Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/30/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have heard about Embarks dog dna services as a new dog owner and a new customer to this brand, I decided I would check them out. I added their product, Embark dog DNA test kits Mixed breed / Breed + Health Test, to the shopping cart. The website had a discount code that was added to the item in the cart and I had a discount code that I added as well to the cart. The cart was updated displaying the new price. The item in the cart went from $199.00 including free shipping to $89.00 including free shipping. I got ready to make the purchase by filling in my billing information. Yet, when I clicked on the purchase button I was given an error stating, Your payment couldnt be processed because your order total has changed. I reached out to the help representative and was told that one discount code could be accepted. This isnt a legitimate reason, if in this case the website accepted the listed discount codes and displayed the new price of which I agreed to pay. Embark could fall under violation of the ************************ Act (FTC) section 5. The help desk was not able to assist with adjusting or honoring the price, so I havent made the purchase. The proper resolution Im seeking for this issue would be for the original price to be honored.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/11/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/13/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased the Embark dog healthDNA test. When you buy an expensive dog breeders only give you a short time to vet/check dog before they will allow return if dog has health issues. I sent the test off and ************* acknowledged signed receipt. Results are promised in 2-3 weeks of receipt. We are now going into week 2 and their website showed it received but sitting there, no work. I contacted them twice. See attd. They told me dont worry we will start within the week. 4 days later it shows they dont even have it. Now their email says its lost and I should start over. What recklessness. Now even if I use a reputable testing company I wont have results in time to return the $4k dog!!!!They owe me $159 if not potentially $4k!!!They said they told me to reorder the test but they did not. They told me to be patient and wait. They will only converse by email and that is apparently flawed. They refuse to answer their phone if you call and say we dont take calls.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/21/2023

  Hi ****

  I apologize for the disappointing experience so far. I reviewed your communication with our Customer Support team as well as investigated what happened with your sample. Unfortunately, it appears that there was a delay at our lab with scanning in your sample (which confirms receipt). When you initially reached out to Customer Support, they wanted to give the lab a little time to complete this step since it can typically take a couple of business days to scan any samples that have been delivered via **** or other carriers. When it wasn't completed by June 13th, I see that you reached out (as was discussed and agreed upon) and the swab was then marked as "lost" in our system. After doing so, you were also prompted to order a replacement swab. Concurrently with this all happening, our lab did eventually scan your dog's swab as received and processing began. I can see that the processing almost completed, so you should receive your results soon. Again, my apologies for the initial delay in getting your swab scanned at our lab. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to our Customer Support team directly.

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/24/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  See below.  Again!  I was told if the swab was not scanned by 13th to contact them for another kit.  You dont do this unless it is lost.  They kept telling me to wait, then set the 13th as a lost/new swab contact.  Their website on that day also showed they never received it so I purchased a kit from a reputable company who answers their phones and doesnt loose samples.

  You cant jerk people around about if they have the sample, where it is, confusing posting on your website the sample is there, then it isnt, then told to start all over again on 13th of June.  Buying a $4k dog, breeders dont sit around and wait for this.  They set a contract deadline for determining illness for returning dog.  I couldnt wait for company to decide if they had my sample or not or would answer their **** phone!

   

  [Myles (embarkvet) 
  Jun 13, 2023, 1:43 PM EDT 
  Hi ****,
   
  Thanks for reaching out. I understand how you feel and apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused you. 
   
  Upon checking your MyEmbark Vet account, it appears that we have not scanned ******* sample in our lab yet, and you were advised to reach back to us by June 13th if you have not been notified that ******* sample has been scanned. 
   
  We're happy to issue a free replacement swab for your dog. Rest assured that If the original swab is scanned in the interim, we will continue to process it at the lab, and you can hold onto the replacement swab for backup purposes. 
   
  At your earliest convenience, please log in to your Embark account and confirm your shipping address here: ***********************************************.
   
