Batch 626 FF

[MMaddi]

Reading this forum helps knowing a lot of things, not only about BBB but also about FTDNAs habits. To me it seems you have learned nothing but were just one of the lucky few instead.

Why do you think you're correct in assuming that only "the lucky few" get their results in a reasonable amount of time? Do you think everyone or even 20% of those who are satisfied with the turnaround time bother to take the time to post about their "luck" and thank FTDNA?

It's only natural that those who are dissatisfied feel compelled to post here about their unhappy experience. So, I don't know how you can extrapolate from reading the threads in "Grumbles & Gripes" forum and have any idea about how many people who are customers of FTDNA are "the lucky few." Just the very fact that someone posts in "Grumbles & Gripes" makes it very likely that they'll be complaining and not congratulating. That severely skews any conclusions you can make about average turnaround time.

You haven't even experienced late results yet (although you very well might), but you've already decided that late results are the overwhelming norm. Sounds like you're hoping to get late results to justify your pre-indignation, a new word I've coined.

[PeBe]

Why do you think you're correct in assuming that only "the lucky few" get their results in a reasonable amount of time?

There is a person ("Auslander") who thought the same way you do: http://forums.familytreedna.com/show...692#post403692

You know what happened to him?
His own results got delayed:

http://forums.familytreedna.com/showthread.php?p=409570#post409570

and

http://forums.familytreedna.com/showthread.php?p=410322#post410322

[MMaddi]

There is a person ("Auslander") who thought the same way you do: http://forums.familytreedna.com/show...692#post403692

You know what happened to him?
His own results got delayed:

http://forums.familytreedna.com/showthread.php?p=409570#post409570

and
http://forums.familytreedna.com/show...322#post410322

I see. And this one case proves that you're correct that only a "lucky few" get results in a reasonable time? Your logic still fails me.

Here's my experience, both as a single customer and an administrator of two projects with a combined total of of over 3,000 members. By and large, I haven't noticed a consistent problem of it taking many months to get results, except in the case of about 10 or so Big Y tests in the R1b-U106 Project. That's out of over 400 members, including myself, who ordered the test. Not perfect, but not bad.

Yes, there's no denying that the expected time to get results for more basic tests, such as yDNA, has lengthened in recent months. That's probably due to holiday sales leading to a lab backlog and transfer of raw data from Ancestry.com adding significantly to the Family Finder database matching. But from what I've seen in the two projects I'm involved in, the norm is not for basic tests to take months and months.

I think the bigger problem for the larger customer base of FTDNA is that there are continual glitches with matching, e-mail notification about matching and several other IT/website glitches that are annoying. And add onto that, not much communication from the company about delays and glitches and taking a while to fix them.

So, I don't entirely give FTDNA a good rating. They do need to improve their functioning. But I'm not going to say that the norm for results turnaround is as bad as you're trying to portray it. And, ironically, you just had your first order batched, so have no personal experience with turnaround time, while I've been a customer for 10 years and have seen the situation with turnaround times for literally a few thousand customers.

I'll let those reading this thread in "Grumbles & Gripes" decide whose opinion is more credible.

[PeBe]

I'll let those reading this thread in "Grumbles & Gripes" decide whose opinion is more credible.

I myself am willing to change my mind if my result will not be delayed. But I guess you won't change your mind if my results will be delayed.

[MMaddi]

I myself are willing to change my mind if my result will not be delayed. But I guess you won't change your mind if my results will be delayed.

That's right, because I will base my opinion on the turnaround time for a few thousand customers whose results I have access to as a project administrator. You'll base your opinion on only your results.

I'm not saying that I don't care if your results are significantly delayed. And I'm not saying that I wouldn't be disappointed, perhaps even angry, if I were to be in your position and get my results significantly delayed. You're entirely justified, if that's how you'd feel about it. Complain to BBB or demand a refund if you'd like in that case.

But I don't think you're justified in assuming only a "lucky few" get their results without significant delay, since you have no way of knowing whether that's true or not.

[prairielad]

I agree that it is only a small minority of test that get delayed, rarely does one post about early/on time results. Most people come to forums over issues not over positive results.

Personally I have run around 25 different test, the only 2 that were delayed were a FMS and a SNP test.

Most test were run during sales when lab would have had high volumes.

No FF test ever to longer then projected timeframe.

I think delayed/rerun test are mainly due to using an old sample or due to inadequate scrapings by testee initially. A small percentage also due to testing process failure, no testing process will have a 100% turnaround, maybe a faulty chip, bad solution, ect. All uncontrollable by FTDNA.

Even if FTDNA posted statistics on lab turnaround, I doubt the dissatisfied would believe them.....

One has the right to be upset about delays (but wouldn't you want accurate results that pass their Quality control standard vs incomplete), but there is no need to be negative before even having results completed based on this small groups delayed results complaints.

[telly441]

I agree that it is only a small minority of test that get delayed, rarely does one post about early/on time results. Most people come to forums over issues not over positive results.

Personally I have run around 25 different test, the only 2 that were delayed were a FMS and a SNP test.

Most test were run during sales when lab would have had high volumes.

No FF test ever to longer then projected timeframe.

I think delayed/rerun test are mainly due to using an old sample or due to inadequate scrapings by testee initially. A small percentage also due to testing process failure, no testing process will have a 100% turnaround, maybe a faulty chip, bad solution, ect. All uncontrollable by FTDNA.

Even if FTDNA posted statistics on lab turnaround, I doubt the dissatisfied would believe them.....

One has the right to be upset about delays (but wouldn't you want accurate results that pass their Quality control standard vs incomplete), but there is no need to be negative before even having results completed based on this small groups delayed results complaints.

