CRI Genetics - Reviews and experiences

I picked this kit up on a slow Sunday and expected the usual DNA baggage. First impression was meh — it arrived fast enough, but the report? Pretty thin. They lumped ancestry into broad groups, like they tossed me into a mixed bag, and there was no raw data download. I was missing the advanced timeline I paid for; after two support tickets it was still not fixed. Replies felt robotic, like pasted AI answers. The basic results were ok though, so not a total disaster, but overpriced.

38% English and 34% German, which doesn’t match my family story (all great-grandparents came from Germany). Kind of threw me, but it also made me compare other reports and dig in a bit more than I expected. Support wouldn’t refund, that was annoying, but the online report is clear and I liked how fast everything happened.

confirm availability first, save yourself the back-and-forth.

a thin family tree with only a few names, unclear sourcing, and a list of standard suggestions for “further research” — which, unsurprisingly, came with another price tag. There was no fancy bound booklet, nothing substantial to hand down, and no real accounting of how my money was used. When I raised these concerns I got a lot of excuses and shifting responsibility from the rep instead of answers. It’s frustrating — I’d hoped for a careful, professional result and instead got something that feels rushed and incomplete. Maybe other projects with them are fine, I don’t know, but for what I paid this was a poor return, and it’s left me quite disappointed. I still believe in doing family research, and I know these things can be complicated, but buyer beware: ask for concrete deliverables and proof of previous work up front. I’m sad it didn’t work out; it was supposed to be a meaningful legacy and it just wasn’t.

apparently the report meant “genetic signals” not literal migration. That felt like splitting hairs. I wasn’t impressed.
Then something changed. I pushed back, asked for more context, and asked for specifics about why Tuscany showed up for my Italian side when I’m from the south. They actually escalated my case. A different rep dug into the methodology and sent a clearer breakdown, and they offered to re-run the analysis with adjusted reference groups or issue a refund if I wasn’t satisfied.
That was the moment I knew it would end well. It wasn’t dramatic. It was practical. They didn’t brush me off anymore. They explained the limits and the probabilities, and they corrected a labeling choice that had caused most of my confusion. I still prefer the reports I got from Ancestry and MyHeritage on some points, but I appreciated the follow-through here. I’m glad I pushed and glad they listened.
So, mixed feelings overall. The test itself had questionable bits. The first response was weak. The resolution was decent. I’m thankful they offered options and didn’t leave me hanging. If you’re picky about labels and regional nuance, ask questions up front. They can fix things, but you may need to be persistent.