Viacord (now ViaCell)
Customer Feedback on Viacord (ViaCell)
Viacord Jan 2001:
Viacord was very professional and efficient. I called them to inquire and they sent me next day a video and information. My customer service rep was very informed - being technical and nontechnical whenever I needed. I must have called him 10 times with questions in my first days of investigation. We followed the directions enclosed. Viacord took care of the courier. We called them when we got to the hospital. Then called after the birth - Viacord took care of coordinating the pickup. Very easy.
I did quite a bit of research on companies and methods and it seems so far to have paid off. After I signed up the Doctor and hospital got copies of forms and instructions - I am not sure they read them, but I know they got them.
My biggest concern was to the way they store the blood. It is stored whole. I have not found any conclusive evidence supporting either way of storage so I went with them. They also do a DNA screen prior to storage.
I was a little put off by the referral forms they sent me to get others to join. I do not need a financial incentive to recommend them. Either they do a good job or not. A referral fee will not get me to do something I do not want to.
Let them know you are shopping around - We got an extra free year free when we "closed the deal".
-- JL
Viacord Jan 2001:
As a physician who delivers babies it was very interesting to investigate this as a parent and not just as the doctor giving generic advice and taking the sample. The first thing I realized is that I knew very little about this. It took me weeks of intense research and study to get comfortable with the terms and processes. I can not say that I found important differences in storage processes or chemicals used. All companies do the same with slight differences such as storing all or some of the blood; dividing it into small compartments or not; adding this chemical or not. In the end there is no right or wrong way to do this. This technology is still very new and it will take another 5 to 10 years to understand the intricate details.
I believe that all companies are doing what they believe to be their best. (Of course these companies seek to profit, therefore "the best way" also takes into account their commercial interests and your child's blood is not necessarily the only priority). In the end, though, this is a service-oriented business, and as such those which do not serve well will flounder. I agree that these companies waste your time "convincing" you about how good UCB storage is. They should leave that for the magazine ads. Most of us when we call them have already decided to do it and wish to get info about the company not about UCB storage.
It is hard to accurately compare these companies and I think that you will end up choosing between "very good" and "a bit better". Relax, I doubt you can choose the 'wrong' company."
For my wife and I, the areas that became most important as we learned about this where the following:
The three reasons that finally convinced us to sign up with Viacord were: One, the fact that they offer an "emergency kit" which we keep at our hospital (It is basically an unlabeled kit that can be used by anyone who pays over the phone with their credit), and so I have had more experience sending them samples (It is surprising how many people leave this for the last moment, and I mean the very last moment....) Second, Viacord waived the cost of storing the blood because I deliver. Third, we never really decided if we thought CorCell the company was better or just felt that Beth Ludwin their representative was absolutely wonderful. Had Viacord had a Beth of their own we would not have struggled so much.
I feel that in the near future ALL babies will have their UCB stored. The potential benefits for now are limited but already worth the cost. In the future there may be limitless possibilities to what can be done with these cells. Before you do this or any other complex endeavor please remember to pray and ask The Lord God about it. He will always give you the right answer.
-- A Family Physician
Viacord April 2002:
First, we almost chose ViaCord because of their association with ViaCell, who is now in clinical trials with their stem cell expansion technology, and because we thought they were banking the cells at the Hoxworth University Medical Center. Well, I called the Medical Center, and found out that they have actually built their own facility in Kentucky, and will be moving all the cells there on June 1st.
-- M in PA
Viacord June 2003:
Here are our experiences with a few companies.
Viacord - (this is who our friends went with)
CorCell- seemed good.
Finally choose California Cryobank.
Viacord June 2003:
During the decision making process, I felt ViaCord was a very competent company, but some things that made me uncomfortable were:
1) The overwhelming amount of money they put into marketing- contest to win diapers, gift certificates at retail outlets, etc. These promos had nothing to do with the medical aspects of the decision I was making and every time I got an e-mail announcing another such promotion, I was very turned off.
2) My experience was that although they had more representatives than CBR, they took longer to answer my e-mails. And even after I thanked them for all the information and informed them of my decision to go with CBR, I received several lengthy e-mails as to why I had made the wrong choice.
