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There are hundreds of sites out there that promise to connect you with long-lost relatives, childhood friends, former classmates and coworkers - or to help you look into the background of someone on your radar. Most of these services utilize the same public records databases to deliver results.
So, what makes one people search platform different from the next? None of them guarantee the accuracy of their results - after all, databases can have incorrect information. But, the best services give you enough of a preview before you pay for a report that you can determine for yourself if you've found the right individual. They also may include a trial period of a few days to a week, letting you conduct multiple searches to see if you'll get what you need from their results.
Tuesday, March 19th
PeopleFinders got its start in 1999 and has become one of the largest owners of public records data nationwide. Want to know who owns the phone number that keeps calling you? Looking for your coworker from 10 years ago? Chances are very good that this platform can help you get it done.
Quick and easy
The basic search function at PeopleFinders asks for the person's first and last name, city, and state. Or, click on the advanced search button to add details like middle name or age range (if known). PeopleFinders did a great job of finding all of our targets quickly, and then providing enough details for us to confirm the matches.
Good things come to those who wait
When you've identified a person whose report you'd like to access, you'll have two options: pay $1.95 for the report and get a 3-day trial of PeopleFinders' Phone and People Search functions, or pay $9.95 for a full background report that includes a criminal records check, property records, and much more detailed information. When we clicked to order the $9.95 report, we were offered a lower price of just $3.95 for the report and a 3-day trial of PeopleFinders' comprehensive service. Then, when we went to navigate away from the checkout page without making a purchase, we got a pop-up offering us a 5-day trial and that full report for just $1. In other words, it pays to hesitate here. Your trial will convert to a monthly plan of $24.95 for the basic tier and $29.95 for the comprehensive one, unless you cancel during your trial period.
Nothing to hide
We really appreciate the transparency of this people search provider. Most of PeopleFinders' rivals hide the fact that you don't get full access to their records unless you pay an upcharge. With this service, even with the higher plan that includes all of the available background info, you're still paying less than almost every other platform out there. And, although you might have to click in a few places to see it, the monthly search limits here are clearly spelled out: 150 when you pay for just the basic search plan and 400 for the comprehensive plan.
Costs
Fantastic reputation
PeopleFinder's reputation stands out above the crowd. Not only does the company have an "A+" from the Better Business Bureau, but over 1200 people give them a perfect five-star rating. The most praise goes to PeopleFinders' customer support team for being helpful and friendly, but plenty of people have been thrilled to find exactly what they needed through this site. In an industry where you usually see hundreds (if not thousands) of complaints, this kind of feedback is a breath of fresh air.
Transparent, trustworthy, top choice
PeopleFinders continues to get our highest recommendation. There's nothing bait-and-switch here: you'll know exactly what is and isn't included with any plan you choose, and you'll pay less for it than with most search providers. You'll have a hard time finding any other service that can match PeopleFinders' positive feedback from customers, too. What are you waiting for? Start your people search with this top-ranked platform today and see what you can find out.
InfoTracer has over five billion records in their people search database. In business for nearly two decades, this platform can help you find who you're looking for with the least amount of hassle.
Best variety of search types
InfoTracer offers many more search options than you'll find with other people locator services. Yes, you can start with a basic name and state - or maybe you want to look by phone number, email address, username, license plate number, VIN, or even an IP address. You'll need to click on the "More" dropdown to see a few of those possibilities.
Speedy search process
Let's say you go the traditional route of searching by first and last name plus a likely state of residence (past or present). It should only take a minute or so to return a list of possible matches. In our case, InfoTracer was able to identify the person we were researching and they were the ninth result in the list.
Affordable week-long trial
We love that this service doesn't go through all the theatrics of "searching databases" while you sit there and wait for the report to be run. When you see a match for the person you're searching for and click on their preliminary results, you'll be taken to InfoTracer's payment page. Pay just $2.95 to see the full report and get full access for seven days. If you cancel within that first week, there's no additional charge; otherwise, you'll automatically be subscribed for $24.95/month.
