family tree DNA testing

We received the Family Tree DNA test on Monday. It took exactly seven days to arrive, just as advertised. The test came with three cheek "scrapers" and three vials. The instructions said that the tester should wait three to four hours between taking each test. Because Dad wanted me to help him take the test and because I only see him for a few hours each afternoon, we did one test a day for the past three days. 

Aside from having to wait so long between test, I only had two other gripes about the process. First, the cheek "scrapers" are little pieces of felt(?) on the end of a stick that's inside a tube. Once you're done getting your cell samples, you push the end of the stick through the tube, which releases the felt (or whatever it was). This is actually a tiny bit difficult and I almost thought I'd destroyed one test when I bent the stick while trying to push it through. I got it in the end though.

The second gripe - the return envelope for the test samples is NOT pre-paid. I had to pay $1.13 in postage to send the test back ($1.48 actually because I didn't have the exact amount in stamps). I've already given them $371, the least they could do is pay return postage. The free SMGF test did...!

We'll have the test back in the mail tomorrow and should receive our results in seven weeks.