Batch 562

[Russ Lipton]

I submitted a Big-Y test on 5-19. Results were promised for mid-July. Four months have elapsed. No reply to latest query to FTDNA over a week ago, only my second contact about this.

FTDNA should have called a halt to new orders weeks ago. Something is profoundly wrong on either the business side, technical side or both. It is time to start raising the alarm publicly across the Internet, since FTDNA is beginning to approach the cliff of engaging in deceptive business practices.

As a loyal customer since 2007 who has referred several dozen people and who found my maternal grandmother, almost miraculously, through DNA testing, this gives me no joy. Sad.

[Sarmat]

^-That's just business as usual, and it has been like that for several years now.

The worst part is that these sorts of complaints are just met with denial and obfuscation from FTDNA. Don't expect to see any sort of change until they actually start taking customer complaints seriously and acknowledge that they need to make some improvements.

[CManczuk]

FTDNA should have called a halt to new orders weeks ago. Something is profoundly wrong on either the business side, technical side or both.

I agree.

[efgen]

I submitted a Big-Y test on 5-19. Results were promised for mid-July. Four months have elapsed. No reply to latest query to FTDNA over a week ago, only my second contact about this.

Hi Russ,

Been a while Hope you've been well!

You'll definitely get a response to your email soon. Just getting to the email in the queue often takes a few days, and then getting the status takes a few more days.

Getting the status of a specific Big Y test is a very manual process right now, requiring communication back and forth between Customer Support and the lab. For the lab, it's not as simple as looking up a kit number in a database -- wish it was that easy!

I did recently hear that they are working to streamline Big Y status requests between Customer Support and the lab, and I believe the new process was finalized in the past day or two. So once the new process is active, it should reduce the frustration for everyone.

Regarding why the test is taking so long:

From my understanding, there are several possible causes for a Big Y to be delayed:

1) Lab volume. Only a certain number of Big Y tests can be processed at a time.
2) Waiting for more sample. The default time estimate assumes the lab already has a good sample on-hand.
3) First run didn't get enough coverage. FTDNA has committed to providing 55X to 80X coverage for Big Y. If the coverage after the first run is less than that, then it will take more processing (and time) to get more coverage.

There may be other reasons, but I believe these are the most common ones.

Hope this helps!

Elise

[AngeliaR]

Why isn't data collection and retrieval automated?

I don't understand why barcoding or some other form of automated tracking isn't implemented. A scan at each station would take seconds at most. Nearly real time data could be made available at a few clicks. Manufacturing does this. So does retail. Shipping & receiving. There are many, many existing models out there.

I'd be willing to bet that if you charted out the time and cost of giving customer feedback, plus the benefit to be gained in efficiencies and good will, it would be well worth the investment.

The manual process which takes days to find any given sample has to be expensive as well as frustrating. Even having an email "queue" that takes a few days to work through seems very much behind the times. Add a few days on top of that to get an answer and the whole "system" just smacks of inefficiences or insufficient staffing or both.

I think people have come to expect more, especially from companies involved in tech, whether biotech or electronics.

[Russ Lipton]

Elise,

I'll respond to your FTDNA points soon, but meanwhile, let it be known ;-) that you repeatedly gave me extraordinarily kind (free, sheesh) help in the first week-or-so after most unexpected Y-DNA test results in 2006. (This took place before Elise became associated formally with FTDNA AFAIK.)

Words can never express my gratitude to you. Even Bennett Greenspan shared his scant time generously on more than one occasion in those years. I'm sure his in-box has exploded by a factor of 3X to 5X since then.

Point?

FTDNA matters to me on a personal level. Alas, that only accentuates the pass we're in (won't even write "you", but "we) that I feel obligated to speak up.

"Efgen", you're the best!

[rowdy]

I'm so happy to report after waiting six months I finally got my results. Of course being new this stuff it will take me some time to figure it out. So far I know I'm in T2 and confirmed Poland. LOL

CManczuk I see in the other thread you got your results too.

[CManczuk]

I'm so happy to report after waiting six months I finally got my results. Of course being new this stuff it will take me some time to figure it out. So far I know I'm in T2 and confirmed Poland. LOL

CManczuk I see in the other thread you got your results too.

Alright!! I'm so happy to see you got your results as well

[efgen]

Russ: I was very happy to help you!! What a whirlwind that was for you, and probably still is!

rowdy/CManczuk: Glad you both finally received your long-awaited results!

Elise