancestors I share with anyone in my mother's top 20 list (excluding family members, of course, and 3rd cousin I persuaded to take the test)!!!

[MoberlyDrake]

I agree. Here's what happens. If we are given access to the matches then we write them and then they have no incentive to pay the $36 to upgrade to have access to our emails etc. They are already communicating with us. That's why we aren't given access to the matches....it's all about the 'bottom line'.

I've spent well over $2500 here on kits, upgrades and reports in the last two years. I'm not giving the info away for free without something in return. I've removed all the surnames on my kits and changed the names to only first names or initials.

If someone has a close match to one of my kits and if they are serious genealogists they will upgrade and pay the $36.

But if we could contact them, couldn't we encourage them to pay full price? Since they can only see their top few matches, we would probably be wanting to see if they shared certain matches with us that weren't among those top few and triangulate with them.

[Tenn4ever]

Wouldn´t the simplest and most fair solution be to make this a two way street? I would have no objection to them seeing my information if I could also see theirs. What I find unfair is that they can see something about me but I do not even get to know that they exist. If they can see my name and view me in the chromosome browser then I should be able to see their name and view them in my chromosome browser. Generally I think this is a very positive initiative to grow the database, but just has not been applied in a way that shows any consideration for current customers.

I agree. Here's what happens. If we are given access to the matches then we write them and then they have no incentive to pay the $36 to upgrade to have access to our emails etc. They are already communicating with us. That's why we aren't given access to the matches....it's all about the 'bottom line'.

I've spent well over $2500 here on kits, upgrades and reports in the last two years. I'm not giving the info away for free without something in return. I've removed all the surnames on my kits and changed the names to only first names or initials.

If someone has a close match to one of my kits and if they are serious genealogists they will upgrade and pay the $36.

[LynCra]

Wouldn´t the simplest and most fair solution be to make this a two way street? I would have no objection to them seeing my information if I could also see theirs. What I find unfair is that they can see something about me but I do not even get to know that they exist. If they can see my name and view me in the chromosome browser then I should be able to see their name and view them in my chromosome browser. Generally I think this is a very positive initiative to grow the database, but just has not been applied in a way that shows any consideration for current customers.

[efgen]

But, will they be able to see our email addresses and contact us if we are in their top 20 matches?

No. On the previous page of this thread, I posted this:

The free trial folks get a very limited preview of Family Finder, with most of the features locked.

* They can see their top 20 matches with first initial and last name only, and they can use Chromosome Browser for those 20 matches.

* They do NOT get access to: matches' email addresses, matches' family trees, matches' full profiles, notes, ICW, known relationships, download files, filters/search, myOrigins.

I don't like this at all. I think I will go change all the names on my accounts to initials and remove all the surnames.

The whole idea here is to give the free transfers a PREVIEW of Family Finder, which will hopefully lead to them liking what they see and deciding to upgrade to the full account. The goal is to build the database and bring in more matches for our customers.

Think about it from the other perspective. Let's say that YOU are the one being given the free trial. You get a list of matches with zero information about them. Will that make you want to upgrade? Probably not -- or at least not right now -- you have no idea if those matches are relevant or not. Now how about if you see matches with surnames that you have in your own tree -- will you want to upgrade now? Probably! You'll want to see who that person is and contact them as soon as possible.

So why would you want to shoot yourself in the foot by removing your surnames?

Elise

[Tenn4ever]

If you were more communicative about what is going on then it would be easier to give credit where it is due. I am not aware of any communication to existing customers that explains what you have just told us in the answer to my post. Tell us up front what you are doing and why and you will be spared from many frustrations and irrelevant questions.

I totally agree. Why should we who have spend thousands of dollars here not be made aware how this is going to work BEFORE the general public and those at Ancestry and 23andMe .

I don't like this at all. I think I will go change all the names on my accounts to initials and remove all the surnames.

[Tenn4ever]

No, you will not be able to see or contact them until/unless they purchase/unlock the full transfer.

Elise

But, will they be able to see our email addresses and contact us if we are in their top 20 matches?

I hope not!!!! It will not be fair if they are able to contact us at will but we are unable to contact them.

[WCoaster]

Thanks, Elise. Yes, I hope word gets around that this only produces the very same results!

[efgen]

One of my new transfer matches has already tested here. I recognized the name, pulled up both records in Chromosome Browser, lowered the filter to 1 cM, and sure enough - identical. I hope we're not going to see a lot of this.

If someone contacts us to ask whether they can/should transfer if they've already tested with us, we definitely discourage it, since that will indeed result in people seeing duplicate matches. However, there's no easy way for us to completely prevent this or enforce it.

On a positive note, at least this confirms that transfer data will give the same information as testing Family Finder directly

Elise