Customer Reviews

23andMe Personal Genome Service: DNA Test for Health and Ancestry Information

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
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Everyone should try this!!

This seems to be the best DNA service out there. It has at least as many features as other consumer DNA services and presents the info in a VERY user-friendly way. Plus, they add new features all the time.

On the health side, it gives you info about:
- your genetic predisposition and carrier status (or lack of) for diseases,
- how well your body will likely respond to certain drug treatments, and
- your probable genetic traits.

On the ancestry side, it gives you info about:
- your ancestor's geographic regions,
- (if you opt-in and your family joins) you can compare DNA with relatives to see which lines you got which traits from,
- (if you opt-in) you can also find (and, if you like, contact) close or distant relatives. It's awesome for those trying to find out more about their genealogy.

I found the ancestry stuff totally fascinating and the health stuff very useful. WORTH EVERY PENNY.

If you're into genealogy or genetics or you have an illness that runs in your family or you just have an interest in why we are the way we are, get this. I've found one cousin I didn't know I had--amazing since we have 95% of our family documented already. 23andme also encourages anyone to use the coupons, even multiple times. Feel free to use this one:


Send it, post it, like it - share it every way you can!
[...]

Offer Expires: Dec. 27th, 2011

I got my kit back in August 2009 and received my results September 17. 2009. The whole experience, ie the results and the online discussion forums at 23andme, have meant a great deal to me. I only found out about the availability of the kit here through Amazon because of a blog post about Walgreen's and Pathway Genomics and the recent ensuing federal controversy. I hope others can post about their experiences!

I have several family kits from 23andMe under subscription.
My interest is in genealogy, but the health bit is a nice perk.
In spite of a pretty well developed tree, there have been no real break-throughs.
The interface is awkward and hard to use. Tools are better on 3rd party hobbyist sites.
There does not seem to be any understanding of the needs of the family historian or responsiveness in general.

My recommendation for new buyers is to be clear what your expectations are.
Read current customer comments on Facebook and if possible, read "community" posts.
Keep copies of documents, even emails, just in case things change after you have paid your money.

People purchased kits with an understanding of what they were getting.
Through a technicality, 23 has changed the very nature of that product before the initial period expired, but too late for a refund.
A good source for an objective opinion overall is:
http://www.yourgeneticgenealogist.com/

This change midstream negatively impacts its usefulness for genealogy for those who purchased under subscription terms in 2011 as well as those who hope to match with the existing database.