DNA Diagnostics Center Review
Summary
DNA Diagnostics Center is mostly known for its legal and peace of mind paternity and relationship tests. Many customers who reviewed the services note that they obtained conclusive results. The prices are similar to other tests, if not a bit lower. Some reviewers report that they had slow turn around times and poor customer service.
7 Facts from our DNA Diagnostics Center Review
- Location: Fairfield, Ohio, USA
- Services: Paternity, relationship, lifestyle testing, and more
- Cost: Varies based on the type of test. Generally, $39 – $499
- Turnaround time: 2-5 working days
- Counseling: Yes, for certain tests
- How to order: Create an account and purchase the desired test. Customers take peace of mind tests at home and legal tests at a collection site
- Alternative Products: Nebula Genomics offers 30X Whole Genome Sequencing that decodes 100% of your DNA and gives reports on diet and much more!
This review is written with the intent to be as unbiased as possible. However, it represents the opinion of an individual reviewer and is therefore subjective. Furthermore, at Nebula Genomics we seek to educate the public about the benefits of Whole Genome Sequencing. Information about our Whole Genome Sequencing DNA test is therefore incorporated into the review.
September 26, 2023
Table of contents
- 7 Facts from our DNA Diagnostics Center Review
- Pros and Cons
- Introduction
- The Science Behind DNA Diagnostics Center
- Review of DNA Diagnostics Center Services
- Taking a DNA Diagnostics Center Test
- Review of DNA Diagnostics Center Cost
- Review of DNA Diagnostics Center Privacy Policy
- Other DNA Diagnostics Center Reviews
- Nebula Genomics
Pros and Cons
Pros
- A wide range of DNA testing services are available
- History of successful tests
- Highly-accredited laboratory
Cons
- Some customers note slow turn around times
- Some customers note poor customer service
Introduction
DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC) is a leading provider of DNA testing services, offering a wide range of tests to meet diverse needs. The company’s services include paternity, relationship, and animal testing, as well as lifestyle tests in partnership with other companies. It also offers immigration testing for the United States and Canada. DDC is trusted by government agencies, legal professionals, and healthcare practitioners for its accurate and reliable testing services.
DNA Diagnostics Center was founded in 1995 and has served over 20 million customers from around the world. It’s mission is to provide high-quality, accurate, and reliable DNA testing services. Originally a DNA testing company, President and CEO Scott Cramer has expanded the company’s reach to other service types.
The primary laboratory is located in Cincinnati, Ohio with satellite offices across the United States and the UK. Overall, it has 5,000 DNA-collection facilities in all 50 states and 160+ countries.
The Science Behind DNA Diagnostics Center
The science behind DDC’s services is based on advanced genetic testing technologies. The company performs over 1 million STR genotyping tests annually for paternity testing.
DNA Diagnostics Center was the first DNA testing company to require independent teams to perform duplicate testing on paternity samples for an extra layer of accuracy. The labs employ over 200 research scientists and DNA experts.
Review of DNA Diagnostics Center Services
DNA Diagnostics Center offers a wide range of DNA testing services to meet the diverse needs of its customers. Customers can request a free consultation.
Paternity testing
These are DNA Diagnostic Center’s oldest tests, spanning back to 1995. It provides three types of paternity tests to determine an alleged father, including legal, home, and non-invasive prenatal tests. These tests help establish the biological father of a child with high accuracy.
Legal DNA tests provides results that may be used as proof of relationship for child support, custody, immigration, birth certificate, Social Security, or other legal reasons. They require on-site testing to maintain chain of custody. Customers receive results within 1-2 business days.
Home paternity tests are for peace of mind only and cannot be used in court. Customers collect the DNA samples at home and mail them to the laboratory for analysis. Like the legal tests, customers will see their results in 1-2 business days.
Customers can use The Certainty non-invasive prenatal paternity test as early as seven weeks pregnant. A collection specialist obtains the fetal DNA as a result of drawing blood from the mother. Results are available within 3-7 business days.
Immigration testing
DDC offers DNA testing services for immigration purposes in the United States and Canada. These tests help provide evidence of biological relationships for visa applications and other immigration purposes.
It includes paternity, maternity, sibling, and other relative testing and results are available within two business days.
DNA relationship testing
The company provides a variety of relationship testing services to help establish different types of familial relationships. These include:
- Maternity
- Grandparent
- Siblings
- Twins
- DNA reconstruction (possible father’s closest relative)
- Avuncular (possible father’s closest sibling)
- Male lineage (Y DNA)
- Female lineage (mtDNA)
- Native America
- Infidelity
Most of these tests work similarly to the paternity tests. Customers can choose to have the sample collected for legal or peace of mind purposes and some can by used for immigration.
Fertility testing
DNA Diagnostics Center provides fertility-related services like a gender test (Peekaboo™ Early Gender Detection), SpermCheck Fertility, and SpermCheck Vasectomy. These tests help with family planning.
Lifestyle testing
Although it doesn’t offer certain services itself, the company partners with other companies to offer lifestyle tests through the DNA Diagnostics Center website. These include ancestry tests such as GPS Origins® Ancestry Test and HomeDNA™ Starter Ancestry. Customers can also find lifestyle tests such as Healthy Weight, Food and Pet Sensitivity, and Skin care offered through HomeDNA.
Pets & vets testing
DNA Diagnostics Center also offers DNA testing services for pet owners, breeders, and veterinarains. Customers can find testing for a variety of animal species including dogs, birds, horses, cats, and alpacas.
The company offers different tests for different animals. For example, the tests for dogs include inherited diseases, inherited traits, parentage, DNA profiling, and breed identification.
