Activating Ancestry DNA tests

[Bob Spiers]

I am taking a backseat from the Forum for a while for health reasons, and had not thought I would need to post. However I am stuck in knowing the way forward for my Granddaughter for whom I gifted an Ancestry test kit (said granddaughter is in her 30's not a child by the way). She duly did the test and send it off 5/6 weeks ago, and emails to say she has not had her results . I asked if her test had been acknowledged and had been given an activation code, and being told yes. I asked is she had activated it as she would have been instructed to do. Turns out she cannot recall doing so, so to me that likely means no.

I took up the cudgel by asking for the activation code and under my own subscription entered it and it was accepted, but as I was not the person who had taken the test, asked for their email address which I duly gave and she acted upon. I learn she cannot get past a window that tells her she needs to register an account and to enter her debit/credit cards. Now I made it clear from the outset she would NOT have to subscribe, it was a free gift from me. I have done similar for others and none have had to subscribe and I manage their Trees, by invitation.. The only difference this time is others activated their test, and in due time invited me to manage their Tree -UNDER MY OWN SUBSCIPTION. Why cannot she do the same?

So I need help to advise how she proceed given she doesn't mind registering for an account but does not want a free trial or take out a subscription, nor provide her debit/credit card information. So, help please, what does she need to do to activate her test (assuming this was not done or has belatedly been done since I intervened). What is she not doing to just receive her test results, and invite me to manage her Tree under my own subscription. Simples! (or it should be)

 

[Mitch_in_Notts]

As far as I recollect when I did my Parents, she needs to set up a username name and password. When it gets to payment page just go out of website. Go back in a new page, Log in using the name and password she has set up. She should then be able, using a combination of website and email, to be able to invite you to manage her test. It's something like that anyway....

 

[Heather]

I am taking a backseat from the Forum for a while for health reasons, and had not thought I would need to post.

Hi Bob, sorry I cannot help you with your query, just wanted to say sorry to hear that you have a health problem and hope that you recover soon.

 

[Bob Spiers]

As far as I recollect when I did my Parents, she needs to set up a username name and password. When it gets to payment page just go out of website. Go back in a new page, Log in using the name and password she has set up. She should then be able, using a combination of website and email, to be able to invite you to manage her test. It's something like that anyway....

Thanks Mitch, can follow that and will convey the need to bypass the 'payment' option and close the web page. She can then open with username and password. Much appreciated.

 

[Pauline]

It sounds to me like she might have followed a link in the email to get a trial subscription, so if Mitch’s suggestion doesn’t work, then maybe get her to see if there is another link in the email (probably smaller or less obvious) to open a guest account. If not, can you send her an Ancestry link to where she can open a guest account - or offer to do it for her - making sure she uses the email address already given to Ancestry?

You do not have to enter card details when opening a guest account, though Ancestry may well email information for getting a trial subscription or other offers once the guest account is open.

 

[Bob Spiers]

It sounds to me like she might have followed a link in the email to get a trial subscription, so if Mitch’s suggestion doesn’t work, then maybe get her to see if there is another link in the email (probably smaller or less obvious) to open a guest account. If not, can you send her an Ancestry link to where she can open a guest account - or offer to do it for her - making sure she uses the email address already given to Ancestry?

You do not have to enter card details when opening a guest account, though Ancestry may well email information for getting a trial subscription or other offers once the guest account is open.

Thanks Pauline, and long story short, having passed me her username and password I signed in under her name. I discovered she had indeed take out a 14 day trial subscription, which I have now cancelled. But I did discover she has only now activated her test kit and will have to wait a week or so longer. I had uploaded a gedcom culled from FTM and it is to this her results will be applied. There may be hiccups along the way, but give or take Ancestry sulking, things should now proceed as intended.

 

[peter]

I tried to cover all of the possible issues when I published the article How to manage someone else's DNA test last month, but it looks as if I need to update with a warning not to choose a free trial. Are there any other improvements that forum members can suggest?