PTC Laboratories guarantee.
Guarantee on our DNA Paternity Tests
PTC Laboratories guarantees a minimum probability of paternity of 99.99%. We are the only DNA paternity testing laboratory in the United States to offer this guarantee. This guarantee represents a DNA paternity test that is literally one hundred times more discriminating than the 99.0% guaranteed by most Paternity DNA testing laboratories. It enables you to be much more confident that you received the correct answer to the question of who is the father.
If PTC Laboratories tests a child and the child’s alleged father, our paternity test will either exclude the alleged father, showing that he is not the biological father of the child, or the test will show a probability of paternity of at least 99.99%. If there is ever a situation where we can not achieve this level of certainty, we will refund your paternity test fee, and still give you the paternity test results.
Most laboratories only guarantee a 99.0% probability of paternity. As discussed under Reliability and False Positives, a DNA paternity test at this level identifies a DNA genetic pattern that is possessed on average by one in every one hundred people, and in any individual case the genetic pattern could be much more common still. This means that there are thousands of men who have the tested DNA genetic pattern, and who would receive exactly the same test results if they took the same DNA paternity test. This causes the tested man to be concerned that he may not be the biological father of the child, but may simply be one of the many men with this DNA genetic pattern.
By guaranteeing a minimum probability of paternity of 99.99%, PTC Laboratories offers you a paternity test that will identify a DNA genetic pattern possessed on average by fewer than one in ten thousand individuals. In fact, most of our tests identify DNA genetic patterns possessed by fewer than one in one hundred million individuals. This higher level of discrimination gives the tested man much greater assurance that the reported test result is not a “false positive,” and that he is in fact the biological father of the child.
As with other paternity testing laboratories, PTC Laboratories’ guarantee applies only to cases in which a good DNA specimen is available from the child and the alleged parent. Unlike some other paternity testing laboratories, PTC Laboratories does not offer a lower guarantee in cases where the mother’s DNA specimen is unavailable or the paternity testing laboratory encounters a mutation in DNA. We guarantee a minimum 99.99% probability of paternity even if you are only paternity testing the child and alleged father.
Other examples of DNA paternity testing situations include “family reconstruction” such as a paternity test that includes DNA specimens from the parents or other relatives of a missing alleged father. Another variation is a “sibling study” done to determine the probability that someone is the biological brother or sister of other tested individuals. In these types of studies it is not always possible to know what level of certainty will be attainable. Thus the same guarantee is not possible for these types of tests.
For standard situations that DNA paternity test a child and an alleged parent, PTC Laboratories’ 99.99% guarantee gives you much greater assurance that you are receiving the correct answer to the question of who is the father. Our testing procedures also provide greater confidence for family reconstructions. By choosing PTC Laboratories for your testing you are able to obtain this assurance at no greater cost than you would have paid for less reliable DNA paternity testing services.
Other examples of testing situations include “family reconstruction” such as a paternity test that includes specimens from the parents or other relatives of a missing alleged father. Another variation is a “sibling study” done to determine the probability that someone is the biological brother or sister of other tested individuals. In these types of studies it is not always possible to know what level of certainty will be attainable. Thus the same guarantee is not possible for these types of tests.
For standard situations that test a child and an alleged parent, our 99.99% guarantee gives you much greater assurance that you are receiving the correct answer to the question of who is the father. Our testing procedures also provide greater confidence for family reconstructions. By choosing PTC Laboratories for your testing you are able to obtain this assurance at no greater cost than you would have paid for less reliable testing.