On the other hand, the service for cats focuses only on the risk of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) while the service for birds focuses on whether the bird is male or female.
These tests help pet owners and vets understand the genetic makeup of their pets, which can be useful for breeding purposes, identifying potential health risks, and more.
Taking a DNA Diagnostics Center Test
The legal DNA testing process requires chain of custody maintenance throughout the collection procedure. This means that when customers order a legal DNA test a scheduling specialist will arrange a DNA collection appointment. All parties submit their sample at a certified facility such as a hospital, medical office, or health department. Then, samples are sent to the company’s laboratory and processed.
Once the company verifies the results, the decision-maker in the case can access them online and all tested parties receive a legal document that is admissible in a court of law in the mail.
Customers who need DNA testing for immigration tests contact DNA Diagnostics Center by phone to initiate a DNA test. They provide contact information and paperwork and then set up a DNA collection appointment. International appointment times vary depending on the embassy or consulate.
Customers collect the piece of mind or personal information tests from their home. The company sends the collection kit and prepaid envelope and the customer is responsible for collecting a cheek swab from all test participants.
Review of DNA Diagnostics Center Cost
The cost of DDC’s services depends on the type of test. Some products require customers to call for a quote.
- Legal Paternity: starts at $499
- Home Paternity: starts at $199
- Prenatal Paternity: starts at $599 (payment plan available)
- Immigration: Call for a quote
- Relationship: Call for a quote
- Fertility: starts at $39
- Lifestyle: $69-$199
- Pets and Vets: Call for a quote
Review of DNA Diagnostics Center Privacy Policy
DNA Diagnostics Center collects information from customers when they place an order, register for an account, subscribe to the mailing list, or participate in promotions or surveys. This information may include name, address, email address, phone number, and credit card information. The company uses this information to process orders, provide customer service, send promotional materials, and improve its website and services.
It does not sell or rent customer information to third parties besides those who perform functions on its behalf, such as shipping, payment processing, and data analysis. DNA Diagnostics Center may also disclose information in response to legal processes or to protect the rights, property, or safety of the company, its customers, or others.
The company stores samples and testing data as required by law. For legal tests, these is usually six months at the minimum. Certain restrictions require the company keeps testing records for five to seven years. The company stores non-legal tests for six to eight weeks unless legal requirements result in longer retention times.
Other DNA Diagnostics Center Reviews
On Trustpilot, the company has a rating of 3.2 out of 5 based on over 800 reviews. The company had some decent reviews through 2022, with customers who had a good experience praising the company’s excellent service and results. Many of them would recommend this company However, there are many critical reviews on this site, mostly in regards to slow processing times and what they describe as absolutely horrible customer service.
DNA Diagnostics Center sells an at-home paternity test on Amazon. Reviews are mixed with 3.7 stars based on 21 ratings. Some customers thought the process was quick and easy and were satisfied with the results. Others disapproved of the shipping process and felt the fees were too high.
Nebula Genomics
DNA Diagnostics Center is a well known company in operation since the mid 1990s. Starting with DNA paternity tests, the company now offers a range of services focused on ancestry, lifestyle, and others. If you need legal DNA testing, DNA Diagnostics Center may be a company to look in to.
However, for those interested in genetic predispositions and health information, you may want to check out Nebula Genomics, a company with a comprehensive DNA test that decodes 100% of your DNA and provides reports on a wide range of topics, including diet, aging, and much more.
With 30x Whole-Genome Sequencing, Nebula sequences 100% of your DNA to get to the root cause of every biological inclination. The test is incredibly accurate and includes other additions, including ancestry reporting and genome exploration tools. Regularly updated reports ensure that you will not miss the latest genetic research.
For only $299 or less, customers will get access to their entire genome, allowing them to continue to ask more questions as more research is conducted.
While Nebula Genomics is not a diagnostic test, the results are of the highest quality and can be used in consultation with healthcare professionals.
DNA Diagnostics Center vs. Nebula Genomics
| DNA Diagnostics Center | Nebula Genomics | |
| Sample collection | Collection agency or at-home cheek swab | Saliva |
| Testing method | Paternity, immigration, relationship, fertility, lifestyle, and pets | Whole Genome Sequencing that decodes 100% of your DNA |
| Ancestry reporting | Yes, one of the relationship test options | Performs deep ancestry reporting with the complete Y chromosome and mtDNA sequencing |
| Counseling | Yes, for determining the right test | No, but data is of the highest quality and can be used by physicians and genetic counselors |
| Cost | Varies based on the type of test. Generally, $39 – $499 | $0, $99, $299 |
Did you like our DNA Diagnostics Center review? You can read more reviews on our blog and check out our complete guide to the best DNA test kit and other home tests.
Other companies
You may also be interested in Taking a DNA test while pregnant or, if you’re looking for other paternity tests, you should read these other reviews:
- AlphaBiolabs (paternity, health, and home drug & alcohol test kits)
- Accu-Metrics (relationship tests, forensics, animal services, and more)
- HomeDNA (at-home paternity testing)
- DNA Services Unlimted (legal paternity tests)
- EasyDNA (paternity, ancestry, genetic health, and forensics)
- GenebyGene (diagnostic tests, pharmacogenetics, forensic genealogy, relationship DNA testing, and more)
- Genovate ( relationship, health, fitness, and ancestry tests)
- Genetrack Biolabs (legal relationship tests)
- Journey Genetics Testing (various relationship tests)
- Prenatal Genetics Laboratory (noninvasive paternity and gender tests)
