Top 4 background check sites

The background check industry has immensely evolved during the past decades. It has gone from a practice that was mainly reserved for law enforcement purposes to a common HR resource to a way in which private citizens can protect themselves before dating or signing business deals. It also changed from a very expensive and time-consuming service to one that can be performed in minutes and for less than one hundred dollars. Not all background check sites are the same. Depending on your needs and budget, here are some of the best options:

For Quick Background Searches

The best choice is checkpeople.com. With a subscription, you can get unlimited searches (perfect for hiring managers or real estate professionals). Each report is neatly organized on a downloadable PDF and includes address history, publicly available court records, social media data, marital status, and sex offender registries. Their interface is really easy to use, and you only need the person’s full name to perform a search, and results are ready in a few minutes.  Their customer service is available 24/7, and their terms of use and privacy policy are very straightforward and easy to understand (which is very important to protect your privacy).

For Tenants

There are several aspects that a landlord needs to know before signing a contract. Running a background check is of the essence. RentPrep is a site that provides all the information you need while complying with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Through their service, you can get a full credit report with score, nationwide eviction reports, criminal and sex offender records, and a list of evictions and liens. What makes them different is that they are a team of FCRA certified screeners, members of the Professional Background Screener’s Association. Their services start at $18.95 per report.

To Verify Professional Credentials

Hiring managers may need to go deeper on their background search and verify a candidate’s job history and academic background. Depending on the volume of applications, they may also need help in checking references. If this is your case, Verified Credentials is the way to go. They offer an education verification that confirms attendance dates, degrees, majors and minors, and honors. They also verify the validity of professional licenses and discover the nature of the relationship between a candidate and their references. The usual turnaround for these reports is 2-3 days, but it can take longer if there’s a need to manually verify data.

For Household Employees

Nannies, caregivers, and housekeepers have access to your private life and interact with your loved ones, which is why you need to take the due diligence process very seriously. EnannySource is an online service that complies with the FCRA and specializes in screening household employees (they are not limited to nannies, as you may think because of their name). They will verify credentials and degrees, criminal records, driving records, and trace social security numbers. They also offer to check references. They have several pricing packs to choose from, or you can pay for each individual service.

Don’t Forget

While background checks are legal, and a standard for hiring purposes, there are some aspects that you need to understand before moving forward:

1. Credit background checks can only be performed by Credit Reporting Agencies (CRA’s).
2. If you make a hiring decision based on a credit background check, you are legally required to disclose this information with the candidate, along with a copy of their rights.
3. Many scam sites pose as background check services. Before disclosing any financial information (such as your credit card number), check their privacy policies, refund policies, and terms of use. Also, check for reviews on reputable sites and other users’ experiences.
4. If you have doubts regarding the information that you can request or the ways in which you can use it, it’s better to ask for an attorney’s opinion. Non-compliance with privacy protection or anti-discrimination laws can end up in ugly litigation processes.