23and(not for) me

As a Christmas present, a close friend gave me a box that I didn't open until after Christmas. A few weeks after Christmas actually. For you see, I was getting ready for a trip to China and put the present with Christmas cards in my living room. Getting ready made me forget it until I got home.

     After I returned in the middle of January, 2018, unpacked and was getting the few Christmas things I had put out away, I came across the box. Opening it I discovered it was a "23andme.com" box. I had no idea of what it was so reading the outside and then the information inside I followed the steps listed, including registering the kit online then, with bills in hand, mailed it at the post office. Each kit had an ID number but as I later found out, it got lost.

      When several weeks went by and I received no confirmation that the kit had been received, as they said I would, I went online and logged in. That was about as far as I could go. It said, "Hi Alan" but there was nothing more. Then over the next few weeks I went back and forth with Eric in what is anything but Customer Care to find the kit. You would think my name, my email and address would be enough but no, for Eric that wasn't enough. I was pissed.

     When you can walk into ANY casino in Vegas and they know not only that you are there but know who you are, your gambling habits and probably much, MUCH more, more in fact than Zuckerberg and FaceBook could only hope to know, just from your facial image; I was stunned. They couldn't find me by my name, they couldn't find me by my email or name and address. No, I had not registered the kit though, they did admit I had an account on their web site.

And NOT for me!

      The questions got increasingly personal and finally when they wanted the name of the gift giver, his credit card number I forwarded that to him. Finally, I got an email from Eric on February 3rd that I was now updated, they gave me the number of my kit and I was told the results would be ready in 6 - 8 weeks.

     April 21, 2018 I came across the information in a place I keep uncompleted items. I tried to log in and other than getting their home page couldn't do anything more. Finally, I found an email link and wrote them the problem. They offered me an email reset the password email. When I did that it was as if I had never registered anything before. So I called.

     It was not easy and it appears just to get in, yet again, I had to fill in and answer a whole slew of questions, questions I had never been asked before. They were personal and finally I hit the skip answer so many times my fingers got tired. I got out of that screen and called.

     I don't know where I was calling because the woman answering spoke English so poorly that I understood about one in four words. I gave her my name, the request numbers and the 14 digital barcode. She said that she saw that I had just registered and it would take 6 - 8 weeks. No, I said, I had done all this again in February and the only way I could even get into the site was to answer all those questions. She was sorry, it would take 6 - 8 weeks.

     I asked to speak to her supervisor. "Oh, that is not possible. There wasn't anyone else." I hung up.

     Within a few hours I was sent a survey on the kind of service I received. Below is a screen shot of my reply:

     I hope my friend never finds out about the debacle this gift has caused. Another friend that I talked about it to said, "let it go." He is right you know. It appears that I will never find out much about my ancestry or at least not from 23andme.

     That said, let me caution you about this company. Many of us are curious about our history, who we are, where we came from. Ancestry.com advertises like mad on TV and the Internet. There must be some overwhelming need to know I guess. I have a pretty good idea of my background. My father was Saxon (German) and my mother's family has nearly direct linage from the Mayflower. But, as many have found out, there can be some interesting sidesteps along the way. As for now, I really couldn't care less. However, I feel that companies that give this type of service deserve, like our ancestors, to die.

Thank you for reading my blog. I invite you to take the time to read earlier blogs where my emphasis is to explore the ways art and design affects our daily lives ... and always has. I share with you what inspires me with the hope that it will inspire you as well. Comments are always welcomed! 

Be sure to check my ETSY store ... KrugsStudio.etsy.com. I am adding many new and exciting, collectible birdhouses and craft items. Many of the items talked about here will be for sale there!