-- MR in Florida
Viacord Aug 2003:
Two years ago I began researching cord blood banking in the hope of preserving my daughter's UCB at her birth. I had received brochures for CBR and Viacord from my OB's office and focused on them. I initially decided on CBR and requested they send me a contract, etc. I am an attorney and reviewed the contract with great scrutiny and after doing so I had a number of issues. My greatest concern was to ensure that my daughter's stored blood could never be used or sold without my permission. I discussed my concerns with CBR and requested that modifications be made to the general contract terms to ensure greater protection for my daughter's genetic material. We live in a brave new world- so to speak- and I did not want there to be any exposure that my daughter's genetic material could be sold/donated for testing or use I did not authorize (for example, if I moved and did not receive a bill and a payment was missed, I did not want there to be a provision that ownership of the UCB would automatically revert to CBR/the bank). While, I was repeatedly reassured by them that this wouldn't happen etc., I told them I wanted something in writing. I discussed particular modifications that put them at no exposure of being financially bound to maintain my daughter's UCB at their expense and offered me the protection I felt appropriate. I reviewed the language with them and was told it was acceptable. I inserted the language, signed the modified contract and sent it in. Weeks later, as my due date was rapidly approaching, I was informed by CBR in a dramatic turnabout that they refused to accept the changes to the contract. I refused to proceed with them after this. So, I then called Viacord. Their customer service representative was very responsive and helpful. I discussed the contract issues with them and they at least were upfront enough to say that their legal department would not allow for modifications, without wasting my time for multiple weeks. As the birth was imminent, I decided I had no choice but to accept the contract and minimize risk by paying for multiple years in advance. So, I signed the contract and received the collection kit and paid the fee. I followed all instructions for bringing the kit to the hospital and did so with great caution. Unfortunately, at the birth, my OB discovered that I had been sent a defective kit (broken collection vials) and thus, after all I had been through, my daughter's blood could not be preserved. Viacord refunded my fee but this is small comfort since my daughter's UCB is lost forever. Now I am preparing to have my second child and am trying to find a company that I feel I can trust. It is not easy, as these two are "supposed" to be the industry leaders.
-- LG in NY
CBR versus Viacord, Aug 2004:
I would like to share my experiences in researching cord blood banking options. I began this process completely aware of UCB and the benefits of storing its stem cells for later use. However, I was completely unprepared for the total and utter lack of consumer information out there. I feel there are two areas of cord blood banking on which to educate yourself before you choose:
MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VIACORD AND CBR
FACT --> Viacord offers only gravity bag collection, CBR offers that or syringe.
SPIN --> CBR says you get more blood collected into the syringe than the bag, Viacord says the opposite. CBR talks in cc's, Viacord talks in ml's. (Editorial comment: cc and ml are equivalent)
MY OPINION --> After doing the math, one bag (same for each) holds more than the 3 syringes that are sent in the CBR kit. I'll go with the bag
FACT --> Viacord separates out the blood parts using the "Hespan" method, CBR uses the "Ficoll Hypaque" method
SPIN --> Viacord says both are very good methods, but only theirs is FDA-approved; CBR says Hespan is inferior and there's no such thing as being FDA-approved and that what Viacord says is misleading.
MY OPINION --> The FDA approval is directly correlated to a Viacord patent on how to increase the number of stem cells thru a duplication method (called Amplification), which is only in human clinical trials right now. I think the FDA stuff is a big who cares, as they're both accreddited with the AABB. However, I liked Viacord's civility toward their competition and didn't like the way CBR bashed them in return.
FACT --> Until two years ago, Viacord didn't separate the blood prior to storage. Now they do, but all transplants on record are from their previous non-separated storage method, not the current separated one.
SPIN --> CBR says there's no guarantee that the transplants of cells from UCB beginning two years ago (separated) will work as well or at all, as their previous method did. Viacord was evasive here and suddenly decided they didn't have enough information on this to comment. That was annoying. Upon a third call to Viacord, they admitted that no transplants were done on blood that had been separated before stored.
MY OPINION --> CBR is only shooting itself in the foot by saying that separated blood is no guarantee cuz that's what they've only ever done. I found this to be nothing more than a tactic. While I didn't like Viacord's evasiveness, I think CBR had no basis for planting the concern.
FACT --> Viacord has had only a third of the transplants that CBR has had; neither has said that they've had any failures
SPIN --> Viacord says CBR's numbers are inflated because they used to be a public bank, as well as private and that some of the transplants are from their public numbers, while Viacord has only ever been a private bank. CBR didn't say anything about that at all. (Editorial comment: Both of these companies have always been private banks)
MY OPINION --> Viacord's statements make sense, but ultimately we're talking 13 transplants vs. 30 or so; not a huge difference when you consider a total population of 60,000 in storage. Not concerned.
