DNA 'r us

Roadwarrior

Roadwarrior

Member
2-3 weeks ago I weakened my resolve & sent for a DNA kit from Amazon ($59) at the request of my DD. Then when it came she set me up an account on Ancestry.com & I followed the enclosed instructions to a T. Wednesday I received an email from Ancestry saying they had trouble with my sample so could I request a ‘free’ replacement kit & redo the sample.

I have little patience with incompetence, so I replied back to them that they need to hire a special effects employee from the many crime shows on TV & improve their methods. The lab techs on TV can extract DNA from a photo & I fail to see how they (Ancestry) couldn’t. Called my DD & after a few harsh words I had to hangup on her to avoid the name-calling. Haven’t talked with her since.

I'm saving their email in case I ever get charged with a 'capital crime', my DNA sample is corrupted and can't be used.
 

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Could be they dropped your sample down the drain by accident. Imagine being the person who has to do 5,000 samples a day. I'm sure some fall on the floor and get kicked under the cabinet by mistake. At least they offered to redo for free.
 

Roadwarrior said:
Called my DD & after a few harsh words I had to hangup on her to avoid the name-calling. Haven’t talked with her since.
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My goodness, so many things could have happened, including the tube getting crushed in the mail. Unless you freaked out worrying they'd say your DNA proves you're from Mars or a most wanted post office wall "celebrity" or something, I'm lost as to why you wouldn't just spit in the tube again and mail it off. And to do that to your daughter just because she wanted a DNA result? What's missing here? :unsure:
 
If the OP did not want to do it anyway ...
did for the sake of daughter and then get this response from company i can get the frustration.....

For those who have done or will do this......... fine ......... but my neighbor and her twin did this a few years ago and got completely different results so i do not think this is a great process/ product.

they have been doing this for a long time and find it hard to believe ...they do not have better practices....
 
Sassycakes said:
My sister and I bought the tests a few weeks ago but we still haven't done it yet.
Click to expand...
My daughter did both 23&Me and Ancestry. I only did one of them. Just a word of precaution, @Sassycakes ... remember that they're not necessarily fully accurate. In my case, it was VERY wrong and told me that I had a middle aged *grandson* (I have no grandchildren) who was older than my daughter, and he wanted to contact me. Things like finding out where our ancestors were from was accurate and fascinating, but it probably got that poor dude's hopes up that he found a relative. :cry:
 
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Here are some of my reasons for refusal.

