So what do I get for my money?

[Don Yarber]

Last year I ordered a DNA Kit. I had no idea what to expect, but primarily I found that I am (indeed) a Yarber. (I won't go into details about that). Other than that, I really haven't found that testing my DNA has shown me a danged thing. Each time I try to find out something it costs more money for another kit of some kind or an analysis of the previous kit. Surely there must be someone who is willing to tell me if my sample shows whether or not I have a smidgen of Native American blood flowing through these old veins. I feel like a complete idiot. Kinda like the guy who tries to follow the pea under the cups at the county fair, they'll let you win the first two or three times, then it is pay and shut up. Am I the only one who feels he was duped?

[hansonrf]

I don't feel duped, nor do I think you were duped. Sounds like your expectations were clearly not met, though.

What test(s) did you have done? What do you hope to learn? You mentioned American Indian roots; anything else?

Do you have a paper trail back a few generations? Are you trying to verify it or is it known to be solid?

Success stories start with a clear expectation of what success would look like...

[Biblioteque]

ISOGG

Google ISOGG for more clarity.

[lgmayka]

I had no idea what to expect, but primarily I found that I am (indeed) a Yarber.

For many genealogists, that is an essential first step. Forums like this one have seen many stories of genealogists who spent NN years researching a patrilineal line, only to learn (through Y-DNA) that the researched line is not biologically theirs!

Each time I try to find out something it costs more money for another kit of some kind or an analysis of the previous kit.

One way to approach DNA testing is to make incremental purchases for incremental information. One could instead pay a much larger amount of money to get a full genome scan, but most people can't afford that.

Some products are in the middle of those two extremes:
- The Big Y is essentially the last Y chromosome test you'll ever need, but it only investigates your patrilineal line (and no others).
- National Geographic's Geno 2.0 Next Gen bundles some degree of Y-DNA, mtDNA, and autosomal testing, but we do not yet have detailed information as to just how much of each the customer gets.

Surely there must be someone who is willing to tell me if my sample shows whether or not I have a smidgen of Native American blood flowing through these old veins.

Many products, from Family Finder to Geno 2.0 Next Gen, can do that. But I suspect that you instead ordered a Y-DNA test, which has a very different purpose: to investigate the patrilineal line (and no others).

Am I the only one who feels he was duped?

It is quite possible that you should have done more research, or gotten more advice, before ordering a particular test.