Family Finder Shipping Charge?

[IAB]

Hi, liking the sales I see but would like clarification on the shipping charge for the Family Finder. What are you shipping exactly that is not shown online.

Thank you for you assistance.

[lgmayka]

The shipping charge only applies to a new customer (i.e., someone who has never tested with FTDNA or National Geographic). It is to ship the collection kit itself.

If you mean to order Family Finder as an add-on to an existing kit, you should order it from inside that account. There should be no shipping charge.

Sometimes the web site gets confused and thinks that you are ordering a new kit even when you are inside your account; in that case, you need to delete the new kit from your shopping cart and make sure that the test you want will be run on your existing kit.

[loobster]

It includes the Kit itself, sending it out to you (with Tracking); and within the US, it includes Return Postage (with Tracking - but you have to remember to copy the info before dropping it in the mail or you will not be able to use that feature - do it; return can take longer than you expect and Tracking is very reassuring).

The price listed is for running the Test / analyzing the DNA.

How much is Shipping now?

[The_Contemplator]

How much is Shipping now?

It is $12.95 within the US.

[IAB]

Thank You All !!!!

Thanks for the info

[vinnie]

The shipping charge only applies to a new customer (i.e., someone who has never tested with FTDNA or National Geographic). It is to ship the collection kit itself.

Shipping charges apply to any new kit that is ordered, no matter if you're a new customer or an existing one. If you upgrade an existing kit with a new test, then there's no shipping charge.

[loobster]

Ordered a Kit the last day of the sale. Got the confirmation e-mail right away. Still have not received an e-mail saying it was shipped out. Logged in to the Kit, it shows sent out on April 27th. It also shows pitches for me to buy each of Family Finder, Y-DNA, and MtDNA - despite the fact that what I bought - and got e-mail receipt for - was Family Finder Test.

Are they just behind in sending out e-mails announcing the Kit was sent - or have they stopped doing that - thus eliminating our ability to Track Kits before they arrive? Or have they not actually sent it yet? Or??

The absence of an e-mail saying Kit was sent (and giving ability to Track) and/or the Ad urging me to buy Family Finder on the Home Page of the Kit when that is what the Kit was purchased for -- are either (or both) of those cause for worry? For contacting Customer Support? I hate to bother them if it is simply that they are swamped and so a bit behind on sending e-mails - but ...

[g.h.vandoorn]

I too was expecting en email or a new kit to be mailed. However, I ordered a Y-dna test a month ago and I think they use the same kit for the new test I ordered. It currently tells me my family finder test is batched.

[loobster]

The Test I ordered was NOT for an existing Kit. It has its own Kit Number and Password, so they understood that.
Under Complete Order History, it claims it was sent (with Received as Pending). But - no e-mail.

Did others who ordered new kits during the sale get e-mails saying the Kit had been sent? And if so - did any of you order late in the sale? (I ordered during or just before the last hour of the sale. Confirmation e-mail is less than an hour before announced ending time of the sale.)

[The_Contemplator]

I wouldn't worry. As long as you got the confirmation email that you made the order, there should be no problems. Based on the emails they send me, they are not always punctual. Like their notices when they received one of my kits can take a week or longer some times.

They may just be swamped. Anyways receiving the package is usually the easiest step in the process, unless you have problems receiving mail where you live of course.

Last time I ordered a new kit was in the holiday sale and I did get an email when they shipped the package. I also had ordered some blank kits but I did not get an email about those.

[loobster]

ooh - how do you order blank kits? Do you order the tests later at whatever price they are then, or?? Since this was simply an extra Kit to have on hand, that would be helpful to know.

The e-mail did finally come - it shows email date & time of:
April 30th at 5:33 pm.
According to Tracking Info from it -
Date: Apr 30 Status: Pre-Shipment Info sent to USPS [Complete Order History still shows Sent 4/27/2016 - so apparently that gets entered before Kit actually sent on its way]

[The_Contemplator]

The way I ordered blank kits was through the contact form for Customer Support. For others who find this post, that is located at the top where you clink on "Customer Support". Then you click on "Open a request" under the Support heading. At the time I think I picked "Buy A Test", which seemed like the closest to what I wanted.

The blank kit is just the collection kit itself with no test tied to it. I can then send in a sample which FTDNA will store. I can order whatever test later, even when it is on sale. You don't even need to pay right away for the blank kit, but I did go to the order history and clicked on the "Pay Now" links to pay for the cost of the kit. Back when I did it it was still $9.95 per kit. Good thing too, as shortly after that it went up to $12.95, which is the current price per new kit.

Since I ordered the blank kits through the contact form, I also asked for extra vials/swabs. So my blank kits have 4 vials/swabs instead of just the regular 2. Extra vials/swabs are free. Now just make sure you follow the instructions on how to get a good sample and you should be good to go for many future tests.

[loobster]

Wow!! I never had any idea they offered this. Fantastic!! Thank you very much!!