  Once that's done, we'll ship your new swab to you within 1-2 business days. Once you receive it, follow these steps:
  Activate this new swab on your dog's profile using the 14-digit swab code on the physical tube of the new swab. Please click "Activate a Kit". Next, click on "Don't have an Activation Code". Lastly, please enter the 14-digit swab code.
  Swab your dog
  Return the swab back to us in the provided envelope (postage is included for US customers). 
  Again, I'd like to extend my apologies if you are experiencing any dissatisfaction. I appreciate your bringing this to our attention and allowing us to address it.
   
  If you have additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
  Best,
  *****
  Customer Support
  ******************** Vet
  
  
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ****

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 07/13/2023

  Hi ****

  Again, my apologies for the delay you experienced initially when returning your dog's swab to us. I see that since this last message, the results have been made available to you.

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/27/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I ordered a Dog DNA kit from Embark. I ordered this in March of 2023. When the kit arrived it had an expiration date of 09/2022. I have contacted Embark many different ways/ times and each time they refuse to send me a kit that is not expired. I paid a large amount of money for this test and I expected to get one that was not expired so that I could get an accurate breed of my pet and better understanding of his needs. I am not looking to get my money back, I simply would like to be sent a non expired kit. The customer service is unacceptable.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/07/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/08/2023

  Hi *******

  I'm sorry to hear that you remain dissatisfied. As it was previously explained, your kit was not expired.  The 9/2022 date was printed on our boxes in error. Our kits expire 24 months after you purchase them. I apologize for any confusion. You can find more information about your kit's expiration policy here: **********************************************************************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/08/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  Embark keeps telling me it was a printing error to have an expired date on the kit that I received. I have no way of knowing this was indeed a printing error and you did not just offload an expired kit to me and expect me not to notice. I have never seen a company send something with a 6 month expired date on it and just expect someone to believe that it just happened to be a printing error. I have used embark before and loved the kit I received and it did not have the expired date on it upon arrival. When I decided to purchase from them again I expected nothing but the best service as I had received in the previous orders. Otherwise, I would not have spent $100 of my hard earned money to support this business again. This response is unacceptable. I would like to receive a new kit without a printing error, or an expired date to insure I am receiving a good product that cost a lot of money, to me. 
  

  thank you. 
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Chelbie

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 06/21/2023

  Hi Chelbie

  I can assure you that it was indeed a printing error, as this has impacted many customers and we have since taken measure to address this error with our packaging. Again, I'm sorry that you received a kit that had this erroneous information printed on it.

  Thank you.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/24/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I paid $1548.00 for test kits from the company. The test kits were sent back within a couple of days with DNA samples for puppies and a couple of adult dogs. Becasue I am a breeder, I needed the results before the pups were to go home. I received an email for each ample that it was received by the lab. One week later, I received an email the two tests were processed and the results were available. Over a week and one half later I received three emails telling me three samples did not have enough DNA. Those three happened to be in the same envelope. They said it was a coincidence that it was those three that were bad. I did the same process for all tests so if one was bad they all were, which was not the case. I tried to call them and a recording says they no longer have a phone system. You can only send an email or use the chat. I was told multiple times it was my fault but then one person on the chat finally admitted it was something they did. They sent 3 replacement kits which arrived over one week later. Since the pups have moved to their new homes, I have to send those out and hope it is done properly. There are still 5 total missing tests. They continue to tell me the samples all get opened and mixed together, however they were received within one day of each other and it have is for a pup that died been three weeks since the first two had results. One of the missing samples is for a pup who died. If that is lost I won't know what happened. I have all the emails and copies of the chats. I have asked them repeatedly to have someone contact me by phone and they refuse. I have a total of 17 dogs that were tested at $140 each. This is no small investment. They continue to ignore my emails telling me it takes four weeks for results and we are beyond that. Still no answers, no call, no customer service. Previous issues were settled by phone when they had one.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/08/2023

  Hi ******

  I'm sorry to hear about your experience with your latest tests. I've reviewed your communication with the Customer Support team and see that your matter has been fully addressed and you received a refund for the tests that we were not able to process. If you have any additional questions or need further assistance, please feel free to contact our Customer Support team.

