matches disappeared

[vinnie]

No one's having a stroke about IT issues, but they have a right to complain just like you have a right to complain about your 23andme issues, as you have on multiple threads here. Your complaints might be better served though on the appropriate forum website.

Wow. Obviously, I was trying to make a greater point in my post. But yes, you're right, I have complained about issues, perhaps too much, and yes, I've posted at "the appropriate forum website" as well. Given that other companies are routinely discussed in this forum, I see no problem in my engaging in the same. However, I've tried to keep my rhetoric civil and relatively short, and most important, I try to give credit where credit is due. Voicing legitimate concerns is one thing, but I personally feel that a lot of what's been posted lately in various threads has been over the top. Perhaps you don't feel that way, and you're entitled to your opinion as I am to mine. Honestly, I'm surprised that some of the threads haven't been locked.

[JamesBianco]

I am getting really frustrated at this point, 4 new Comprehensive Genome kits I bought in the last 3 weeks for close cousins (that I don't know very well personally but was thrilled that they agreed to test). $837 per kit I paid, if my Family Finder results don't post sometime soon (every one of my matches are gone) I don't know what to do. And the fact that FTDNA will not reply to my inquiries infuriates me, with good reason in my opinion.

[mollyblum]

I completely agree with you. I don't quite understand that people that tell us to stop complaining or to just be patient, etc.

I'm sorry but when I spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on something- regardless of whether it happens to be my hobby- I expect a response to my inquiries when something goes horribly wrong. And things have gone horribly wrong. When you cannot access your raw data or download it and when people cannot even access their matches for weeks or months and when they pay to have their 23andme data transferred and 5 months later nothing has happened and no response I call that PISS POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. No excuses, no explanations. It sucks. It is unacceptable. I don't care about the IT issues, etc. people are spending thousands of dollars for these tests. Don't offer them if you cannot guarantee the results or the time frame. And certainly do not have big sales and try and get more customers when you cannot handle the ones you have.

When someone emails you a complaint or a question answer it. Don't send back some boxed answer that doesn't have anything to do with what the person asked.

This whole Build 37 is a chaotic nightmare. I don't trust the results here anymore. I have lost respect for this company and I am upset that I have invested all the money that I have. It upsets me even more that the company doesn't even seem to care or have a clue.

I don't have time to call them during the day because I work during the day and email is my mode of contact. Their responses thus far are extremely delayed and often have nothing to do with the question or comment I have emailed them about or have no resolution to the problem.

Extremely frustrating.

But I do like the boards. At least they are free and open with them.

I am getting really frustrated at this point, 4 new Comprehensive Genome kits I bought in the last 3 weeks for close cousins (that I don't know very well personally but was thrilled that they agreed to test). $837 per kit I paid, if my Family Finder results don't post sometime soon (every one of my matches are gone) I don't know what to do. And the fact that FTDNA will not reply to my inquiries infuriates me, with good reason in my opinion.

[JamesBianco]

Thanks Amy, I appreciate your post. I get where Vinnie is coming from in a way, but I have a right to be angry and frustrated. I've spent thousands on tests with FTDNA. I don't go on every thread and vent, just here where it is appropriate. I don't know what to do, I have tried everything to reach out to them, not so much as ONE single reply. Ugh, I would happily take a new test myself if that is all it would take to get my results back up.

[Darren]

Dear James,

I can appreciate your frustration. We are working through a large volume of emails and your email will receive a reply. You can also email me directly if needed at [email protected].

-Darren Marin
Family Tree DNA

[Táltos]

@vinnie your welcome.

@Darren and JamesB. I was hoping that Darren could intervene for some people who have indicated that they have been getting nowhere with even a response. I think this is a step in the right direction.

I have said before I think this is an issue that is important to everyone. Really we don't know yet if all our missing matches should be missing. I lost two of my Italian matches in this Build 37 besides many others. I am not sure if they are among the people who lost all their matches too.

And yes I stated it is a hobby. Not to minimize the situation, hobbies can be expensive. The point is if this is something you do for fun to take your mind off real problems. Then it becomes a real problem when you don't have any matches to work with (or raw data).

[jbarry6899]

matches disappeared

I received this email this morning:

"Thank you for your email. We apologize for the inconvenience but evidently there was an issue with the Family Finder matching database that caused a small percentage of kits to lose matching data. We're in the process of repairing the files and re-running the data to restore that information.
With the size of the database and allowing for Quality Control checks afterward, we're projecting the process will be complete by Wed., March 27.
Thank you for your patience."

Jim

[Lincoln]

Another week? I'll believe it if it happens. I can't even remember how long it has been since I got the "results," which then disappeared. I can be very understanding, but given I have spent a sizable mount of money here, I don't know if I can recommend FTDNA for anyone else, given what has happened. First I discover my matches were not matches, but false positives, so they go away, including some which were most definitely matches (even if distant). This is after waiting longer than I have ever waited for my measly match or two. Just tired of it all.

[1_mke]

Lincoln, believe me I understand the frustration. I'm one of the more vocal critics of FTDNA but I try to be fair and point out both their faults and virtues.

