Why does batching take that long?

[PeBe]

My order history shows that my kit was received by lab on Thursday last week. How long does it take to batch a kit and why don't they batch it the same day or at least the next day? What causes this delays?

[LynCra]

They only batch once a week and your kit was received just after batching day.

[PeBe]

They only batch once a week...

Proposal for improvement: Batch every day - and the same day the kit is received.
I am not willing to accept any delay message, no matter the reasoning, explanation, blabla.
I pay, they deliver. On time. Otherwise we won't be friends.

[KATM]

PeBe:
Here's a YouTube video of an FTDNA webinar from Feb. 2015, entitled “The Ideal Life of a Family Tree DNA Kit.”

You may want to view it. It will give you an idea of the steps a kit goes through. The "Post Office to FTDNA" part starts at about 14:30, then shows how the kit is handled at FTDNA. The actual presentation is about 36 min. long, then there is a Q&A from the original live webinar.

The word "batching" is not specifically used, but seems to be at the "Preparing the Test Plates" stage, slide #13.

Considering the unfortunate delays that seem to have been prevalent lately, I don't have high hopes for the camaraderie between you and FTDNA.

[PeBe]

Considering the unfortunate delays that seem to have been prevalent lately, I don't have high hopes for the camaraderie between you and FTDNA.

Well, in this case my FF will be the one and only test I ever have done with FTDNA.
No more other tests and definitely no recommendations to anyone about this failing company if there will be any delay. I will not accept not a single day delay. Why should I? This is not what I paid for.

[jsarnacki]

Wow, you are upset because test samples didn't batch the day they arrived? You will surely be disappointed as you have extremely high expectations! Hope your results don't take longer than anticipated as many do! I hate to break it to you, but this IS what you paid for. There was never a promise that your test would batch immediately upon arrival. You must have them confused with some company that does "stat" lab work for hospitals and such. This is a genetic genealogy company, there is no life depending on the immediacy of your results.

[PeBe]

Wow, you are upset because test samples didn't batch the day they arrived?

No, this was just a proposal for improvement. What will upset me is any kind of a delay message.
Let me ask you one question: Do you expect punctuality or unpunctuality?
I do expect punctuality and I will be of course upset in case of any delay message, especially as I have paid in advance.

[loudam]

PeBe

Get used to delay messages with ftdna, it doesn't always happen but a High portion of people have problems with dates being pushed out, quite a number are Y dna tests which as of now ftdna are the one of the main 3 companies who do it..

For me I've had 2 tests done, first one was delayed by about 4 weeks with no reason and no way of finding out, second the results came back 4 weeks and 3 days after batching, I've 2 more kits that were batched last week so we'll see how they go

[gtc]

I do expect punctuality and I will be of course upset in case of any delay message, especially as I have paid in advance.

Then you should probably prepare to be upset. We all pay in advance and we all sit and wait until our results are ready.

It takes as long as it takes, for a variety of reasons.

If you want to complain about the process, then I suggest you contact FTDNA owner-CEO Bennett Greenspan directly. The buck stops with him.

[Carla]

lol... reading with amusement. Sorry, PeBe, you need to get with the program. Relax, a lot of people including myself at these forums have been dealing with delays for years but FTDNA always delivers in the end. If your life was hanging in the balance, well, yes.. I can see why you could be upset. The wait can be excruciating when you want results yesterday. Batching is all part of the process and it takes time. too bad you didn't come to the forums before purchasing your kit.

[PeBe]

Then you should probably prepare to be upset.

I am. BBB is waiting. I will complain there without remorse.

[Sarmat]

Batch numbers have very little to do with the actual processing of your results. While they may have been meaningful at one point, FTDNA has stated that today they are "largely an accounting function".

Your test may be started very quickly after it is received by the lab, irrespective of "batch date", or it may in fact not even be started for as many as several months after it was "batched".

The bottom line is that the way FTDNA works is basically that they'll get to you when they get to you, and they don't like it when you ask questions along the way.

[PeBe]

The bottom line is that the way FTDNA works is basically that they'll get to you when they get to you, and they don't like it when you ask questions along the way.

I don't care what they like. Do you?

[RobertaMarques]

Charge my card when my results are online is my proposal

No, this was just a proposal for improvement. What will upset me is any kind of a delay message.
Let me ask you one question: Do you expect punctuality or unpunctuality?
I do expect punctuality and I will be of course upset in case of any delay message, especially as I have paid in advance.

Hey, what about a 'charge the card the same day the results are posted online'?

I think this will make them work a little harder.

[PeBe]

Hey, what about a 'charge the card the same day the results are posted online'?

I think this will make them work a little harder.

Great idea!
Indeed, why not? There is no reason to cash in months in advance.