How to choose a laboratory

The number of DNA Centers and Laboratories can be overwhelming. The scope goes from honest companies, to dishonest companies, just trying to steal your money. It can be a problem especially in this industry, because the everyday person is not an expert in the field of DNA testing.

If they are a reseller, and they do not say which laboratory they will use for your test, you should move on. If they do not have an actual location or a direct phone number, you should move on also. So once you found a real laboratory, what is next?

With a little bit of information it is easy to eliminate the worst choices. Because these are such direct questions, in most cases you will get an honest answer to them.

The following questions should be asked before, ordering any paternity test.

1. Will the laboratory being used be accredited by an accreditation agency, and which laboratory will you be using?

2. How many loci will be used in the initial test? They should answer at least 16. With 16 we can usually obtain, but not always, a reliable result

3. Where is your guarantee in writing? This is one of the biggest factors in-between many laboratories and pricing. With a lower guarantee, it would be easier for the company, to run the 16 locations, and hand the result to the customer, while still fulfilling their guarantee, even know the answer may not be a reliable result. The guarantee in our opinion should 99.99% or above. Whether it is a motherless mutation test or not it should still be a guaranteed result. That is one of the hardest tests to do, if the laboratory has the skill to still offer a 99.99% guarantee, are an AABB accredited, as long as they are not blatantly lying to you. You have found a good laboratory. Looking through Google you can see many companies offering what says 99.999% or 99.99% guarantee, you click on their website to find out it’s a blatant lie. Please read all the way through a company’s guarantee, if the even have one, before you buy a paternity test.

Always use an Accredited Laboratory

Relationship testing services are not regulated the government with one exception being New York State.

There are only around 40 true AABB accredited laboratories in the world.

It is easy to verify the information you are being told by check to make sure they are on the AABB list and be sure they are not just a scam trying to steal your money.

If they are not accredited you do not even know if they are really performing your test. It is very dangerous to use an unaccredited laboratory.