  Thank you.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/10/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I paid $69 for a health report for my dog Ginger. I never received the report. I also discovered that I had paid for the health report already in 2019. I have been trying to contact the company via chat and email for weeks. I can't get anyone to get back to me. They also have no phone number. I want my $69 refunded and to receive the health report for my dog.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2023

  Hi Autumn - We apologize for the delay in resolving the problem with your upgrade. I checked in to your account and spoke to the team members who assisted you, and I understand that it has been resolved. We have also issued a refund for the upgrade that you recently paid for. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Customer Support team. Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/17/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  I still have not received the item that I paid for back in 2019. I was told I would still receive my dog's health report. I was told it would be available in ***** hours. It has been a month and it is still not available and the company has no responded as to how to resolve this. I did receive the refund for the double payment.
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Autumn

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 05/30/2023

  Hi Autumn

  I checked in with our team and they have confirmed that the issue with your dog's health results has been resolved and you can access those results now. If you are still having difficultly accessing the results, please reach out to our Customer Support team directly.

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/24/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a dog DNA kit last Nov. from Embark. I knew when I got the results of my dog's DNA tests that something was very suspicious, however I took the company at their word that my dog was a 'village dog'.I did not understand what this meant and corresponded by email with the company numerous times, eventually asking for a refund which they denied.After watching the Marketplace episode about DNA dog testing I now believe this is such inaccurate science that it should come with a huge warning: FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. Here is a link to the episode: *******************************************************************. Two of the 4 dogs tested by Embark were 'village dogs'. This is highly suspicious.Because I now believe this testing to be borderline scam whenthey do not warn consumers about how inaccurate can be, I am asking for a full refund of $159 **

  Business Response

  Date: 04/27/2023

  Hi ****

  I'm sorry to hear that you remain disappointed with your dog's results and your experience with Embark. As our Results team explained, a  village dog result does not mean that we were not able to identify the breeds in him, but rather because the majority of your dog's DNA doesn't come from any purebred dog breeds. Village dogs were around long before modern purebred breeds (which, remember, really only started having closed populations in the past century or so), and there are still a lot of dogs in the world today who have little to no ancestry from breeds.

  We are very confident in the accuracy of our results. The science can be complicated, but we've summarized our process for analyzing your dog's DNA on our research page: *****************************************************. We also have a video with our Chief Science Officer explaining the process: ***************************************************.

  Per our public refund policy, we cannot offer refunds for scientifically sound results.

  Thank you.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/27/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.

  This is why I don't accept the reply:  I do not believe results are scientifically sound, and do not accept that I must take your word for it.  The testing is based on algorithms, there is a lack of consistency between results from different companies, there is a lack of peer reviewed research regarding the processes used by the test kits, and there is a lack of external validation.  ******* Marketplace episode provided ample evidence to suggest that results should be taken more as entertainment than as fact.  Indeed, 2 of the 4 dogs they tested using Embark technology came back as village dogs which is highly suspicious.  As a consumer I am dependent on the advertising from the company, but I do not trust the results. 

  I feel that Embark and other DNA testing companies should provide validity statistics and not just the 'in house' statement of accuracy.  

  I would like a refund as a disillusioned consumer.

  Thanks

   

  
  
  FAQ

   
  
  Regards,

  ****

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 05/15/2023

  Thank you for the feedback. I'm sorry to hear that you remain disappointed. Unfortunatelyy, you are not eligible for a refund, as described by the terms on our website.

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/16/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  My reasons for no accepting the response from Embark are the same as the last time I did not accept the response.  I want a refund for my original payment as I believe the results are not scientifically sound.  I would ask the company to escalate my refund request to the highest level.  I encourage the company to watch the Marketplace episode demonstrating the very dubious results of DNA dog testing.