Some records require additional fees
They don't come right out and say it, but InfoTracer includes some information in all of its memberships, but other types of records will incur an extra fee. Premium data reports include items like eviction records, UCC filings, pilot licenses, weapon/hunting permits and more. We recommend looking through InfoTracer's FAQs before you begin your search and determine if the type of information you need is included in their basic subscription or as a premium add-on.
Costs
Over 1,500 five-star reviews
It can be challenging to find a people search service with a good reputation for customer service, but InfoTracer does. We found review after review from satisfied users who said that even when problems popped up, the support team responded quickly and were helpful in getting to a resolution. InfoTracer reps have even been known to help with searches when subscribers get stuck or aren't sure how to track down a particular person using the service. Over 1,500 people have given InfoTracer a perfect five-star rating.
One of the best people search providers
InfoTracer is straightforward, affordable, and reliable. While we could live without the "premium information" upcharge, users still get plenty for their money and can try out this people search service pretty thoroughly for a whole week with the $2.95 trial. This platform gets one of our highest ratings and is a service you can trust.
Spokeo organizes over 12 billion records from thousands of sources, providing answers to over 500,000 people searches daily. In operation since 2006, this platform goes beyond satisfying simple curiosity and also helps nonprofits and adoption "search angels" to make much-needed connections.
Takes a few extra steps
You can people search on Spokeo with a name, email or physical address, or phone number. But, since there's no way to specify even a state of residence when you search by name, the process here takes a few more steps than on Spokeo's rivals' platforms. You'll be taken to a list of states with people matching the name you entered; from there, you choose the state you think is a match and then you can browse the results or clarify further by city. We noticed that those results were sometimes grouped under a metro area: one of the people we searched for lived in a suburb of Orlando, and we had to click on Orlando to finally find the record because the actual town wasn't in the results list.
Accurate results
However, once we got there, we were extremely impressed with how much information Spokeo presented that confirmed we had the right individuals. The specifics were blurred out, but we could see street names and cities where they lived, all but the last four digits of their phone numbers, and so on. This people search service is right on the money.
Low-cost trial
Speaking of money, what will you pay to use Spokeo? You can buy a single name report for just $1.95. That price drops to $0.95 if you'd like a 7-day membership trial, which lets you use the site to research multiple people. At the end of the 7-day trial, your account will convert to a $24.95/month membership plan until you cancel.
Spendy if you want comprehensive reports
We strongly suggest taking advantage of Spokeo's trial to see what kinds of records are included - and which ones require an "add-on purchase" , such as court records and historical records. Spokeo is pretty tight-lipped about what that will cost, requiring you to have a membership first (and only indicating with an easily-overlooked asterisk that not all services are included with a standard plan). We reached out to Spokeo through their online chat and were told that those records are included for an extra $14/month, on top of the $24.95/month plan.
Costs
Monthly searches limited to 100-150
Another detail that's often missed is Spokeo's 100 profile view limit with their membership plan. The only place you'll see that is in the "Plan Specifications" link that's tucked away in the "I agree" text just below the payment info. Granted, most people aren't going to be looking up that many individuals in a 30-day timeframe, but it's good to know in case you're planning on doing a lot of research in a short period. There are also options for Law Enforcement and Business use, if either of those are your reason for needing to look up more than 100 people in a month. Our Spokeo rep also told us that your quota limit will go up to 150 if you include the court/historical records add-on with your membership.
Helpful search concierge
On a more positive note, your Spokeo membership includes access to their customer care's "search concierge" . If you're having trouble finding someone, their reps can help you via phone, email, or online chat.
Solid reputation
The Better Business Bureau gives Spokeo an "A" rating and accreditation. That's part of why we were so surprised to see hundreds of complaints about this people search service. But, on further inspection, the vast majority of those negative reviews come from people who missed the fine print and felt that they'd been hoodwinked into a monthly subscription when paying for a $1.95 trial. Of all of the details that were hard to find on this site, quite honestly that's not one of them - and isn't related to the quality of the information available here.
