Ancestry DNA

I agree with the comments above. If you decide to test, I suggest Ancestry as it has the biggest database. If she has tested with another company both of you can upload to Gedmatch which is a DNA comparison site.

As you have not taken a DNA test, she most likely found/identified you via an on-line tree put up by a shared close relative who has already tested. So, the proof is already there; why bother testing unless you want to start genealogy as a new hobby?

To find you any other way the numbers and obstacles are very big. GDPR / convention blocks most records at 100 yrs for birth, 75yrs marriage and 50 yrs death - your new cousin is your 4th cousin so related about 120 years ago. Depending on the studies used, you have about 1,200 fourth cousins of which about 500 are ‘findable’. (ISOGG says 940 and 432.)

I have dozens of fourth cousins/third cousins once removed, etc., but have been able to identify very few beyond knowing which line of the family they are from (using ‘shared matches’).

Has she got your parents and grandparents correct? How did she identify you?

I got the kit with 3 mths sub last year. The subscription starts when you register the kit so just before you post it off. It will take 6 to 8 weeks to process so that will eat into your sub. In my case they rejected my kit and sent a replacement but by this time there was no value to posting in new kit as sub time would be up by time new one processed. The advice for doing a saliva sample is to have freshly washed teeth and maybe chew the inside of gums a bit to give best result.

+1 on Spurious' post. The Thrulines tool is marketing hype, not science: its hint 'selection 'is based on matches with names/dates in other trees, not on DNA input. The customer must compare the isuggested 'match' with a known DNA match to see if it could potentially be correct. Ancestry in explaining this has been less than clear (why spoil a sales pitch?).

Thrulines has IMO been a major contributor to the downward spiral to which Ancestry is succumbing. Their ‘tree’ database is now so corrupted (due to idiots seizing on Thrulines suggestions) that it is more diseased than a plague-stricken fever hospital. The equivalent from MyHeritage is not much better.

There is a problem with a lot of family trees on it. Far too many people copying trees without checking sources or research.

Has anyone been able to use the below offer recently? I've tried a couple of different browsers, logged out etc but it's giving me the 'There seems to be a problem with your order. Please try again later or contact Member Services' error. I can contact them next week but if someone knows of a workaround in the meantime I'm all ears.

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=832955.540

Ended a couple of years ago I think. Although I remember being able to use this link more than once in the past.

Do you remember if you did anything different in particular to avail of the offer? I've tried clearing the cache, using a different laptop with a different IP address…still no joy.

Using PayPal instead of my credit card did the trick in the end, thanks.