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Genetics and Health

GeneBase DNA Ancestry Project

by Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD on November 22nd, 2006

Clearly, I have chosen the wrong career path yet again. First, I was hard set to become a genetic epidemiologist when life took me another direction into editing and writing. Now, I’m starting to think it would have been a lot more lucrative to go into genetic genealogy. GeneBase.com is charging the following for DNA tests that can trace both paternal and maternal ancestral lineages:

Trace your paternal line

  • Standard Paternal Ancestry Package (Y-DNA 20 Marker Test), $119.00 US
  • Advanced Paternal Ancestry Package (Y-DNA 44 Marker Test), $199.00 US

Trace your maternal line

  • Standard Maternal Ancestry Package (mtDNA Test), $119.00 US

Trace both lines (paternal and maternal)

  • Combo Package (Y-DNA 20 + mtDNA Test), $238.00 US
  • Advanced Combo Package (Y-DNA 44 + mtDNA Test), $318.00 US

Over half a million people have signed up for a free memebership at the GeneBase DNA Ancestry site since it opened for business a few weeks ago and more than 50,000 have already ordered an at-home DNA testing package. At an average price of about $200, that’s $10 million of revenue.


Even if you aren’t prepared to spend money on tracing your ancestry (I’m not), the GeneBase site has plenty to interest every amateur genealogist (see the review I wrote last year). It’s an impressive combination of trivia, useful information on genetics, and personally relevant features, such as surname tracing and blogs. Peter Wilson of The Vancouver Sun calls it a “DNA-based MySpace.”

After the doubts raised by the Government Accountability Office over at-home nutrigenetic DNA tests, I think similar quality checks should be done on companies offering ancestral DNA tests. After all, if Oprah could get duped, what chance do the rest of us have of getting accurate genetic genealogy results?

Have you ever had a DNA ancestry test? What did you think of the results?

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20 opinions for GeneBase DNA Ancestry Project

  • c
    Dec 15, 2006 at 2:55 pm

    interested to hear what others have to say

  • June Lewis
    Apr 1, 2007 at 5:14 pm

    GeneBase is a joke. I was one of the idiots that believed their site. I ordered the kit in Feb. 2007 and have not heard from anyone that my kit was received back to them. They have no way for anyone to contact them on their site. Well, they took my money and ran, now I’m running to the State of Florida, Office of Consumer Affairs and the Attorney General.

  • Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD
    Apr 1, 2007 at 5:25 pm

    June: Oh, no! Here’s some info from their Press Center. Perhaps you could start here?

    Press and phone orders: 1-877-714-6357
    press@dnaancestryproject.com

    Good luck!

  • Gary Lippert
    Apr 21, 2007 at 5:58 am

    My Aunt paid for the Y-DNA44 test in December 2006. I mailed the test kit and Genebase acknowledges receipt through their software by early January 2007. They claim 6-8 weeks for a report and it has been more than 14 weeks with no report. It is unclear how many people have actually seen any report!

  • Sue Krumm
    Apr 27, 2007 at 2:39 pm

    It took 12 weeks but I did get my test results. I was angry too and got no reply from the email on the software that guaranteed a reply. But it eventually came back.

  • Anthea Tillyer
    May 25, 2007 at 2:43 pm

    Do NOT send money to http://www.genebase.com. It is a total scam. I, like everybody else, sent them $$$ and got no results. Their website doesn’t work, and I get no reply to my emails. I finally got my money back through Visa. But it took a long time and was very upsetting. STAY AWAY FROM GENEBASE.COM. They are no legit.
    Anthea

  • J Fisher
    May 26, 2007 at 3:59 am

    I also ordered the kit in January 2007 and have been waiting over 16 weeks for my results, with no response from the company and no indication that the results will be forthcoming. The new website is a joke, not one of the links work including the “report bugs” button. At this point I believe that I have been rooked and would suggest that no one purchase their products until these problems have been resolved.

  • J Potoki
    May 28, 2007 at 11:00 pm

    I ordered a kit from Genebase in January 2007 and didn’t get it until May 27th, 2007 and then because of their inability to get their website properly migrated/updated/whatever; I cannot interpret those results for another month.
    Do I feel like a sucker?
    You bet.