FACT --> Viacord's contract is 25 years, CBR's is 18 years
SPIN --> CBR says when the child turns 18, the account should be theirs and, therefore, contract ends for re-upping by the child upon majority
MY OPINION --> I like the longer contract, which Viacord insists you're locked into at the yearly rate without increase. Won't know for sure if this is true unless they suddenly stick me with an increase, but I believe them. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. CBR said, and I quote "You're locked into the yearly rate for the full length of the contract, unless we have to raise our yearly fees." Ok, I might not like an answer that includes reasons rates could go up, but don't couch the bad news in a ridiculous statement. Also, I like the longer contract because 18 years is still a baby, and honestly, so is 22. I remember being both of those ages, and while I did pretty good, I fully believe that being in your mid to late 20's is a significantly different maturity level than being in your early 20's. I'll keep control a bit longer, thank you very much. ( Editorial comment: Don't trust a sales person's say-so on whether rates can increase. READ the contract. Either the rate is fixed or its not.)
FACT --> Viacord and CBR do massive amounts of marketing
SPIN --> Viacord says they pour alot of effort into educating the public and doing significant research. CBR doesn't do research but feels it's imperative to educate the public
MY OPINION --> Please, people. Of course, they do alot of marketing. It's a niche industry with nothing out there but their own spin doctors to sell their stuff. OF COURSE, they're gonna spend money on marketing. I would, too. Until there's a Consumer Reports for cord banking, this website's all we've got. Until then, you have to be as saavy a consumer as you can be and learn to parse the crap from the content. This is America, and therefore, no one -- and I mean NO ONE -- unless you're a non-profit org, which they're not, are gonna do something for nothing. Bottom line, they do marketing. Who cares.
FACT --> Viacord and CBR are vying for the same customers as everyone else, but they're the industry leaders at this time and, therefore, want you to come to them, not the other guy.
SPIN --> "Let me tell you why we're better than CBR." "Let me tell you why we're better than Viacord."
MY OPINION --> I don't like it when a company is not civil to its competition. It's bad form. Lawyers shouldn't bash each other and the good ones do not. Doctors tend not to criticize other doctors' work that they then see later. They may fix it and tell you what to do to fix it, but they won't say, "that guy is a quack." These aren't Republicans and Democrats. There's no reason to bash each other. I found them both to be somewhat unsupportive of the other, but CBR demonstrated more incivility than Viacord.
FACT --> CBR's kits are all sterile for both vaginal delivery or the OR field if you have a caesarean. Viacord's are not sterile for the OR; you need to attach a separate catheter that runs from the cord to the bag sitting a few feet away outside the sterile field.
SPIN --> CBR says this is bad! Viacord says if they didn't account for OR field sterility, they'd turn everyone away in case they had a caesarean, so of course they're sterile for the OR field.
MY OPINION --> CBR tactic. However, not completely without merit. Viacord was extremely evasive on whether or not their kits are sterile for the OR as is or if you need an attachment. That bugged the hell out of me. I want the truth! I'm not asking if using an attachment means it doesn't work. I'm asking for whether or not this is true, and educator #1 didn't bring this up at all; educator #2 said that in the past, you did need an attachment, but he *thinks* that's no longer the case and that they're now fine as is. Just tell me the freakin' truth cuz I don't believe that you don't know. Which made me quite sure that CBR was right about it not being sterile for the OR. I am fine with an attachment; I am not fine with being lied to. That was when I called back Viacord and got educator #1 back who told me the truth --> You need a catheter attachment.
FACT --> If you go into labor and your kit has not yet arrived or you haven't signed up yet, you may or may not be out of luck
SPIN --> Both companies have kits at the homes of company representatives thruout the US. CBR says that if a kit can't be brought to you in time, then the hospital can do a make-shift collection into a standard bag with a heparin component added to it. They say this is less than ideal but can foster a successful collection and viable stem cells. Viacord said nothing of the sort and said you're definitely SOL. Then I told them what CBR said, and they said, oh yes, you can do that, but it's not ideal. Hmm.
MY OPINION --> Having kits a reps' homes thruout the US doesn't mean they're in YOUR state, and it doesn't mean that even if they are that they live close enough to the hospital to get it to you before the baby comes. CBR looked up Illinois and said there are no kits in the state at this time; Viacord did the same and said there were several in the vicinity of my hospital. Is it true? I dunno. I was put off by Viacord educator #2's 180 on the make-shift collection method once prompted with CBR's statements. When I called a third time and put forth this question again to educator #1, he said, we don't do the same thing as CBR, but what we do is have a medical professional who is on call 24/7 on premesis talk with your doctor and walk them thru the recipe for what needs to go into a bag for us, and we've done this on several occasions. He also offered for me to speak to that person myself. Ok, good enough for me, no need to talk to them, I believed him. However, again, stop with the evasiveness just to make a sale.
FACT --> Viacord "educators" have a quota of enrollments they're expected to reach each month that affects their salary
SPIN --> Viacord says all the larger companies work on this model, not just theirs. Never did check with CBR on this question.