Worth considering for your people search
We give Spokeo a higher-than-average rating: it's one of the cheapest ways to get a one-off report, you can take advantage of an affordable week-long trial, and you're not locked into a 3-month plan (or longer) just to get low prices. Like any people search platform, Spokeo has some limitations - but the advantages here greatly outweigh them.
US Search calls itself "America's Public Records Search Company" and is proud to have been seen on CBS, CNN, and CNBC. It's one of four search platforms owned by PeopleConnect; you'll find the other three (Intelius, Truthfinder, and Instant Checkmate) also evaluated in our reviews.
Can be time-consuming
Of the four people search services in US Search's brand family, this site is probably the least direct. There's no helpful search box right on the main page. Instead, you'll have to click the "get started" button to get to the place where you indicate if you want to go by name, phone number or address (even that page took longer than usual to load). And there are more hoops to jump through. Are you looking for information in order to contact someone? Select yes or no... and wait for the page to load. Enter a name... and then wait again. US Search is tedious at best. When you enter your name and email address, US Search takes you to a report preview that honestly doesn't say much.
Less expensive than its partner brands
Compared with the other three PeopleConnect services we evaluated, though, US Search is the cheapest. You don't have to wait around for a pop-up to get their best available deal: $1.99 for a 5-day trial and/or a monthly membership with unlimited searches for $19.86. That in itself is enough reason to choose US Search over Intelius, Instant Checkmate or Truthfinder: they all use the same databases, so even though you can't preview the information you'll get, you can be reasonably assured that it'll be exactly what you'd find there. Might as well spend a little less, right? Be on the lookout for any "premium" report upcharges: we didn't see anything about that on the US Search site (which is lacking any kind of FAQ, but their sister sites give us the heads up that it might come into play here too.
Costs
More info upfront, please?
Just like the other three sites, your results may vary: count on US Search to do a decent job of returning basic information, but don't take what you find as the "gospel truth" by any means. You may discover that even your own personal information isn't accurate - but unfortunately on this platform you won't be able to see enough details to know for sure, until you pay for the trial or the one-month membership.
Best of the "just average" services
Should you use US Search? It's not going to break the bank if you do, and it might be the cheapest of the mid-range services to use (knowing you'll get the same results as the other three). But, we still prefer a few other people search platforms over US Search and suggest trying those first.
Intelius is one of four people search platforms in our review under parent company PeopleConnect (in addition to US Search, Truthfinder, and Instant Checkmate). That means you'll come across similar results here as what you'll find there, though each service differs slightly in terms of pricing.
Takes 5+ minutes to search
How would you like to start your people search? At Intelius, you can start with a name, city and state (and check the box if you're searching for your own records). Otherwise, you can start with a phone number or address. As the search runs, you'll see questions come up that help the search engine refine the results: specific towns where the person may have lived, age range, number of siblings, and so forth. (Unless, of course, you're looking for someone with an unusual name - and then you can click to have the report run without answering further questions.) It may still take five minutes or longer for Intelius to go through all of the available records, and in the middle of the process you'll have to put in your name and email address to save your progress.
Several options for reports and pricing
Of the sister services, Intelius comes in with the second-lowest price - most of the time. You can expect to pay $24.86 for one month of unlimited people search access, or $42.25 for two months. On the other hand, if you wait around on the site for 5-10 minutes, you'll get a pop-up offering a 5-day trial for $1.99, which we found for just $1 with the other services in the brand family. Give it even longer and you'll be offered a price of $29.99 to access just one report, with no ongoing subscription fees.
Needs to spell out all of the costs
What's missing? That's a smart question to ask. Intelius doesn't provide an FAQ, so there's nothing spelling out anything about having to pay for "premium" data reports. However, given that all of the PeopleConnect sites work in the same way, we think it's pretty safe to say that at some point in your people search, you're going to be hit up for more cash if you want access to absolutely everything they have about the person you're researching.