  1. The results may not be accurate. Some outputs on personal health and nutrition have been discredited by scientists. One company, Orig3n, misidentified a Labrador Retriever dog’s DNA sample as being human in 2018. As Arwa Mahdawi wrote after taking the test, “Nothing I learned was worth the price-tag and privacy risks involved.”
  2. Heritage tests are less precise if you don’t have European roots. DNA is analyzed in comparison to samples already on file. Because more people of European descent have taken tests so far, assessments of where your ancestors lived are usually less detailed outside of Europe.
  3. Your DNA says nothing about your culture. Genetic code can only tell you so much. As Sarah Zhang wrote in 2016, “DNA is not your culture and it certainly isn’t guaranteed to tell you anything about the places, history and cultures that shaped you.”
  4. Racists are weaponizing the results. White nationalists have flocked to commercial DNA companies to vie for the highest race-purity points on extremist websites.
  5. DNA tests can’t be anonymous. You could jump through hoops to attempt to mask your name and location, but your DNA is an unique marker of your identity that could be mishandled no matter what.
  6. You will jeopardize the anonymity of family members. By putting your own DNA in the hands of companies your (known or unknown) relatives could be identifiable to others, possibly against their wishes.
  7. You could become emotionally scarred. You may discover things you weren’t prepared to find out. A fertility watchdog in the United Kingdom called for DNA testing companies to warn consumers of the risks of uncovering traumatic family secrets or disease risks.
  8. Anonymous sperm and egg donors could become a thing of the past. The likelihood that anonymous donations will remain anonymous decreases with every test taken, which could dissuade donors and negatively affect some families.
  9. Millions are spent on targeted ads to lure you. DNA companies hand out free kits at sporting events, and create DNA specific music playlists on Spotify. In 2016 alone, Ancestry.com spent $109 million on ads. An ad by AncestryDNA capitalized on “Brexit” and British identity politics, with the slogan, “The average British person’s data is 60% European. We may be leaving Europe, but Europe will never leave us.”
  10. A pair of socks is a better gift. You may be tempted by special offers around holidays such as this one, offering 30% off genetic tests for Father’s Day: “What do you share with Dad? This Father’s Day, celebrate your DNA connection with Dad”. Perhaps the man who has everything would prefer not to become your science experiment.
  11. You will become the product. Your genetic code is valuable. Once you opt in to sharing, you have no idea what company gets access to it, nor for what purpose.
  12. Big pharma wants your DNA. 23andMe revealed a $300 million USD deal with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline in 2018 that gives them access to aggregate customer data. Calico Life Sciences, a medtech company owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is the primary research partner of Ancestry.com.
  13. Companies can change their privacy policies. You might be asked to give your consent again, but policies of companies can still change in ways you may not like.
  14. A company (and your DNA) can change hands. Companies are bought, sold, go out of business or change their business models. And then what happens with your genetic info?
  15. Destructing your DNA can be difficult. An investigation into how to delete your DNA from Ancestry.com found that it is possible to erase your record and allegedly even destroy your physical sample. But they don’t make it easy.
  16. You have no idea how long they will keep your sample. Some companies say they keep samples for 1-10 years. Regulations governing DNA databases differ from country to country. Do you know the rules where you live?
  17. Police can access your DNA. There’s crime solving potential, but also human rights risks. Authorities can seek court approval to access consumer DNA databases, but investigators have also been known to create fake profiles using a suspect’s DNA.
  18. Your results could become part of a global database. Law enforcement in several countries have unrestricted access to genetic profiles. Some scientists argue that creating a “universal genetic forensic database” would be the only way to make unwanted intrusion less likely through regulation.
  19. Your data could be hacked, leaked or breached. Third party sharing is common practice among companies. The more people have access to your DNA, the more vulnerable it is to being hacked. As companies amass more data, they will become increasingly attractive to criminals and vulnerable to cyber theft.
  20. Genes can be hacked. Scientists have discovered how to store data and even animated GIFs in DNA, and even believe malware could be placed in DNA to compromise the security of computers holding databases. Still trust them?
  21. You are signing away rights. When you use services like AncestryDNA the default agreement is to let them transfer your genetic information to others, royalty-free, for product development, personalized product offers, research and more.
  22. Companies profit from your DNA. Testing isn’t the only way companies make money. They profit from data sharing agreements with research institutes and the pharmaceutical industry. If your DNA helps develop a cure for a disease, you’ll never know. And you certainly won’t earn royalties from any related drug sales.
  23. You may be discriminated against in the future. In the United States, health insurers and workplaces are not allowed to discriminate based on DNA. But the law does not apply to life insurance or disability insurance. Who knows in your case, where you live? Some day you could be compelled to share genetic information with your own insurer.
You deal with the 'Dirty Dozen' I refuse to willingly giving them the information. I worked in IT security for 50+ years.

You don't say no to our youngest. Not unless family peace is a non issue.
 
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@C50 Why do you assume that Roadwarrior started the argument?
Roadwarrior, too bad things went sideways at Ancestry and that things escalated to the point it did with your daughter. I agree that perhaps you overreacted but like they say, always follow your first mind. Your first mind told you not to do it. I don't know if your daughter just made a simple request or strong armed you into complying with her wish. Perhaps the conflict would have been avoided if you declined taking the test in the first place.
 
CallMeKate said:
My goodness, so many things could have happened, including the tube getting crushed in the mail. Unless you freaked out worrying they'd say your DNA proves you're from Mars or a most wanted post office wall "celebrity" or something, I'm lost as to why you wouldn't just spit in the tube again and mail it off. And to do that to your daughter just because she wanted a DNA result? What's missing here? :unsure:
Click to expand...
LMHO!!! 😂That’s so funny. I really needed that laugh. Just spit in the tube and mail it off🤣
 
officerripley said:
My M.D. told me that the speed with which they show the lab techs handling DNA on TV is completely unrealistic. He says he watches those crime scene shows sometimes just to get a laugh.
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My referral to the TV tech lab was meant as a joke. I quit watching the reality shows i.e. Ancient Aliens, etc. for that very reason. Any opinion is just that,one person's opinion!
 
Roadwarrior said:
Here are some of my reasons for refusal.