  • James Berdine
    May 30, 2007 at 7:40 pm

    I have been trying to get my results but my login is rejected.I wrote them and they confirmed my information but it will not accept the info

  • Philip A
    Jun 7, 2007 at 1:13 am

    I too have been duped and would very much appreciate any advice/strategies on complaining/seeking refund/seeking accountability.

  • sybil sage
    Jun 7, 2007 at 3:37 am

    I had an identical experience - sent the money and sample in January, was given nothing except meaningless symbols after 6 months, requested a refund and finally got an e-mail (after calls and e-mails from me were ignored) saying the sample had been degraded and that I’d signed a contract with them so they would not issue a refund. Would anyone like to join me in seeking recourse?

  • Sam W.
    Jun 11, 2007 at 4:53 pm

    I wish I had seen this site before, like all of you, I had ordered tests for both maternal and paternal sides. That was on March 10; now, three months later, I have some results posted, but the maternal one says “no mutations.” I can’t even find anything to interpret the results that are there. Further, when I put in my username, I get the red message that it is being used by another person. Naturally, no responses have come to my many questions to the company. Since there’s no address for this outfit, it makes it difficult to inform an attorney general.

  • Townsend Dna Project
    Jun 11, 2007 at 7:18 pm

    Genebase do not allow anyone who tested with any other company to enter their results. If you ask questions, they say they will send an email, an email that does not arrive.
    There are several other companies, FamilyTreeDna.com and RelativeGenetics.com are both very user friendly and easy to deal with. At the personal service level, both these companies are good competitors. The FTDNA email notification of matches is very user friendly. RelativeGenetics seem to have a very high pecentage of annonomous users which makes it impossible to contact those users. With education, I would expect a far higher precentage of those tested wishing to be in contact with others of similar dna and thats were you see the differences.
    Don’t be fooled by Genebase’s 112 markers, the problem is not the number of markers but getting participants at a higher number of markers in the first place. All companies seem to have a problem in selling the tests with the higher number of markers.
    I will post more on this at the web site for the Townsend Dna Project http://www.TownsendDnaProject.com

  • John
    Jun 12, 2007 at 12:23 am

    I have had a horrible experience with this company. It has been three months and no results and no replies to my many e-mails. I plan to complain to the attorney general of California to try to prevnet them from soliciting any business in California. I advise anyone, DO NOT DEAL WITH THEM!

  • Philip Arca
    Jun 12, 2007 at 2:51 am

    I intend to seek recourse and would love to know if anyone, perhaps June in Florida, has nailed down the best contact information. I have a hard time believing that genebase is not incorporated somewhere, with a board and officers, liable for such activities as we have all noted. Please advise.

  • mollie
    Jun 12, 2007 at 5:54 pm

    As I mentioned on another posting…I did get my results and it appears that they are making strides in their website. could it be that they are just over extended and having a hard time keeping up with the orders?

  • Anthea Tillyer
    Jun 12, 2007 at 9:20 pm

    The real name of the company is genetrack, and they are in Vancouver, Canada. However, since they “operate” in the USA and take US credit cards, they can be reported to US attorneys general.

    However, the best way to get your money back is to turn to the credit card company that you paid with. Once you tell them that you got nothing for your money, they disallow the payment, and send you your money back.

    If you do a search for GENEBASE in Google, you will see that almost all mentions of it are related to online gambling in some way. I think the ancestry project is a cover for the online gambling thing.

  • Brad Blinstrub
    Jun 14, 2007 at 1:08 am

    I just paid for a total kit. I wish I saw this string of commentaries, before, but I am trusting that this will work.

  • raul davaro
    Jun 18, 2007 at 6:40 pm

    I signed up for genebase and paid the hefty fee. The site leaves much to be desired. They have been on construction for at least two months. Even if you received your DNA analysis back, reading and interpreting it is frustrating. They show people who share some markers with you, mainly in Europe and USA. I can not fathom how to read and interpret the information.

  • John
    Jun 20, 2007 at 11:57 pm

    See my comment of June 12. I finally got my money back from Visa. About the same time my “results” were posted online. All gobbledygook; no help provided in interpreting so it’s useless.

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