No matches in over 30 days. Market saturation?

[Taz85]

The issue is people are getting ripped off. They are taking customers from companies who offer a lot more for the price. Without having your data, and being able few matching segments, really limits you. Basically it's pretty much pointless for many without those features.

[1_mke]

Good point, but for the average person that isn't really a factor. If I had the ability to get my mother tested so I could seperate matches into paternal and maternal like I can here and at 23andMe I'd be relatively happy.

It's also the case that Ancestry could add functionality similar to what FTDNA does in regards to showing other matches you have in common with a particular person. Hmm, that is actually different than matching on the same location since you could match person A on chromosome 3 while you match person B on chromosome 14 and person B matches person A on chromosome 20. That may or may not indicate the same shared ancestor between the three people of course but its another case that its nice to have covered.

[MMaddi]

Well, for me access to the databases of those other companies is the point. I already have my raw data.

Taz85 forgot to mention the other problem with Ancestry's autosomal test. They don't provide a chromosome browser so that you can put your matches on a spreadsheet showing chromosome number and start and end locations of shared segments.

While you may already have your raw data from another company, it won't help you to see where the shared segments with matches in Ancestry's database are. You won't be able to see matches in common and investigate with the matches if the segment is from one common ancestor.

Put those two things together (no raw data and no chromosome browser) and Ancestry's autosomal test is a lot less useful than Family Finder or 23andMe.

[1_mke]

Well, for me access to the databases of those other companies is the point. I already have my raw data.

[Taz85]

I can't see how testing with another company, who doesn't even give you raw data would be worth it at all.

[Javelin]

It has been discussed somewhere else about there being a "captive" audience. That is clearly what you become if you choose to test with Ancestry. The same can also be said if one only chooses to test here or at 23.

That seems to be what they are hoping. It is pretty cynical, though, because after subscribing for a month per year over a matter of years, I found that there simply are not enough unique records to sustain a subscription of any more than that. YMMV. (I say "unique" because while they do have a large number of records, many of them are available free or cheaper elsewhere.)

[Táltos]

I am as critical of Ancestry as anyone on this forum. However, I do not see anything untoward in its pricing. You are comparing Ancestry's regular prices with FT-DNA's sales and discounted prices. I have tested with four separate services. These include FT-DNA's Comprehensive Genome plus its Y-Refine67to111 upgrade.

Neither FT-DNA, Ancestry, 23andMe, nor African Ancestors is cheap. If price is an issue, then I recommend that you test with 23andMe. For $300, 23andMe provides a very accurate autosomal DNA test plus your maternal and paternal haplogroups.

That is nice if someone can afford to test with all the separate companies.
Not everyone can. Back before I did Family Finder I had considered 23 & me, but it sounded as if most the testers at that company are notorious for not responding. As they are mostly interested in the health aspects. So what is the point with them if you are serious about your paper trail.

Anyway the whole point of this thread is about matches here at FTDNA slowing down. It seems that Ancestry has been going strong with their by invite only price of $99, but only $99 if you already subscribe, and if you don't want to subscribe to them then you pay more.Almost equivalent to the Family Finder price that was offered with the June coupon sale. It has been discussed somewhere else about there being a "captive" audience. That is clearly what you become if you choose to test with Ancestry. The same can also be said if one only chooses to test here or at 23.

So back to matches slowing down here, FTDNA should consider this in order to generate more business.

[Táltos]

http://www.familytreedna.com/faq/answers.aspx?id=17#607

Question #7
"As of February 1, 2011, our Family Finder test uses the Illumina OmniExpress microarray chip. It includes about 710,000 pairs of locations called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in your autosomal DNA."

Edit
My raw data files contain 708092 positions

Thank you prairielad

[prairielad]

By the way they are claiming they test over 700,000 markers of DNA for this test, does anyone know how many does FTDNA use for FF?

http://www.familytreedna.com/faq/answers.aspx?id=17#607

Question #7
"As of February 1, 2011, our Family Finder test uses the Illumina OmniExpress microarray chip. It includes about 710,000 pairs of locations called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in your autosomal DNA."

Edit
My raw data files contain 708092 positions

[MFWare]

...

WHOOP-DEE-DOO! I will not be ordering! I hope that FTDNA takes notice here what these guys are offering me as a price if I don't take their subscription. This is approximately the price that I paid for Family Finder with the generosity of another poster on this forum giving me his coupon code back in June. I was not marketed by FTDNA at that time to get the coupon, despite doing my mtDNA here. They definitely need to come up with better marketing strategies.

