How long will it take to receive my kit?
Once you have ordered, kits normally ship first class the next business day from our office in Houston, Texas. This can change during peak seasons. For orders within the United States, DHL transit time is usually between 5-7 business days. However, depending on your location, it may be as many as 10 business days. International orders can take several weeks to arrive.
Important: Due to the high volume of orders during sales and holiday seasons, shipping times may be longer than normal as a result of internal delays and delays with DHL. Please select expedited shipping (contiguous US orders only) or request next-day shipping if you need an order delivered prior to a holiday.
Can I get Expedited or Next-Day shipping?
Yes. Additional charges apply for expedited and next-day shipping. You can select Expedited shipping directly on your shopping cart (option is located under the Billing Address section).
To request next-day shipping, contact Customer Support at (713) 868-1438 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM CT.
I paid for my order. When does my kit ship?
Kits normally ship the next business day from Houston, Texas. Orders placed after 2:00 PM Central Time are processed the next business day. For standard shipping, your DHL tracking information is emailed to you. Delivery times start from the day your kit ships, not the day you ordered.
Within the United States, DHL usually takes 5 to 7 business days, and up to 10 in some areas. International orders can take several weeks. During sales and holidays, shipping can take longer.
My kit still hasn't shipped. Can you check my order?
Our chat assistant cannot see your order. Kits normally ship the next business day, and your DHL tracking information is emailed to you when your kit ships. If it has been more than a few business days since you ordered and you have not received a tracking email, contact Customer Service with your order confirmation or kit number so we can check it.
My kit hasn't arrived. What should I do?
If it is past those delivery times, contact Customer Service and include your kit number, which is in your order email. If your kit was lost, we will send a replacement, sometimes in a plain envelope instead of the usual box. If your original kit turns up later, do not use either kit for another person.
The Postal Service says my kit has been returned and delivered to FamilyTreeDNA. Why haven't you marked my kit as received yet?
The Houston Postal Service, where the FamilyTreeDNA lab is located, marks kits as delivered when they are loaded into a delivery vehicle, so there may be some delay before the kit arrives at our lab. Returned samples are usually checked in within 2 to 3 business days after delivery to our lab. You will get an email when your sample is checked in.
If I order multiple kits at the same time, will you combine the shipping costs?
Partly. The first kit has the standard shipping and handling fee: $9.95 USD for standard shipping within the continental United States and to most international locations. Each additional kit costs $4.95 USD, but only when it is bought with the first kit in the same order and shipped to the same address in the same shipment. Kits going to different addresses are each charged as a first kit.
Example: Three kits to one address cost $19.85 ($9.95 + $4.95 + $4.95). Two kits to two different addresses cost $19.90 ($9.95 + $9.95). Shipping can cost more for some international locations.
My kit was lost in the mail. What should I do?
If your kit has been lost in the mail, we can send you another kit. Please contact us, select the Shipping category and include your kit number. We will send you a replacement kit. Sometimes, replacement kits are sent in a plain manila envelope and not in the regular DNA kit box.
Note: Your kit number is included in the email that we sent to you after you placed your order online.
My kit was missing a swab or a vial when I received it. How do I get a replacement?
If you are missing a swab or vial when you receive your kit, please contact us and be sure to include your kit number. We will send you a replacement kit.
I lost my kit. What do I do?
Should you accidentally misplace or destroy your kit, please use our contact form to submit a request to customer service. Include your kit number* and we will send you a new kit.
*Your kit number was included in the email we sent you after you placed your order online.
Can I pay for a kit and have it sent to another person?
Yes. When you place the order, enter the other person's address as the shipping address, and the kit is sent directly to them.
Can someone else pay for my kit (third-party billing)?
Yes. The person paying buys a gift card in the amount of your invoice, and you redeem the gift card in the shopping cart at checkout. Entering a different billing address does not let someone else pay.
Will my sample be damaged in transit by extreme temperatures or customs inspections?
Extreme heat or cold does not affect the quality of your sample. In excessive cold, you may see the lysis buffer (the liquid) inside the vial grow ice crystals. This will not affect samples already collected either, as the lysis buffer is designed to preserve the DNA from damage.
Screening methods used by customs officials such as X-Ray or millimeter wave scanners (such as full-body scanners used in airports) do not affect your DNA sample either.
When I order an upgrade, do you need a new sample? How will I know if you are sending a new kit?
Most of the time, the DNA extracted from your original test kit is enough for any upgrade you order. When you have paid in full for the upgrade and the weekly batch has closed, your order is added to the queue for lab processing. Should the lab discover that a new sample is needed, you will be sent a new kit to the address on the account.
Important: When ordering an upgrade, please make sure that your shipping address is up to date in case we need to send you a new kit.