While we will all have different experiences at FTDNA, mine have not been so good. I have been testing with FTDNA since 2009.

One of my new 67 marker tests took 18 weeks not an old sample and I collected the sample myself. The FF that was also ordered with it took about 10 weeks.

One on my FF transfers from Ancestry.com took 4 weeks.

One of my FF transfers from 23andme took 5 weeks.

One of my 111 marker upgrades took 23 weeks

One of my FMS/FGS took 14 weeks.

This is all since December 2014 and add to all the delayed tests, all of the IT issues FTDNA has been having since about the same time.

Is this out of FTDNA's control? I don't think so.

The delay in testing due to being over whelmed with samples to test. Lease more equipment. Currently, and it is only obvious and my opinion, they have more samples then can be ran on a machine. There are only so many samples that can be tested at one time in a batch so any sample that doesn't make it on the machine has to wait until the next available opening in the test machine. This starts the delays before the sample even hits the machine but do they inform us of this delay, NO. As batch numbers mean nothing but an accounting issue within FTDNA then they shouldn't be used. FTDNA should be informing their customers if the sample doesn't make a certain run and tell the customer up front that the test will be delayed instead of having this meaningless projected result dates and then waiting to the last minute and bumping the projected dates another 4 weeks.

FTDNA is one of the worst companies that I have ever dealt with in regards to customer relations and customer service. Their excuse for more then a year now is they are short staffed and have to train new CS reps. It is still a problem, they don't have enough CS reps to answer emails, take care of social media and/or answer their phones. It also amazes me that CS reps don't have access to the information that they need to do their jobs. Most of the time when you call and talk to a CS rep the answers it that someone from the lab, or engineering, or IT will have to get back to you as they do not have access to the information. They return call may or may not happen. Their online customer service reporting feature is worse. You submit a request and you get no confirmation they have received the request. If they did receive it then it takes 10 plus working days to get a response. If you submit another request you get penalized and you request gets sent to the bottom of the queue taking even longer to get a response.

Since all of these issue started and they seemed to have a domino effect and FTDNA has become one of the most unreliable companies out there. You cannot trust what you are being told by customer service, you cannot trust that the information posted to your kit is accurate anymore, you cannot trust the matching functions across the board, and you cannot trust that the results that are being post are accurate with all the IT issues.

[PeBe]

...
This is all since December 2014 and add to all the delayed tests, all of the IT issues FTDNA has been having since about the same time.
...

Thank you for providing your sight of the reality you (and others) are facing.

[PeBe]

Thank you for providing your sight of the reality you (and others) are facing.

And here is the reality I am facing: The results came in on Friday, the 26th. I have access to my origins and found a 2nd to 4th grade cousin and a few 3rd to 5th grade cousins.
Downloading the raw data still doesn't work but I read that this is the normal thing and takes a while.
Well done, FTDNA - at least for FF I will recommend you to my family members and friends!
Thanks to the FTDNA staff.


PS: Yes, I got an email notification. *thumbs up*

[foxfamily]

Wow, 5 days early! That's fantastic!

FWIW, my batch 624 FF came in 5 days after the estimated date. You've given me hope that my great-uncle's results may be in in time to show them to him in person on the 4th of July! (He's FF batch 627, first expected date is July 8)

[PeBe]

Wow, 5 days early! That's fantastic!

FWIW, my batch 624 FF came in 5 days after the estimated date. You've given me hope that my great-uncle's results may be in in time to show them to him in person on the 4th of July! (He's FF batch 627, first expected date is July 8)

Yes, only 16 days after batching is quite impressive. Kudos!
I am glad!

[PeBe]

Downloading the raw data still doesn't work but I read that this is the normal thing and takes a while.

Downloading the raws is now also possible and I already uploaded them to Gedmatch and Promethease.
Again, thank you FTDNA for this unexpectedly fast service - you have won a big fan in me by doing so!

[Tali]

Good Customer Service

Downloading the raws is now also possible and I already uploaded them to Gedmatch and Promethease.
Again, thank you FTDNA for this unexpectedly fast service - you have won a big fan in me by doing so!

PeBe I'm glad to see positive feedback because most of the time, the posts I read here are negative.

My most recent FF kit came back in three weeks but I've also had one that took seven weeks. I also had a kit with results that showed up only to disappear within 24 hours.

Regardless of my issue, CS has always handled the situation professionally and my experiences have been positive.

They respond by phone, email, social media, and this forum.

Thanks FTDNA customer service team!

[M.B.]

PeBe I'm glad to see positive feedback

Me too. I was hesitating but reading this post I decided to order FF for me. And if everything goes smooth I possibly order also a mtDNA.

A suggestion to FTDNA to avoid rumours about ongoing delays becoming a rule and a norm: Why not creating a table showing for every single kit which test took how long so people can see if delays are an exception or a standard.

[BBA64]

Reading this forum helps knowing a lot of things, not only about BBB but also about FTDNAs habits. To me it seems you have learned nothing but were just one of the lucky few instead.
I am polite if FTDNA delivers on time, otherwise I will do what I consider my right as a paying customer, regardless of anyone begging for pöliteness. "Mercy me, don't complain to BBB" will hit deaf ears.
No Ma'am, I have read too many too bad stories here and on other social medias like Facebook to be forgiving.

Edit: Do you doubt I am from Europe? Is my English that good?

Your English is fine. I got a chuckle out of your response reading it after your "early" result posts. I've learned plenty, I've done tests with varying degrees early and lateness. You make assumptions pretty readily, Ma'am. You're a big girl/boy do what you want. Be rude, be polite, experience tells me what order to apply them.