Costs
Your results may vary
It should come as no big shock that Intelius' user feedback mirrors the three other brands'. People searching for basic info usually find what they're looking for here, and the BBB gives Intelius an "A+" - which means it's trustworthy, relatively speaking. But, like many people search sites, you're not going to get every possible piece of information from their basic features, and some details may be flat-out wrong. We encourage you to search your own information first and see for yourself.
Not the best, but pretty low-risk to try
Intelius winds up with a just-average rating from us, right along with the other people search services held by its parent company. You might pay a little less - or a little more - here, depending on how you use the platform. You could do worse than Intelius when it comes to looking for someone's information, but you've got a couple of choices that might give you more details with less hassle.
Truthfinder is one of a few people search services in our evaluation that start out by warning you that you might find "shocking" information about your friends and family. That lead-in usually equates with a less-than-straightforward set of results, but we were pleased to see that Truthfinder not only found the correct individual but also didn't load it with any false reports or scandalous teasers to get us to buy a report.
Search by name, number, email
You can begin your search here either with a first and last name, city and state (if known) or through a reverse phone lookup. One little difference we spotted is that Truthfinder asks you to check a box if the records you're searching for are your own.
Wait for the clarifying questions
As your search processes, you'll be asked to answer clarifying questions - so don't navigate away from the screen. You could be requested to confirm any possible relative matches, the age range of the individual, or to enter any more detailed information you have to help narrow down the results (middle initial, city, specific age). It took about three minutes, and we were surprised to see the correct person as the fourth result in the list.
And then there are more questions
When you select a person's report to view, Truthfinder will ask a few more questions (like asking if they have ever committed a crime) and then spend even more time running reports on social media accounts. Prepare for further questions that will keep you on the page to provide input, like deciding if you want any associated family members' reports included. And there, we're back to the titillating language about the potential of being on a government watch list, getting "very graphic" sensitive information, or seeing "potentially embarrassing comments" on the report.
Takes about 20 minutes in all
All in all, it took nearly 20 minutes to get to Truthfinder's final-final report. We were satisfied that it was a good match and returned accurate information about the person we were investigating, but that timeframe is much longer than it takes on other platforms.
Costs
Hold out for pop-up discounts
At first, Truthfinder makes it look like your only options are to pay $28.05 for one month of unlimited searches or $46.56 for two months of access (both of which renew automatically). However, as we let that page "sit" for a bit and navigated to other sites, we got a pop-up offering a "full-access trial membership" with standard reports for $1 (though the actual checkout page said it would be premium reports, not standard, and included the critical details of it being a five-day trial and that it would automatically renew at a price of $29.89/month unless canceled within that window). Waiting even longer, Truthfinder offered us access to a single report for a one-time fee of $29.95 and no membership required.
Issues with billing and record accuracy
All of those details matter, because that's where the bulk of Truthfinder's issues with users lie. While the service enjoys an "A+" and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau - a good sign overall - we still found plenty of unhappy reviews from users whose reports weren't as accurate as ours. Beyond that, there seem to be issues with billing that aren't quite as "100% no hassle" as Truthfinder promises: be on the lookout for pricing differences between "standard" and "premium" reports, and be aware you may be billed at least once even after canceling your membership within the five-day $1 trial period.
Not the best or the worst
While Truthfinder isn't our favorite people search service, it still has a few positive points worth considering. The information returned tends to be fairly accurate, you get enough details in advance to make sure you've found the right person before making a payment, and you can get five days of access for just $1. This platform still has some improvements to make with respect to reliability and customer service, but it might be worth a try if you don't find what you're looking for elsewhere.
Instant Checkmate lets you search for people by name and location or through a reverse phone lookup. This service is one of the only ones we spotted that also includes criminal records and inmate search right at the top of the site. Be sure to check the "this is me" box if the records you're looking for are your own.
Clarify for more accuracy
As you run Instant Checkmate's people search, watch out for pop-ups that clarify certain details. For example, we were asked if our target is an only child and whether or not he had ever lived in specific cities in the state we entered. We got 96 matches for that person, so Instant Checkmate prompted us to go a little further with an approximate age, any known city of residence, and a middle initial.