MY OPINION --> Make no mistake, these companies may be doing wonderful things, but there is a sales element that is necessary. Every company has a model of operation, and this one uses a form of commission. It is important to remember that when you wonder why they're so competitive between each other, but ultimately, I felt that the educators I spoke with at Viacord and CBR were fully knowledgeable about what was important. When they were not (i.e., Viacord educator #2), they usually admitted that they didn't know when prompted, and when I asked for documentation to back things up, it was faxed to me from both companies every time immediately. I want to add that CBR's educator #1 and #2 were both really good.
THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS IN CHOOSING A BLOOD BANK
This is all in my opinion.
THINGS NOT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN AND MAKE YOURSELF CRAZY OVER
SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS
WHY I CHOSE VIACORD OVER CBR
I wish I could tell you something really profound or concrete. Ultimately, I just kind of got a better vibe with Viacord. Like an infanitescimal 2% greater vibe. I would have been happy at CBR, but I guess I felt that they weren't as kind to Viacord as Viacord was to them; I felt that the cryobags might possibly be better than the cryovials; I liked that Viacord does research; I was told that CBR's backup generators are not on site of the freezers (I was not able to confirm this); Viacord's Kentucky storage is closer to my home than CBR's Arizona storage (and irrationally felt that Arizona is hot, cryofreezing has to be cold, if the freezers go down it's hotter in Arizona -- not rational, but I'm honest about it). The biggie is that CBR admitted that there were no kits at any representative's home in Illinois in case I went into labor before my kit arrived; Viacord confirmed that they did have several kits in representative homes close to my hospital.
CONCLUSION
This was very long, and it's all my opinion only. However, I wanted to reach out to those of you who are in my position of being lost, not knowing where to turn, going crazy trying to find third-party information. This is a good website, and I appreicate the opportunity to share my experience. Good luck to you all.
-- Elizabeth in Chicago, Illinois
Viacord was very professional and efficient. I called them to inquire and they sent me next day a video and information. My customer service rep was very informed - being technical and nontechnical whenever I needed. I must have called him 10 times with questions in my first days of investigation. We followed the directions enclosed. Viacord took care of the courier. We called them when we got to the hospital. Then called after the birth - Viacord took care of coordinating the pickup. Very easy.
I did quite a bit of research on companies and methods and it seems so far to have paid off. After I signed up the Doctor and hospital got copies of forms and instructions - I am not sure they read them, but I know they got them.
My biggest concern was to the way they store the blood. It is stored whole. I have not found any conclusive evidence supporting either way of storage so I went with them. They also do a DNA screen prior to storage.
I was a little put off by the referral forms they sent me to get others to join. I do not need a financial incentive to recommend them. Either they do a good job or not. A referral fee will not get me to do something I do not want to.
Let them know you are shopping around - We got an extra free year free when we "closed the deal".
-- JL
Viacord Jan 2001:
As a physician who delivers babies it was very interesting to investigate this as a parent and not just as the doctor giving generic advice and taking the sample. The first thing I realized is that I knew very little about this. It took me weeks of intense research and study to get comfortable with the terms and processes. I can not say that I found important differences in storage processes or chemicals used. All companies do the same with slight differences such as storing all or some of the blood; dividing it into small compartments or not; adding this chemical or not. In the end there is no right or wrong way to do this. This technology is still very new and it will take another 5 to 10 years to understand the intricate details.
I believe that all companies are doing what they believe to be their best. (Of course these companies seek to profit, therefore "the best way" also takes into account their commercial interests and your child's blood is not necessarily the only priority). In the end, though, this is a service-oriented business, and as such those which do not serve well will flounder. I agree that these companies waste your time "convincing" you about how good UCB storage is. They should leave that for the magazine ads. Most of us when we call them have already decided to do it and wish to get info about the company not about UCB storage.
It is hard to accurately compare these companies and I think that you will end up choosing between "very good" and "a bit better". Relax, I doubt you can choose the 'wrong' company."
For my wife and I, the areas that became most important as we learned about this where the following:
- How long has the company been around and have they actually had successful transplants? (Verifying this last thing is very, very, very hard! Stress on successful since they will sometimes tell you how many samples have been used but not necessarily successful.)
- Where is the blood stored? To us a large independent institution such as a teaching hospital sounded right although not necessarily better. It gave us the chance to speak to people in charge of the blood who do not work for the company.
- Were you able to talk to different people in the company? We where shocked to realize that in some of these companies you could not get past the sales rep. In one particular company I called the physician in charge, who very rudely let me know that his time was more valuable than to speak with possible clients. He was very offended with our questions and instead of answering them, he read me his credentials (luckily, mine where better).
