Wrong Shipment, Wrong Price, Wrong Address

[mcornejo]

Dear FTDNA

I purchased 2 kits (544879 and 544880), to be sent to El Salvador via FedEx, hence I paid extra $35 on top of $12.95 you charge for international shipping which at some point your customer support told me is to "cover the materials of the kit" (despite the order summary clearly states "international shipping") and on top of the price you charge for the tests. Anyway, the parcel was sent through FedEx, but to Dubai, UAE!! on top of that, you sent only one of the two kits.

- I will appreciate if you can contact me to tell me how are you going to remedy the delivery of the two (2) kits to El Salvador and furthermore,
- I request a clear explanation with regards to those $12.95 for international shipping, that your customer support claims is for a different purpose. The cost of the kits was charged as per your current sale, but I would have expected you would have used the $12.95 to partially fund the FedEx parcel, it makes sense, but instead what I get from your customer support representative is an answer that does not correlate with the payment description and, to be frank, does not make sense.

[KATM]

You need to either phone FTDNA, or send this message as a help request. Use the Customer Support page at https://www.familytreedna.com/contact.aspx, which has a form to open a request under "Support."

If you wish to phone them, hover over the "Contact Us" link under "Support."

The forums are not the best place to ask FTDNA to correct a problem. Sometimes Darren will see your post, but not always.

[The_Contemplator]

Yes, contact them through their contact form or by phone because they won't read the forums.

As for the $12.95, we all pay for it even if you live in the US. They have it marked as shipping cost, but it is actually shipping and the cost of the actual kit. No idea how much of that is actually just the shipping.

When you get this sorted, maybe ask for extra swabs/vials which tend to be free. This way you get 4 swabs/vials instead of 2. More DNA sample to use for future tests without the need to ship another kit.

[teyoung]

I request a clear explanation with regards to those $12.95 for international shipping, that your customer support claims is for a different purpose.

I am not sure, but am guessing that the $12.95 would apply only if you used our regular mail service (USPS) and the extra $35 was because you used FedEx. Perhaps, others can comment.

[loobster]

I have not done International so far -- was Fed Ex an optional choice, or do all International addresses get shipped out that way - or ??

As to contacting them - I have had much better luck talking on phone just after they open than in written communications - possibly me, but more than once they misread / misunderstood what I wrote - whereas on the phone, communications went fine.
On the phone, it is easier to catch misunderstandings right away and correct them.

If call - have kit numbers, info of what went where and where they should have gone, etc. I would not expect them to necessarily be able to explain the $12.95 versus $35 etc [suggest do not come on strong and hostile about that] - but would expect on phone for them to address - two kits versus one kit and what to do if delivered to completely wrong address.

[mcornejo]

Thanks to all for your comments. I contacted them through Support and even through their Facebook page, they replied (3 days ago) apologizing and informing they will send the kits through FedEx at no cost. As usual I asked them for the tracking number, but am yet to receive it.

There was no explanation about the $12.95, which honestly does not make any sense, if the charge is to cover for kit materials, why not then add it to test fee anyway? If it is for international shipping, then why they charge again $35 instead of the balance (i.e. $35 - $12.95 = $22.05)?

Anyway, what's more important is getting the kits to their destination, the $12.95 extra is something I can live with but at least they should be transparent with their customers.

I do not live in USA and therefore my first choice of communication is written (forums, mail, etc...), if I called then I would spend more money as it would be an international call.

FedEx is an option, which you can choose by contacting them after purchasing a kit. I prefer it because once they sent me a kit and it got stuck for 2 weeks in Chicago on its route to Dubai, but when they sent the kits again I got them in less than 3 days.

[The_Contemplator]

There was no explanation about the $12.95, which honestly does not make any sense, if the charge is to cover for kit materials, why not then add it to test fee anyway? If it is for international shipping, then why they charge again $35 instead of the balance (i.e. $35 - $12.95 = $22.05)?

The $12.95 is something you are only charged when you first order a kit no matter the test. If you order additional tests on that same kit, you are not charged $12.95 again. This is why it is not part of the test fee. They already have it stated on their site that it covers the cost of the kit, shown here.

[mcornejo]

@The_Contemplator thank you for sharing the link to the Q&A section in FTDNA's website. I stand corrected.