Bummer… I’m One of Those Customers
I'm subscribed to 23andMe's blog appropriately titled The Spittoon. Today, they posted to their blog an explanation why it's taking recent customers (like me) longer than the usual 4-6 weeks to get their results back.
Here's an excerpt from the post written by founders Anne Wojcicki and Linda Avey:
"Some customers who recently ordered our Personal Genome Service™ have had to wait more than the usual four to six weeks after spitting to get their genetic information. We know that it can be frustrating to wait when you are curious about what your genome holds, so we would like to apologize and offer an explanation for the delay.
Because 23andMe is creating an entirely new kind of business in delivering personal genetic information, the regulatory requirements we face are both complicated and uncertain. Because of the way these requirements are evolving, we recently changed the laboratory where our customers’ saliva samples are processed.
...
Again, we regret the inconvenience to our new customers. We expect to be able to resume our normal pace of operations within a few weeks. And in the long run, we believe this switch will benefit all of our customers. We’re excited to continue building the 23andMe community!"
I'm glad they are being upfront with us about the delay. However, I'm tired of telling antsy friends and family that "my results should be hear any day now". Hopefully, 23andMe will get their new contract lab up and running and get me my results. I'm getting pretty damn antsy.
Update: Interestingly enough, I haven't received an email from 23andMe explaining the delay yet. In the past, they usually post news to their blog and than send out an email to their customers a day or two later. They must be fairly confident that we (their customers) all have subscriptions to The Spittoon. Hmm.
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Your readership its antsy with you. Hoorah for BUZZYEAH!
Well,
I would want to make sure that my results come from a CLIA certified lab. Otherwise.....they could just as well be making it up and never testing your spit. Lucky you. I think everyone who tested before should be allowed to their new samples tested in a CLIA certified lab for FREE!!!!! Otherwise they could be getting someone else's data.
-Steve
http://www.thegenesherpa.blogspot.com
I guess 99.9% accurate CLIA-certified results are better than 99.9% accurate non-CLIA results, right?
Andrew,
What good is a lab's/person's word? If you think that it is very good without certification, well then you are less skeptical than I. Keep the faith and be glad that they switched Labs. Too bad they now have LabCorp in lock down. It turns out LabCorp has NYS certification too, something that is required for testing in NYC. Now LabCorp is placing all its other Genomic Testing company agreements on Hold.....personally, they may try and get out of the 23andme deal too.....so be glad you are getting your SNPs done by LabCorp...that may not last too long.
Maybe you are mistaken on what CLIA is
-Steve
http://www.thegenesherpa.blogspot.com
I know nothing about lab certification. Nor do I know anything about CLIA except for what I read on their limited-on-info site this morning.
The only thing that counts for me is that the personal genome service that I've chosen, 23andMe, continuously does homework on the labs, equipment etc that they use in order to provide me with optimal service.
As a consumer, that's all I can ask for. I'm not at all a professional in the genome or medical world. So, its hard for me to deduce that CLIA-certified results are any different than the 99.9% accurate lab that 23andMe was previously using.
All I can do is count on 23andMe to use their internal accountability systems on the labs, equipment etc they use.