- Offered the best cost to our particular circumstances. The 10 year cost ranges from 1500$ to 3500$ in the US.
- Quick international knew of them and delivered to them. (We would not recommend any other way to send this. It does not always cost more to you but it is worth any extra cost.)
The three reasons that finally convinced us to sign up with Viacord were: One, the fact that they offer an "emergency kit" which we keep at our hospital (It is basically an unlabeled kit that can be used by anyone who pays over the phone with their credit), and so I have had more experience sending them samples (It is surprising how many people leave this for the last moment, and I mean the very last moment....) Second, Viacord waived the cost of storing the blood because I deliver. Third, we never really decided if we thought CorCell the company was better or just felt that Beth Ludwin their representative was absolutely wonderful. Had Viacord had a Beth of their own we would not have struggled so much.
I feel that in the near future ALL babies will have their UCB stored. The potential benefits for now are limited but already worth the cost. In the future there may be limitless possibilities to what can be done with these cells. Before you do this or any other complex endeavor please remember to pray and ask The Lord God about it. He will always give you the right answer.
-- A Family Physician
Viacord April 2002:
First, we almost chose ViaCord because of their association with ViaCell, who is now in clinical trials with their stem cell expansion technology, and because we thought they were banking the cells at the Hoxworth University Medical Center. Well, I called the Medical Center, and found out that they have actually built their own facility in Kentucky, and will be moving all the cells there on June 1st.
-- M in PA
Viacord June 2003:
Here are our experiences with a few companies.
Viacord - (this is who our friends went with)
- Lots of material Emailed and sent.
- A little off putting with the number of calls.
- Has their own facilities.
- Liked the number of transplants that had been done with their cord blood.
- Sales rep avoided wife's question about loses in transport. (She did not know about lawsuit against them see news reports)
- Ultimately high price, new lab and storage facilities, and too much sales pressure lead us elsewhere
CorCell- seemed good.
- Called after hours and left message. Received info in mail not call like requested. Probably just one of those mix ups.
- Did find out that they and another company are just marketing arms and use Community Blood Services out of NJ. Community blood Services is a major donor center as well as storage center and if you live in NJ deserves to be called directly. Alpha Cord also uses them but they are very new and small.
- Did like the fact that Alpha Cord web site had a link to this web site. Did not like that took them 3 hour to call back and their contract allows them to transfer cord blood to another storage facility. If we had more time might have been able to iron this out and use them as they are much less expensive then others who use Community Blood Services. They have a good web site and are worth a look.
Finally choose California Cryobank.
- They are fully accrediated and have been in business of tissue banking for over 20 years.
- Like the fact of time in business and not reliant only on cord blood banking for income.
- They use a liquid nitrogen storage, a quarantine tank, bag collection with an additional overwrap for breakage and cross contamination protection.
- Does all blood testing and has an informative web site.
- Very friendly and informative on the phone with no big sales push.
- Good pricing. Sat FedEx delivery of kit at no extra charge. No fee for late term sign up (1 week before due date)
- Uses Airnet.
- Concerned about no transplants yet but accreditations and fact that Director is a marrow tranplant doctor (see site) helped ease that concern. Earthquakes are a concern but they have been thru some due to their time in business (earthquakes in the west, killer hurricanes in the east!)
Viacord June 2003:
During the decision making process, I felt ViaCord was a very competent company, but some things that made me uncomfortable were:
1) The overwhelming amount of money they put into marketing- contest to win diapers, gift certificates at retail outlets, etc. These promos had nothing to do with the medical aspects of the decision I was making and every time I got an e-mail announcing another such promotion, I was very turned off.
2) My experience was that although they had more representatives than CBR, they took longer to answer my e-mails. And even after I thanked them for all the information and informed them of my decision to go with CBR, I received several lengthy e-mails as to why I had made the wrong choice.