  1. The results may not be accurate. Some outputs on personal health and nutrition have been discredited by scientists. One company, Orig3n, misidentified a Labrador Retriever dog’s DNA sample as being human in 2018. As Arwa Mahdawi wrote after taking the test, “Nothing I learned was worth the price-tag and privacy risks involved.”
  2. Heritage tests are less precise if you don’t have European roots. DNA is analyzed in comparison to samples already on file. Because more people of European descent have taken tests so far, assessments of where your ancestors lived are usually less detailed outside of Europe.
  3. Your DNA says nothing about your culture. Genetic code can only tell you so much. As Sarah Zhang wrote in 2016, “DNA is not your culture and it certainly isn’t guaranteed to tell you anything about the places, history and cultures that shaped you.”
  4. Racists are weaponizing the results. White nationalists have flocked to commercial DNA companies to vie for the highest race-purity points on extremist websites.
  5. DNA tests can’t be anonymous. You could jump through hoops to attempt to mask your name and location, but your DNA is an unique marker of your identity that could be mishandled no matter what.
  6. You will jeopardize the anonymity of family members. By putting your own DNA in the hands of companies your (known or unknown) relatives could be identifiable to others, possibly against their wishes.
  7. You could become emotionally scarred. You may discover things you weren’t prepared to find out. A fertility watchdog in the United Kingdom called for DNA testing companies to warn consumers of the risks of uncovering traumatic family secrets or disease risks.
  8. Anonymous sperm and egg donors could become a thing of the past. The likelihood that anonymous donations will remain anonymous decreases with every test taken, which could dissuade donors and negatively affect some families.
  9. Millions are spent on targeted ads to lure you. DNA companies hand out free kits at sporting events, and create DNA specific music playlists on Spotify. In 2016 alone, Ancestry.com spent $109 million on ads. An ad by AncestryDNA capitalized on “Brexit” and British identity politics, with the slogan, “The average British person’s data is 60% European. We may be leaving Europe, but Europe will never leave us.”
  10. A pair of socks is a better gift. You may be tempted by special offers around holidays such as this one, offering 30% off genetic tests for Father’s Day: “What do you share with Dad? This Father’s Day, celebrate your DNA connection with Dad”. Perhaps the man who has everything would prefer not to become your science experiment.
  11. You will become the product. Your genetic code is valuable. Once you opt in to sharing, you have no idea what company gets access to it, nor for what purpose.
  12. Big pharma wants your DNA. 23andMe revealed a $300 million USD deal with pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline in 2018 that gives them access to aggregate customer data. Calico Life Sciences, a medtech company owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is the primary research partner of Ancestry.com.
  13. Companies can change their privacy policies. You might be asked to give your consent again, but policies of companies can still change in ways you may not like.
  14. A company (and your DNA) can change hands. Companies are bought, sold, go out of business or change their business models. And then what happens with your genetic info?
  15. Destructing your DNA can be difficult. An investigation into how to delete your DNA from Ancestry.com found that it is possible to erase your record and allegedly even destroy your physical sample. But they don’t make it easy.
  16. You have no idea how long they will keep your sample. Some companies say they keep samples for 1-10 years. Regulations governing DNA databases differ from country to country. Do you know the rules where you live?
  17. Police can access your DNA. There’s crime solving potential, but also human rights risks. Authorities can seek court approval to access consumer DNA databases, but investigators have also been known to create fake profiles using a suspect’s DNA.
  18. Your results could become part of a global database. Law enforcement in several countries have unrestricted access to genetic profiles. Some scientists argue that creating a “universal genetic forensic database” would be the only way to make unwanted intrusion less likely through regulation.
  19. Your data could be hacked, leaked or breached. Third party sharing is common practice among companies. The more people have access to your DNA, the more vulnerable it is to being hacked. As companies amass more data, they will become increasingly attractive to criminals and vulnerable to cyber theft.
  20. Genes can be hacked. Scientists have discovered how to store data and even animated GIFs in DNA, and even believe malware could be placed in DNA to compromise the security of computers holding databases. Still trust them?
  21. You are signing away rights. When you use services like AncestryDNA the default agreement is to let them transfer your genetic information to others, royalty-free, for product development, personalized product offers, research and more.
  22. Companies profit from your DNA. Testing isn’t the only way companies make money. They profit from data sharing agreements with research institutes and the pharmaceutical industry. If your DNA helps develop a cure for a disease, you’ll never know. And you certainly won’t earn royalties from any related drug sales.
  23. You may be discriminated against in the future. In the United States, health insurers and workplaces are not allowed to discriminate based on DNA. But the law does not apply to life insurance or disability insurance. Who knows in your case, where you live? Some day you could be compelled to share genetic information with your own insurer.
You deal with the 'Dirty Dozen' I refuse to willingly giving them the information. I worked in IT security for 50+ years.
Click to expand...
I agree with OneEyedDiva. You should have just declined. You ARE allowed to say ‘no.’
Some people are as trusting as most and that’s ok; I’m one of them. I’d probably have had a list also. 😅
 
Twins often get different results, including identical twins. Some inherit chromosomes that the other will not. Chromosomes are but a tiny part of your DNA cell anyhow, and each one is made up of thousands of parts. This is what makes us who we are.
 


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