False close match

[Serket]

I received an e-mail saying that I have 1 new close match. I was really excited, but when I logged into my account I couldn't see any new matches. I still have the same "close" match that I've had for 3 years since I got my results. We share 136 cMs with a longest block of 28. We are confirmed as 2nd cousins, twice removed. Back then the default setting was to close matches, so I thought he was my only match until I received an e-mail explaining that I had to adjust my settings.

[The_Contemplator]

I have seen at times when an email is sent too soon. You look for the new match and they don't exist. Days later they show up. Sometimes the emails were not early but late in case of Y-DNA, you can just alter the date in the filter to a few back to see the new match.

A third possibility is that the match either did not sign the consent form or set their privacy settings to be very restrictive. I contacted FTDNA support once about one of these emails. They looked into it and explained it was a bug with their system. The match was real, but due to this match either not signing the consent form or changing their settings, I could not see them.

[prairielad]

I would suspect it could be a bit of both, bug and privacy setting. Depending on whether or not FTDNA has a check to stop an email in following situations

If you or match has restricted a matching level you will not show up on each others match list even though the FTDNA matching program see it, therefore FTDNA sends the notification email to you.

which would be a bug of sorts as there should be a check on the email automation to cancel sending the email in the first place due to one of privacy setting restrictions between the two kits.

One would have to run advanced matching on Family Finder and sort list by clicking twice on the Family Finder column of the results of Advanced matching (change sort arrow to point up).
All the greyed out names are matches that are privatized due to yours or their personally set matching level restrictions.
Downside, it does not give match date or matching level, and matches that are greyed out can not be downloaded in available .csv download for page.