Sunday, June 26th
2022 Background Check Service Reviews
Direct Screening
- "A" rated by the BBB
- FCRA compliant for screening volunteers, tenants, employees
- No monthly memberships
- Pay only for the reports you need
- Over 600 million records
- Needs the SSN/DOB and consent of the individual being checked
Direct Screening has been around for the better part of 20 years. This is a no-nonsense background check service, as you'll see from the slightly outdated-looking website. And, it's one of the only providers we found that can get you FCRA-compliant background checks if you need to screen a tenant or prospective employee.
Pay per report
Unlike most of the background check services we evaluated, Direct Screening has no monthly subscriptions. Instead, you'll pay a one-time fee for each report you need to run. These include the following:
- Social Security ($4.95): get information on a person's name, aliases, current and former addresses, date of birth, current and prior phone numbers. Information goes back as far as 20 years.
- State ($12.95): search criminal records in a single state, including sex offender records.
- Enhanced State ($23.95): combines a state search with a Social Security search.
- Regional ($14.95): conduct a criminal search in one of four US regions (East, Midwest, Southern, Western). This includes a sex offender search as well.
- National ($16.95): covers all criminal record sources nationwide, including terrorist watch lists, FBI's most wanted, and sex offender records.
- Enhanced National ($38.95):combines the national search with an SSN lookup.
In each category, you can see a complete list of the data sources by clicking the link below the description. We also encourage you to click on the "View Sample Report" link (directly below the price): they're comprehensive and very official-looking.
Not a background check you can run on the down low
You don't have a way of seeing what information Direct Screening might be matching up before ordering a report, so the more detailed you can be with your search details, the better. The form asks for the person's name, birthdate and social security number, and you're required to have consent from the individual you're background checking in order to submit the report request. In other words, this is no semi-sneaky, behind-the-scenes way of looking into a significant other's past.
Costs
- Ranges from $4.95 to $38.95 per report
Good reputation, not many testimonials
As you might imagine, Direct Screening doesn't have nearly as much feedback as the other background check services in our review. When you're paying a fee for each FCRA-compliant report you need, those costs add up. Most people running personal background checks (especially for curiosity's sake) aren't going to need something quite so professional, for lack of a better word - and that means there aren't as many user comments to consider. But what's out there is positive: the Better Business Bureau gives Direct Screening an "A" rating, and there were only three complaints filed there in the three years leading up to this review.
Straightforward background search provider
We give Direct Screening a better-than-average ranking. There's certainly no bait-and-switch marketing techniques happening here: you get the reports you pay for, and that's that. And, with it being FCRA compliant, it's a terrific resource if you need a legal way to research a tenant, volunteer or employee. However, a lot of people who want to run background checks prefer to keep their searching private, and Direct Screening can't do that for you (since you have to enter the person's SSN and birthdate). This is a reliable, straightforward service, but it might not meet the needs of the average individual doing some personal detective work.
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Where Can You Get the Most Accurate and Affordable Background Checks?
You're already well aware of the fact that you can find out lots about people with a simple Google search, but what if you need to know more? There are plenty of reasons to pay for a background check, from vetting your newest love interest to making sure a childcare provider doesn't have a criminal past.
These paid platforms can access records that won't show up in a traditional search - and they save you time by pulling together information from thousands of databases into one place. When you run a background check, most services will give you two tiers of pricing: basic and "premium" . What's the difference? A basic search typically renders results showing a person's known aliases (like maiden names) and relatives, address history, phone number, email addresses, and possibly social media accounts.
Background Check Service FAQ
Continued from above...
To get to the kinds of records you've probably got in mind, like criminal and court proceedings, you'll have to upgrade to the premium service. That may be included as an add-on to a monthly subscription cost or as a one-off fee each time you conduct a search.
As you consider whether or not to conduct a background check, it's important to understand that some uses are strictly prohibited - and every service will require you to acknowledge those limitations at some point during the process (usually with an "I accept" or "I agree" checkbox). Identified as FCRA (short for Fair Credit Reporting Act), this regulation means that you can't use a background check service to influence decisions on employment, tenant applications, insurance, and several other scenarios. There are a small number of services that offer FCRA compliant searches, but expect to pay accordingly.
No matter which background check service you ultimately select, there's one good reason to visit more than one site: to protect your privacy by requesting that your own records be removed from their listings. Look for a link at the bottom of the site that says "Opt Out" or "Do Not Sell My Information" . From there, you'll either conduct a search for your own records (at no cost) or provide the URL you got when you looked up your own profile previously. Once you click the link sent in a confirmation email, it can take several business days for your info to be deleted (though we've seen it happen almost instantly as well).
With so many platforms offering background checks, which one is right for you? Keep in mind these criteria as you make your decision:
- Accuracy of Information. Background check services don't guarantee that their reports are accurate: public records can have errors, and with common names it's not unheard of to have incorrectly-attributed results. However, some services have a better reputation for quality data. You may want to search for your own report to get a feel for how on-target your results will be if you do a background check on someone else.
- Value. What will you get for what you spend? Is there a trial period that lets you test out the background check service before committing to a paid plan? How does that monthly fee compare with rival services?
- Reputation. What do other customers say about their experience with running background checks with the service? Has the Better Business Bureau given the provider a favorable rating?
- Customer Support. Some background check services let you get one-on-one help to find the information you need. Are support reps easily reached if you have questions or issues with billing?
To help you get all of the information you need. TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked the most popular background search providers available today. Are you ready to find out more about your neighbor, date, or coworker? Choose one of our highest-ranked services and see what you discover!
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