By the way they are claiming they test over 700,000 markers of DNA for this test, does anyone know how many does FTDNA use for FF?

I am as critical of Ancestry as anyone on this forum. However, I do not see anything untoward in its pricing. You are comparing Ancestry's regular prices with FT-DNA's sales and discounted prices. I have tested with four separate services. These include FT-DNA's Comprehensive Genome plus its Y-Refine67to111 upgrade.

Neither FT-DNA, Ancestry, 23andMe, nor African Ancestors is cheap. If price is an issue, then I recommend that you test with 23andMe. For $300, 23andMe provides a very accurate autosomal DNA test plus your maternal and paternal haplogroups.

[Táltos]

AncestryDNA is not making any money off of the $99 test.

Just remember, it is in AncestryDNA's best interest to give you as many matches as possible for as long as possible, no matter how marginal the match.

They hope that you continue to subscribe monthly in order to view the family trees of your matches. In the long run, the monthly subscription costs you more than the FF test.

I think this is the real reason that ancestryDNA is holding the raw data hostage.

FTDNA should market themselves as the elite in genetic genealogy testing.

They should state something like this:

"FTDNA tests to the highest scientific standard and provides you with verifiable raw DNA data with no monthly subscription fees. We don't hide your DNA data from you like that other "wannabe" DNA company."

LOL Ancestry FINALLY sent me their big invite yesterday through my e-mail. I was working so I didn't notice it until today. They are giving me a big 4 days to order their test. So I signed on to my account just to see what it says and here it is:

Discover the story in your DNA.
Get an Ancestry.com subscription and save.

“AncestryDNA connected me to a 2nd cousin I never knew. And through our family trees we were able to see how we were related. A cousin once lost to time and distance is now reunited through the use of DNA”.
Arlene O.
- Irvine, CA.
Experience AncestryDNA™

Discover your genetic ethnicity
Make new family connections
More than 700,000 DNA markers tested
Built to be integrated with Ancestry.com
Continually updated personalized results
For both men and women

Only $99
with a 6-month
Ancestry.com subscription


AncestryDNA ($99) + U.S. Discovery = $175*
Includes access to all U.S. records on Ancestry.com


AncestryDNA ($99) + World Explorer = $245*
Includes access to everything on Ancestry.com

AncestryDNA $179*
Without an Ancestry.com subscription
Compare these options
Buy now


WHOOP-DEE-DOO! I will not be ordering! I hope that FTDNA takes notice here what these guys are offering me as a price if I don't take their subscription. This is approximately the price that I paid for Family Finder with the generosity of another poster on this forum giving me his coupon code back in June. I was not marketed by FTDNA at that time to get the coupon, despite doing my mtDNA here. They definitely need to come up with better marketing strategies.

By the way they are claiming they test over 700,000 markers of DNA for this test, does anyone know how many does FTDNA use for FF?

[Javelin]

FTDNA should market themselves as the elite in genetic genealogy testing.

They should state something like this:

"FTDNA tests to the highest scientific standard and provides you with verifiable raw DNA data with no monthly subscription fees. We don't hide your DNA data from you like that other "wannabe" DNA company."

That's a good approach...but Ancestry phases their data, while FTDNA does not.

[ajmr1a1]

FTDNA vs AncestryDNA

AncestryDNA is not making any money off of the $99 test.

Just remember, it is in AncestryDNA's best interest to give you as many matches as possible for as long as possible, no matter how marginal the match.

They hope that you continue to subscribe monthly in order to view the family trees of your matches. In the long run, the monthly subscription costs you more than the FF test.

I think this is the real reason that ancestryDNA is holding the raw data hostage.

FTDNA should market themselves as the elite in genetic genealogy testing.

They should state something like this:

"FTDNA tests to the highest scientific standard and provides you with verifiable raw DNA data with no monthly subscription fees. We don't hide your DNA data from you like that other "wannabe" DNA company."

[SCnMD]

Matches have slowed to a trickle...

I am getting over ten new matches a day at AncestryDNA!

Maybe FTDNA don't mind this competition!!

2 matches within the last month and a half- Both :
No Haplogroup
No ancestral surnames
No distant Paternal or Maternal surnames
No GEDCOMS
I'm begining to get rather discouraged

[EdwardRHill]

I'm pretty sure about the people in my tree back to the 5th generation its the ones pass that I like to have DNA help with supporting the information i have or helping find an unknown ancestor.