-- MR in Florida
Viacord Aug 2003:
Two years ago I began researching cord blood banking in the hope of preserving my daughter's UCB at her birth. I had received brochures for CBR and Viacord from my OB's office and focused on them. I initially decided on CBR and requested they send me a contract, etc. I am an attorney and reviewed the contract with great scrutiny and after doing so I had a number of issues. My greatest concern was to ensure that my daughter's stored blood could never be used or sold without my permission. I discussed my concerns with CBR and requested that modifications be made to the general contract terms to ensure greater protection for my daughter's genetic material. We live in a brave new world- so to speak- and I did not want there to be any exposure that my daughter's genetic material could be sold/donated for testing or use I did not authorize (for example, if I moved and did not receive a bill and a payment was missed, I did not want there to be a provision that ownership of the UCB would automatically revert to CBR/the bank). While, I was repeatedly reassured by them that this wouldn't happen etc., I told them I wanted something in writing. I discussed particular modifications that put them at no exposure of being financially bound to maintain my daughter's UCB at their expense and offered me the protection I felt appropriate. I reviewed the language with them and was told it was acceptable. I inserted the language, signed the modified contract and sent it in. Weeks later, as my due date was rapidly approaching, I was informed by CBR in a dramatic turnabout that they refused to accept the changes to the contract. I refused to proceed with them after this. So, I then called Viacord. Their customer service representative was very responsive and helpful. I discussed the contract issues with them and they at least were upfront enough to say that their legal department would not allow for modifications, without wasting my time for multiple weeks. As the birth was imminent, I decided I had no choice but to accept the contract and minimize risk by paying for multiple years in advance. So, I signed the contract and received the collection kit and paid the fee. I followed all instructions for bringing the kit to the hospital and did so with great caution. Unfortunately, at the birth, my OB discovered that I had been sent a defective kit (broken collection vials) and thus, after all I had been through, my daughter's blood could not be preserved. Viacord refunded my fee but this is small comfort since my daughter's UCB is lost forever. Now I am preparing to have my second child and am trying to find a company that I feel I can trust. It is not easy, as these two are "supposed" to be the industry leaders.
-- LG in NY
CBR versus Viacord, Aug 2004:
I would like to share my experiences in researching cord blood banking options. I began this process completely aware of UCB and the benefits of storing its stem cells for later use. However, I was completely unprepared for the total and utter lack of consumer information out there. I feel there are two areas of cord blood banking on which to educate yourself before you choose:
- What is it, what are the benefits/drawbacks of private/public, and is it right for me?
- If I choose private, what are the companies out there, what are the best criteria for choosing one, and where can I go for third-party consumer information about these companies?
MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VIACORD AND CBR
FACT --> Viacord offers only gravity bag collection, CBR offers that or syringe.
SPIN --> CBR says you get more blood collected into the syringe than the bag, Viacord says the opposite. CBR talks in cc's, Viacord talks in ml's. (Editorial comment: cc and ml are equivalent)
MY OPINION --> After doing the math, one bag (same for each) holds more than the 3 syringes that are sent in the CBR kit. I'll go with the bag
FACT --> Viacord separates out the blood parts using the "Hespan" method, CBR uses the "Ficoll Hypaque" method
SPIN --> Viacord says both are very good methods, but only theirs is FDA-approved; CBR says Hespan is inferior and there's no such thing as being FDA-approved and that what Viacord says is misleading.
MY OPINION --> The FDA approval is directly correlated to a Viacord patent on how to increase the number of stem cells thru a duplication method (called Amplification), which is only in human clinical trials right now. I think the FDA stuff is a big who cares, as they're both accreddited with the AABB. However, I liked Viacord's civility toward their competition and didn't like the way CBR bashed them in return.
FACT --> Until two years ago, Viacord didn't separate the blood prior to storage. Now they do, but all transplants on record are from their previous non-separated storage method, not the current separated one.
SPIN --> CBR says there's no guarantee that the transplants of cells from UCB beginning two years ago (separated) will work as well or at all, as their previous method did. Viacord was evasive here and suddenly decided they didn't have enough information on this to comment. That was annoying. Upon a third call to Viacord, they admitted that no transplants were done on blood that had been separated before stored.
MY OPINION --> CBR is only shooting itself in the foot by saying that separated blood is no guarantee cuz that's what they've only ever done. I found this to be nothing more than a tactic. While I didn't like Viacord's evasiveness, I think CBR had no basis for planting the concern.
FACT --> Viacord has had only a third of the transplants that CBR has had; neither has said that they've had any failures
SPIN --> Viacord says CBR's numbers are inflated because they used to be a public bank, as well as private and that some of the transplants are from their public numbers, while Viacord has only ever been a private bank. CBR didn't say anything about that at all. (Editorial comment: Both of these companies have always been private banks)
MY OPINION --> Viacord's statements make sense, but ultimately we're talking 13 transplants vs. 30 or so; not a huge difference when you consider a total population of 60,000 in storage. Not concerned.