  Please refund my money.
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  ****

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/26/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I initially purchased 2 age DNA tests back in January. They have since announced that the test is faulty, and if we wanted, we could request a refund. I received an initial email stating more information would be sent out. I never received anything, so I reached out. I was told my refund was processed, and I should be refunded in **** business days, which led out to 3/4/23. I reached out again 3/7/23 asking why I had not received this refund. I was then told I needed to click a link and fill out a form and request a refund, even though I was already told it was being processed and all set. I never received any confirmation that it was all set and my form was processed, so I reached back out 3/14. On 3/17 I finally heard back was told that in **** business days from the initial form fill out (3/11/23) I should receive a refund. It has yet again, been past the 10 business days and no refund. My initial contact with the company was 2/9/23 and I am still today fighting to get my money back after jumping through multiple hoops. The chat is no help, they escalate it and cannot offer help. And there is no phone number to call, so it is all via delayed email to get any help, which takes days to hear back from. I just want my 298$ back.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2023

  Hi ****

  We apologize for the delay in processing your refund for the Age Test. Our team has been working through a very high volume of customer inquiries as well as refund requests. I reviewed your order and can confirm that you were been refunded in full as of March 28th. The credit typically takes about **** business days to appear on your statement. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to us and we can investigate further.

   

  Thank you.

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/24/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I contacted the company several times in regards to my concern for not my dogs swab or contamination asking for a retest. The original health report stated my dog was a her when hes a boy. I received the breed later and explained my dog is not a pit bull. I even had him retested at another company with no such results showing in his DNA. I went with embark assuming they had a respectable business and cared about their customers and their website seemed if there was an error on their end they would send you a new kit. However, they said no even after they agreed the female dog was inaccurate.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/03/2023

  Hi ********

  I'm sorry to hear about your disappointment. I reviewed your interaction with our Results Team. Due to a bug with one of the available reports, ***** was referred to as "she" rather than "he." This bug was fixed and the report has been corrected. All of the other information across *****'s results reflect that he is male. Separately, we reviewed his ancestry results and confirmed their accuracy. If there were any signs of contamination, we would not have proceeded with processing the sample and in that case would have issued a replacement swab for you to test your again.

  Thank you.

  *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/21/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased an Age Test dog kit.After 2 weeks went by I noticed I didn't receive the customary tracking information I usually have with other kits I've bought in the past. I reached out to Embark. They said to wait until December 19 and they would reissue a new kit. I wrote December 19 and got no response. I wrote December 20th and they wrote back saying my issue was resolved. I wrote back saying no it's not resolved! And they didn't write back. At this point I just want my money back. I have spent hundreds of dollars with this company but after this customer service experience I dont want to spend anymore. I attached a screen shot of my activated age test kit which shows proof of purchase.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/20/2022

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Was given a tracking number before I even sent sample to the lab, then told **** recycles the number and within 10 days the updated info would show, but if it didn't I would get new kits to send..I contacted them after the ****************************************************************************************** fact they were received before I even activated my kit! This company is a scam and fraudulently dupes people, they are unreliable and don't keep their word. I was willing to accept new kits to collect my sample since I was assured I'd get them if not updated ..(please see screen shot ) only to now be told no they won't honor that promise made by their own customer service and I have it in writing ..im disappointed and upset. It appears they don't care about quality or integrity and only care about fleecing the general public ..

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/31/2022

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/03/2023

  Hi *****

  I'm sorry to hear about your disappointment and for the issue with the recycled tracking number. I checked your account though and see we received Nova's sample on December 13th and ****'s on the 15th. The results for both were released on the 28th. If you have any specific questions or concerns about the results, please reach out to our Results team at ************************************ A member of that team can closely review the results with you.

   

  Thank you.

  *******