Ancestry to start charging to view DNA results

[kylejustin]

From next year, Ancestry will start charging you to view your DNA results + matches, on top of the cost of buying their DNA kit.

If you have any kind of sub with them you are unaffected.

This hasn't gone down well on reddit, with Ancestry being labelled as "bait and switch", basically offering something for free then turning around and charging for it. Some think this is their idea of an advantage over 23andme, who disabled viewing shared matches after it was hacked earlier this year. Ie ancestry has no major competitor for viewing shared matches, why not charge for that privilege?

[Valice in Wonderland]

In my mind Ancestry already had an advantage over 23andme, I did a test with them (as we had a kit as a present), but hardly anything of use has ever come of it, I did DNA later with Ancestry and get far better results.

I guess if you want to access DNA results, then you weigh up the options of paying per view or getting a subscription

[teasie]

Do you know what the situation is for people (with a sub) who manage other people's tests?

Hopefully these are unaffected?

[kylejustin]

Do you know what the situation is for people (with a sub) who manage other people's tests?

Hopefully these are unaffected?

No information out, but i assume if you pay for a sub or pay for the DNA sub, you would have access.

[webwiz]

That's annoying. I only want to subscribe to one platform at a time but change each year to get the recent updates on the new site. I was planning to switch from ancestry to FMP at renewal time, but this changes the calculation. I expect this is why they have done it; they may not expect to raise much money from it directly but may stop people like me from switching.

But I have not been notified of this in the UK so maybe it only applies in Australia?

[Anne in Carlisle]

Can't find any mention of this on Ancestry. Wonder when it will start?
Anne

[PhotoFamily]

I believe you can turn your own kit's availability to be part of Ancestry's matching off and on.

If Ancestry turns off my ability to see my kits' matches, I will opt out of being in the match pool until I buy a sub again. Ancestry's ability to show a large number of matching kits is one of the advantages of having a kit there, and it's a two way street.

These days, I'm buying my Ancestry sub only when I see a sale.

BTW - 23andme's initial matching program required an active sub. When other sites came up, and weren't requiring subs to continue to see matches, 23andme made matching available without an active sub.

My impression is that 23andme will (eventually) restore its matching lists.

[kylejustin]

But I have not been notified of this in the UK so maybe it only applies in Australia?

Some americans have already lost access, there are banners on DNA sections for some accounts saying these features will need a sub next year.

[kylejustin]

Can't find any mention of this on Ancestry. Wonder when it will start?
Anne

some think it's in beta testing now, ancestry said it will be from next year, but no start date yet.

[kylejustin]

For some reason i can't post links from reddit, says blocked?

[PhotoFamily]

My impression is that 23andme will (eventually) restore its matching lists.

This stayed with me last night...23andme is still including its match list, it's just that you can't see the in-common list that it generates, nor can you get into the chromosome browser.

I wonder if Ancestry is caught up in old sales vs new, and if they had different services sold in some?