FACT --> Viacord's contract is 25 years, CBR's is 18 years
SPIN --> CBR says when the child turns 18, the account should be theirs and, therefore, contract ends for re-upping by the child upon majority
MY OPINION --> I like the longer contract, which Viacord insists you're locked into at the yearly rate without increase. Won't know for sure if this is true unless they suddenly stick me with an increase, but I believe them. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. CBR said, and I quote "You're locked into the yearly rate for the full length of the contract, unless we have to raise our yearly fees." Ok, I might not like an answer that includes reasons rates could go up, but don't couch the bad news in a ridiculous statement. Also, I like the longer contract because 18 years is still a baby, and honestly, so is 22. I remember being both of those ages, and while I did pretty good, I fully believe that being in your mid to late 20's is a significantly different maturity level than being in your early 20's. I'll keep control a bit longer, thank you very much. ( Editorial comment: Don't trust a sales person's say-so on whether rates can increase. READ the contract. Either the rate is fixed or its not.)
FACT --> Viacord and CBR do massive amounts of marketing
SPIN --> Viacord says they pour alot of effort into educating the public and doing significant research. CBR doesn't do research but feels it's imperative to educate the public
MY OPINION --> Please, people. Of course, they do alot of marketing. It's a niche industry with nothing out there but their own spin doctors to sell their stuff. OF COURSE, they're gonna spend money on marketing. I would, too. Until there's a Consumer Reports for cord banking, this website's all we've got. Until then, you have to be as saavy a consumer as you can be and learn to parse the crap from the content. This is America, and therefore, no one -- and I mean NO ONE -- unless you're a non-profit org, which they're not, are gonna do something for nothing. Bottom line, they do marketing. Who cares.
FACT --> Viacord and CBR are vying for the same customers as everyone else, but they're the industry leaders at this time and, therefore, want you to come to them, not the other guy.
SPIN --> "Let me tell you why we're better than CBR." "Let me tell you why we're better than Viacord."
MY OPINION --> I don't like it when a company is not civil to its competition. It's bad form. Lawyers shouldn't bash each other and the good ones do not. Doctors tend not to criticize other doctors' work that they then see later. They may fix it and tell you what to do to fix it, but they won't say, "that guy is a quack." These aren't Republicans and Democrats. There's no reason to bash each other. I found them both to be somewhat unsupportive of the other, but CBR demonstrated more incivility than Viacord.
FACT --> CBR's kits are all sterile for both vaginal delivery or the OR field if you have a caesarean. Viacord's are not sterile for the OR; you need to attach a separate catheter that runs from the cord to the bag sitting a few feet away outside the sterile field.
SPIN --> CBR says this is bad! Viacord says if they didn't account for OR field sterility, they'd turn everyone away in case they had a caesarean, so of course they're sterile for the OR field.
MY OPINION --> CBR tactic. However, not completely without merit. Viacord was extremely evasive on whether or not their kits are sterile for the OR as is or if you need an attachment. That bugged the hell out of me. I want the truth! I'm not asking if using an attachment means it doesn't work. I'm asking for whether or not this is true, and educator #1 didn't bring this up at all; educator #2 said that in the past, you did need an attachment, but he *thinks* that's no longer the case and that they're now fine as is. Just tell me the freakin' truth cuz I don't believe that you don't know. Which made me quite sure that CBR was right about it not being sterile for the OR. I am fine with an attachment; I am not fine with being lied to. That was when I called back Viacord and got educator #1 back who told me the truth --> You need a catheter attachment.
FACT --> If you go into labor and your kit has not yet arrived or you haven't signed up yet, you may or may not be out of luck
SPIN --> Both companies have kits at the homes of company representatives thruout the US. CBR says that if a kit can't be brought to you in time, then the hospital can do a make-shift collection into a standard bag with a heparin component added to it. They say this is less than ideal but can foster a successful collection and viable stem cells. Viacord said nothing of the sort and said you're definitely SOL. Then I told them what CBR said, and they said, oh yes, you can do that, but it's not ideal. Hmm.
MY OPINION --> Having kits a reps' homes thruout the US doesn't mean they're in YOUR state, and it doesn't mean that even if they are that they live close enough to the hospital to get it to you before the baby comes. CBR looked up Illinois and said there are no kits in the state at this time; Viacord did the same and said there were several in the vicinity of my hospital. Is it true? I dunno. I was put off by Viacord educator #2's 180 on the make-shift collection method once prompted with CBR's statements. When I called a third time and put forth this question again to educator #1, he said, we don't do the same thing as CBR, but what we do is have a medical professional who is on call 24/7 on premesis talk with your doctor and walk them thru the recipe for what needs to go into a bag for us, and we've done this on several occasions. He also offered for me to speak to that person myself. Ok, good enough for me, no need to talk to them, I believed him. However, again, stop with the evasiveness just to make a sale.
FACT --> Viacord "educators" have a quota of enrollments they're expected to reach each month that affects their salary
SPIN --> Viacord says all the larger companies work on this model, not just theirs. Never did check with CBR on this question.