The fact that some matches dropped off is easily understood if people keep in mind that a valid paper trail match to a distant relative does not mean enough shared DNA exists to verify the link. As the science evolves and more data is gathered the place where the line is drawn between "valid DNA match" and "invalid DNA match" is going to shift. This means new people will get added and old people will go away. This is NOT FTDNA's fault. It's just how things work. In another ten or twenty years these kinds of fluctuations will probably not be happening. Welcome to cutting edge science. Being amoungst the first has both rewards (Possibly helping to define a haplogroup for instance) and downsides (Fluctuations in matches).

I'm personally willing to deal with that uncertainty as I have and continue to gain a lot of value from it but I understand not everyone is going to feel that way. I do think it is a bit unfair to blame FTDNA for the fact that the science of genetic genealogy is advancing.

The people that lost all of their matches on the other hand have every reason to be pissed, particularly given how much time its taking to resolve that issue. I understand that doing the comparisons is computationally intensive but CPU cycles are relatively cheap and FTDNA should have the capability to dynamically scale their backend processing to deal with situations like this.

[JamesBianco]

I received this today (after sending yet another inquiry yesterday)

Hello,
Thank you for your email. We apologize for any inconvenience you've experienced. We're in the process of re-running the database to resolve these issues. Once that's completed, the raw data will be available again but we need to be sure that the issues are corrected before releasing that data. We apologize for delays in answering previous emails. As I'm sure you can imagine, we've had an influx of calls and an unprecedented number of emails because of this issue, delivery issues. We're working overtime to get as many emails answered as quickly as possible but we have a small staff and though we're adding people it does take time to train them. Thank you so much for your patience.

Please let us know if you have any questions or need further assistance. Thank you for choosing Family Tree DNA.

Well at least I heard from them! I feel a little better in any case.

[mollyblum]

Amy,

I wasn't yelling at you about it being a hobby. I was just pointing out that although it is a hobby, it is an expensive hobby and still should warrant good customer service.

As for the lost matches... I am not quite sure what to believe. Like you I just don't have much faith in whether or not these matches are correct. Seeing as I am having matches pop up in my list with old dates (my total numbers increase and then a match from 2012 suddenly appears??) and with people having parents and known 1st and 2nd cousins drop off. It just doesn't make sense.

Plus I am finding Jewish matches that say 5th cousin or more that actually DO match me as a 3rd or 4th cousin. I understand Build 37 was working to fix the problem with jewish matches seeming to be closer than they actually are but now are they the opposite?

I am just not convinced that this is real. And it has nothing to do with not being able to accept science. I am perfectly able to accept new scientific models and that some matches may drop off, etc. What I don't accept is all of these issues. It just is not logical.

That's all.

I am glad they are hiring more people and I am glad they are answering your questions- sort of.

I hope your matches are resolved and I really wish the raw data was available.

@vinnie your welcome.

@Darren and JamesB. I was hoping that Darren could intervene for some people who have indicated that they have been getting nowhere with even a response. I think this is a step in the right direction.

I have said before I think this is an issue that is important to everyone. Really we don't know yet if all our missing matches should be missing. I lost two of my Italian matches in this Build 37 besides many others. I am not sure if they are among the people who lost all their matches too.

And yes I stated it is a hobby. Not to minimize the situation, hobbies can be expensive. The point is if this is something you do for fun to take your mind off real problems. Then it becomes a real problem when you don't have any matches to work with (or raw data).

[Lincoln]

The people that lost all of their matches on the other hand have every reason to be pissed

1_mke - I lost ALL of my matches. All of them.

[Lincoln]

1_mke - I understand there has to be a cut off point for what companies consider a "match," or else the results would be essentially meaningless. It is just annoying that the arbitrary delineation points just happened to knock off people who are related to me, even if somewhat distant. I understand this can happen. I just didn't realize that fully 1/3 of my "matches" (before they went away completely) were supposed false positives or whatever they are labelled. Seems kind of high percentage. As it is, I now have ZERO matches.

[vinnie]

As of a moment ago:

I still have no matches, including my parents.

My mother lost two of her other matches, including one who was working with me to establish the Sicily connection. Thankfully, we can still communicate.

My father lost a dubious match, but the 23 transfer I was expecting has shown up and I was able to do the chromosome comparison with my father's only other match.

As for an expensive hobby, see my revived/revised long signature, and that's not counting my five new y-12 kits, my y-37 kit from the last sale, my Geno1 & 2 orders, and 23.

I have full confidence that FTDNA will work things out, even if it's not in the time frame I would have preferred.

[MFWare]

The Pollyannas should understand that having some customers lose all matches whereas others lose only some are related issues. Losing all matches is not like marbles falling out of a pan. There is some serious problem with the FT-DNA database such that it does not see the data of some significant fraction of Family Finder customers. If you are like me and your matches are gone, then none of your matches can see your data. It is not because you were a low-quality match. It is because the dark blinds everyone.

I have no doubt that some fraction of Family Finder matches disappeared due to new and revised matching criteria. However, some is not all. When and if FT-DNA gets its act together, many lost matches will be restored.