Check Your DNA at BestBuy Stores in Canada

I must admit that I was a bit surprised to see an ad for a "DNA Maternal Ancestry Package" at BestBuy stores in Canada. Imagine the concept: stop by the store, pick up a laptop computer, a new dishwasher, and maybe a couple of CDs, and find your ancestry. All this can be done in one quick visit. Well, almost.

In fact, BestBuy of Canada is selling DNA Maternal Ancestry Packages produced by the DNA Ancestry Project of Vancouver, British Columbia. With the maternal ancestry package, a male or female individual can trace their maternal roots (only) and discover their maternal origins.

Quoting from BestBuy's advertising:

"The Maternal DNA Ancestry package allows you to trace your ancestry on your maternal line: Travel back in time 150,000 years and learn about the ancient origins of your ancestry. Use the DNA Archaeology feature to find out if you are linked to royalty! See if you are related to Marie Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson, Queen Victoria, the Ramanovs, Jesse James, and many more. Discover long lost relatives and instantly add branches to your family tree."

I don't think it is quite as easy as that advertisement claims although you certainly should be able to trace your maternal line back several thousands of years. I am not sure how you find the connections to Jesse James or the other people mentioned, however.

I especially enjoyed reading BestBuy's list of "System Requirements:"

• Optical Drive: Information Not Available
• CPU Speed: Information Not Available
• CPU Type: Information Not Available
• Disk Space: Information Not Available
• Display: Information Not Available
• Memory (RAM): Information Not Available
• Operating System Compatibility: Information Not Available

You can read the online advertisement at http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10097030&catid=21225&logon=&langid=EN&test%5Fcookie=1.

The same "DNA Maternal Ancestry Package" supposedly is also available at The Bay stores across Canada, but I could not find it listed on The Bay's web site. I also do not see this kit listed in U.S. BestBuy stores.

Comments

[Kay]

Actually you can buy this test & related software direct from Genebase on their website.

[Kenny Hedgpeth]

Dick or anyone else - did you happen to get to see the unfavorable review of this particular manufacture, that aired across Canada on the CBC's Marketplace TV show on 12/05/07 ? there was a video of this segment here on their website http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/ Much of the focus was on GeneBase and the less-than-satisfactory service they provide "/

.

[Simon Fowler]

Ramanov, surely Romanov. More seriously, this points up what a con DNA testing is.

[Barry Spinner]

There was more. Click on "Compare"

The Combo DNA Ancestry package allows you to trace your ancestry on both your paternal and maternal line. NOTE:Only males have Y_DNA, so only males can use the Combo Ancestry Package. Females can trace their maternal ancestry using the Maternal Ancestry Package. Females can trace their paternal ancestry by testing a male relative (e.g. brother, father, cousin, nephew) and using his results.

[jen moon]

i saw the CBC feature also, stay with the big companies like ftdna that are reputable, i hope people dont go ahead and get ripped off this holiday season by this company, geneology is expensive (and fun) enough without this money damper, i have no financial interest in either company, just a family historian having fun finding out about my family, i hope the word gets out there, i tried to join their press release mailing list by entering my email address and my computer just hung there...

[Dino (All Dino, All The Time)]

And out of all of the people named that you can find out if you're related to ... not a single Canadian.

[Carlos]

It would seem to me that if one were related to Queen Victoria they would also be related to the 'Ramanovs'? If I had the money to waste, it would be interesting to see what kind of bogus results this particular DNA testing produced.

I suspect the mtDNA of most people will turn up nothing more interesting than descent from the wife of Lothar of the Hill People.

[Wayne Townsend]

Well, here we go yet again...another DNA test group. When I first read that DNA testing was available through The Bay here in Canada I was extatic to say the least. Something right here on my doorstep! I contacted The Bay and was given a web site at www.dnaancestryproject.com which links me up with a testing lab in Vancouver, BC. 23 marker test = $129 44 markers $199. I followed up on this by hitting the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) web site at http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/ and watched the video clip they provided from one of their recent shows. Yep, you guessed it...do the test, oops, inconclusive, send more money...just like buying a copy of your supposed "coat of arms". I totally agree with DNA testing for Genealogical research but I'm tired of having it sold on the basis that it is a cure-all for every genealogical search that you might want to do. Do your DNA but for crying out loud, do some of your own digging. It's fun and it can be very rewarding. (Yes, I am related to Atilla the Hun, at least if temperament is a factor :)) You are right Dino, not a single Canadian in my line...all Yanks! I'm the first Canuk in the line and proud of it...Good Hunting all...Merry Christmas.

[Jason Presley]

Sounds like they used the same company to write their ad copy that wrote the ads for Sea Monkeys.