MY OPINION --> Make no mistake, these companies may be doing wonderful things, but there is a sales element that is necessary. Every company has a model of operation, and this one uses a form of commission. It is important to remember that when you wonder why they're so competitive between each other, but ultimately, I felt that the educators I spoke with at Viacord and CBR were fully knowledgeable about what was important. When they were not (i.e., Viacord educator #2), they usually admitted that they didn't know when prompted, and when I asked for documentation to back things up, it was faxed to me from both companies every time immediately. I want to add that CBR's educator #1 and #2 were both really good.
THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS IN CHOOSING A BLOOD BANK
This is all in my opinion.
- MUST MUST MUST BE AABB-ACCREDITED
They should own their own lab/storage facility. If they rent space or are brokers, there's no accountability and alot of cooks in the kitchen. (Editorial comment: I disagree with this opinion, but this is the feedback section and I just publish parent opinions) - They should be financially stable. READ the financial reports that are available about the company. Hard to find, but do your homework (Editorial comment: There is a lot of inside financial info available on Viacord because they have filings with the SEC to go public. CBR is privately held, so you can't find out inside stuff like salaries for top employees.)
- They should have a successful track record. If they have no successful transplants to show for their work, why are you trusting them? This is not the time to trust a start-up. It's the potential to save the lives of those you love.
- They MUST have a disaster recover plan (DRP) in place for fire, natural disaster, and other disasters.
- They MUST have backup generators ON SITE, not wheeled in if a freezer goes down
California is not a good place to have the storage facility. Read: Earthquakes. I'd nix any coast, period. The farther inland, the better. - They MUST demonstrate that only authorized personnel are allowed at the storage tanks via separate authorization and authentication. In other words, just cuz you work at the building doesn't mean you should have access to the tanks. Like receptionists and cleaning people. And for god's sake, NO TOURS!
- They should have 24/7/365 Customer Service. No exceptions. People have babies on Christmas and at 2am.
THINGS NOT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN AND MAKE YOURSELF CRAZY OVER
- Hespan vs. Ficoll Hypaque. Until research proves one to be inferior
- FDA-approval
- Bag vs. Syringe. If they didn't both work, there would have been failures by now
Is the kit sterile for the OR field without the attachment? Not important unless it's not sterile at all and cannot be made to be. - Where is the headquarters located? Who cares, it's the lab/storage facility that matters
- Cost. You get what you pay for. Cheaper is NOT better. There are no bargains here, folks. If you can't afford it, then you can't afford it; move on. Spending less is almost certainly spending money on inferiority in some aspect of this process. Again, I cannot stress enough, there are no bargains to be had, here. If you can't afford $1,600 - $2,000 up front and $95 - $125 per year, then you can't afford this.
SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS
- Do not give them your phone number. They're gonna ask. Every time you call. At least 3 times. But don't do it. You know where to find them, they're 800 numbers, all they're gonna do is bug you. I can't stress this enough. When you enroll, that is the time to give your phone number. Not before.
- Call the company with every question, and call them as many times as you need. Leave no stone unturned. Write down the answers to everything or you WILL forget.
- Read the company's financial statements. They are hard to find, but that is the best indicator of the stability of the company.
- If you find them being evasive, call them on it and make them give you a straight answer. Do not be intimidated.
WHY I CHOSE VIACORD OVER CBR
I wish I could tell you something really profound or concrete. Ultimately, I just kind of got a better vibe with Viacord. Like an infanitescimal 2% greater vibe. I would have been happy at CBR, but I guess I felt that they weren't as kind to Viacord as Viacord was to them; I felt that the cryobags might possibly be better than the cryovials; I liked that Viacord does research; I was told that CBR's backup generators are not on site of the freezers (I was not able to confirm this); Viacord's Kentucky storage is closer to my home than CBR's Arizona storage (and irrationally felt that Arizona is hot, cryofreezing has to be cold, if the freezers go down it's hotter in Arizona -- not rational, but I'm honest about it). The biggie is that CBR admitted that there were no kits at any representative's home in Illinois in case I went into labor before my kit arrived; Viacord confirmed that they did have several kits in representative homes close to my hospital.
CONCLUSION
This was very long, and it's all my opinion only. However, I wanted to reach out to those of you who are in my position of being lost, not knowing where to turn, going crazy trying to find third-party information. This is a good website, and I appreicate the opportunity to share my experience. Good luck to you all.
-- Elizabeth in Chicago, Illinois
Letzte Änderung: 21.January 2010
Copyright 2000 - 2010 Frances Verter
Copyright 2000 - 2010 Frances Verter