Jorge Barrera

But what about Harvey and Acumetrix's responsibility for the indigenous ancestry testing? When I approach them, the company refuses interview requests. They send a statement in an email. It basically says these indigenous ancestry tests have no legal value anyway. And they blame the messed up results on the customers, who they say probably contaminated the samples.

But what about Harvey and Acumetrix's responsibility for the indigenous ancestry testing? When I approach them, the company refuses interview requests. They send a statement in an email. It basically says these indigenous ancestry tests have no legal value anyway. And they blame the messed up results on the customers, who they say probably contaminated the samples.

It's Acumetrix's go-to explanation. They stop offering the indigenous DNA testing, but they're still in the dog DNA testing business. And dogs keep tripping Acumetrix up.

It's Acumetrix's go-to explanation. They stop offering the indigenous DNA testing, but they're still in the dog DNA testing business. And dogs keep tripping Acumetrix up.

CBC's Consumer Affairs Show Marketplace is testing dog breed DNA companies. It's now March 2023, and one of the four companies tested is Viagard Acumetrix. Marketplace sends in DNA samples from three dogs for testing, but it also sends a sample from a human. The show's host, Travis Danraj, pretending it's from a dog.

CBC's Consumer Affairs Show Marketplace is testing dog breed DNA companies. It's now March 2023, and one of the four companies tested is Viagard Acumetrix. Marketplace sends in DNA samples from three dogs for testing, but it also sends a sample from a human. The show's host, Travis Danraj, pretending it's from a dog.

The Danrej sample should come back as a failed test. But the Acumetrix result?

The Danrej sample should come back as a failed test. But the Acumetrix result?

Acumetrix tripped up by a dog again. The Marketplace investigation exposes clear issues with the company's DNA testing services. You see, Acumetrix also asks CBC for either a picture of the dog or its suspected breed. So CBC says, shepherd. Marketplace asked Acumetrix about Travis' result.

Acumetrix tripped up by a dog again. The Marketplace investigation exposes clear issues with the company's DNA testing services. You see, Acumetrix also asks CBC for either a picture of the dog or its suspected breed. So CBC says, shepherd. Marketplace asked Acumetrix about Travis' result.

But these issues, they'd been noticed by people who worked inside the company.

But these issues, they'd been noticed by people who worked inside the company.

People like Samantha Friday, who worked at Acumetrix, she told my colleague Rachel that she had suspicions about this particular type of test.

People like Samantha Friday, who worked at Acumetrix, she told my colleague Rachel that she had suspicions about this particular type of test.

So what Sam is suggesting here is that Accumetrix uses customer information, not actual DNA, to come up with its results. But if we want to confirm this, to get direct answers about what is happening inside the lab, we need to get to Harvey. Yet every time we feel like we're getting closer to him, closer to the truth, he slips away.

So what Sam is suggesting here is that Accumetrix uses customer information, not actual DNA, to come up with its results. But if we want to confirm this, to get direct answers about what is happening inside the lab, we need to get to Harvey. Yet every time we feel like we're getting closer to him, closer to the truth, he slips away.

That's as close as I get to him. A voice in the background. So Rachel and I come up with a plan.

That's as close as I get to him. A voice in the background. So Rachel and I come up with a plan.

A legal note here. Over the course of this podcast, you're going to hear a number of allegations made against Vygarde Acumetrix and its employees. When asked, company owner Harvey Tenenbaum said he stands by the tests and that any errors were caused by customers during sample collection. Bad Results is written and reported by Rachel Houlihan and me, Jorge Barrera. Mixing and producing by AC Rowe.

A legal note here. Over the course of this podcast, you're going to hear a number of allegations made against Vygarde Acumetrix and its employees. When asked, company owner Harvey Tenenbaum said he stands by the tests and that any errors were caused by customers during sample collection. Bad Results is written and reported by Rachel Houlihan and me, Jorge Barrera. Mixing and producing by AC Rowe.