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Tips

The background check industry has serious issues that will prevent you from getting a comprehensive background check unless you know what you’re doing. Even that won’t always ensure you get the records you’re looking for.

The biggest problem are the 41% error margins reported by experts from of Intellisense Corp (now TalentWise), an industry-leading hiring process management and compliance company. This issue is largely due to the fact that we have over 3,000 county courthouses in the United States and centralizing all their data is next to impossible. They also use many different filing systems which doesn’t help either.

People use inferior services every day, and after paying find out they were hoodwinked in the third degree! We have conducted consumer surveys and the common thread that often comes across is that getting a reliable background check is almost like finding the Holy Grail. Many had nothing to show for their trouble except for a charge on their credit card that would pay for a month’s supply of Caramel Brulée Latte’s from Starbucks.

Other unfortunate folks have found their personal information has been auctioned off to some Nigerian scammer who refuses to stop sending spam! The potential for identity theft is increased exponentially and many have found themselves thousands of dollars in the red. A few have even found themselves face down, eating dirt, after someone soiled their good name with some heinous crime.

So what kind of person are you?

When it comes to background checks, the world is split down the middle and you won’t want to be on the wrong side. There are…

1. People who have to suck up incorrect information…outdated records…charges that take weeks or months to dispute…spam, and even identity theft in the worst of cases!

Alternately there are…

2. Those folks who at least have a fighting chance of getting a background check that won’t squeeze their last penny while administering TSA treatment.

We have put together a couple of tips that should help you get better service than someone that stumbles blindly about looking for the next bit of free gold. These guidelines have resulted from years of background check industry experience, consumer survey responses, and plain old common sense.

  • Does the company have endorsements and/or feedback? This provides outside validation, and shows people are actually using it in the real world. Check the BBB and Ripoff Report, but take an objective look as the feedback on these services is usually only negative and won’t provide a complete picture.
  • Do they have a satisfaction guarantee? This may seem obvious, but don’t be fooled. Be sure you can actually receive compensation or a refund for a product that isn’t delivering. Be sure you read the refund policy very carefully as this can be a very contentious subject.
  • Is your contact information kept private and secure? This is very important. You are very familiar with Spam, and what a pain it is. But it’s also about protecting your identity. Look for the VeriSign, Thawte or Mcafee logo on a website for assurance of digital security.
  • How long has the company been in business? Some have been in the business of collecting information over a decade, so they know how it’s done. This generally applies except in a case like Net Detective.
  • What do you actually receive for your money? Most times you will receive a specific product such as a background check. Some companies offer unlimited access to their databases for a subscription fee. These are generally low quality. READ THE TERMS ON THE PRODUCT PAGE BEFORE FINAL SELECTION. ex: make sure you aren’t signing up for a monthly subscription.
  • What data collections methods do they use? See if they advertise how their data collection methods function. In reality I don’t think there is a whole lot of difference between top services in this respect. However a low grade service will not have access to data brokering services like USSearch and Intelius.
  • Do they have reachable customer service? If they are paying someone to keep you happy that obviously shows commitment on their part. Give them a call to make sure there is somebody on the other end.
  • Do they have About us, FAQ and Privacy pages? We have found that any service worth considering has pages dedicated to informing the customer what their mission is, an FAQ page, etc. In fact, some of these are required by law.

Wrapping It Up…

Through a whole lot of work, research, tests, etc we have found about 20 or so services which are the best consumer and professional background check companies available. This has not been fun by any stretch of the imagination, so if you have been frustrated in your search, our sympathies are with you 100%. Feel free to check out the background check directory and get started with your search. Make sure you leave us feedback about the site, companies, etc.

Be warned that a background check is still an electronic records search and unless you’re willing to hire a private investigator, don’t expect a 45 page dossier on a person’s habits, likes, dislikes, etc, etc, etc. You may get criminal records, addresses, phone numbers, and other information depending on how in-depth you decide to go. If you’re a consumer, check out the consumer background services. If you’re an employer visit the employment background screening services directory.