Process takes too long
Even when the right person's records come up, the search process drags on even longer. All told, it takes nearly 20 minutes - checking boxes that come up, entering your name and email address, and so forth - before you get to the stage where you can purchase a report with the results. You'll pay $35.12 for a month of unlimited reports of $84.28 for three months of access, both of which renew automatically until you cancel your account. Wait around on the site for a little while, and you'll probably get a pop-up offer of a five-day trial of Instant Checkmate for just $1. Wait even longer and you'll be able to pay a one-time fee of $29.95 for a single report.
Look out for extra fees
As with many people search platforms, Instant Checkmate has a standard report that may include a person's address history, relatives, arrest records, social media profiles, and so on - but to get details found on tax liens, voter registrations, civil judgments and other categories of public records, you'll have to pay an extra $19.99 for a premium report. That's not disclosed anywhere during the main people search process: we had to go into Instant Checkmate's FAQs to find that out.
Costs
Remove your records here, they disappear elsewhere
You may notice a lot of similarities between Instant Checkmate and Truthfinder, another service we evaluated. Makes sense, given that they're owned by the same parent company. Our first indicator that there's crossover between the two platforms was when we submitted a request to remove our own records from one site - and then we no longer showed up in the search results on the other (we think that's a feature and not a bug, by the way).
Mixed feedback from site users
With respect to reputation, both services fare the same: an "A+" and accreditation from the BBB but with mixed feedback from site users. While some people feel that the service offers a good value, others report missing or inaccurate information. We also found a few people who discovered that "unlimited" reports really aren't: when they tried to put the platform to the test by looking up dozens of people, their accounts got flagged for violating the terms of use.
Try the higher-rated services first
We give Instant Checkmate some points for returning accurate matches with the people we searched for, and for having multiple options for accessing them (membership, 5-day trial, single report). On the other hand, there's no need for the platform to make users spend 20+ minutes checking boxes while the search runs, and we're less than thrilled with some of the reviews we read. This isn't a bad option for people search, but it's not our favorite either. Try the higher-ranked platforms first and save Instant Checkmate as a backup plan.
PeopleWhiz relies on tantalizing warnings and promises of "real criminal records" to hook your attention from the first moment you land on their website. It's a little limited compared to some of its rivals: you can only search by name, city, state and age, with no options for reverse phone, email, or address searches.
Faster search than most - at first
On the other hand, PeopleWhiz's initial search ran much faster than most other platforms': with just a name and a state, we got a preliminary list of matches in under a minute, and the person we researched was the seventh one on that list. The info shown there was more accurate too: it had all of the known relatives correctly entered and all previous addresses, where some sites were missing family members and had incorrect former residences.
More time required to get to the report
When you click to select the report you'd like to view, PeopleWhiz will take a few more minutes to scan through possible matches on social media platforms, criminal records and other public data sources. You'll have to create an account to save your progress - and then it takes another couple of minutes to scan through the remaining databases.
Monthly plans only, no trial
To see the report, you'll have to choose a payment option - and this is where things start to go a little sideways. You'll be offered three choices: a one-month plan for $27.99, a three-month plan for $68.85, or a six-month plan for $89.70. So far, so good, and pretty comparable to other services. But, in the fine print on the checkout page, it says that your membership comes with "the ability to run premium comprehensive in-depth background screenings" - for an additional, undisclosed fee. PeopleWhiz doesn't come right out and tell you the amount, but user reviews lead us to believe it's about $20.
Costs
Subscribers unhappy with "premium" upcharge
Is it worth it? Maybe, maybe not. If this is the first time you're ever using a people search service, your reports might include just enough information to be interesting. But, if you've already got some details sleuthed out and you're going for deeper info, you may be disappointed here. We didn't see as many reports of incorrect details listed with PeopleWhiz results as we found with a few other services, but plenty of people were unhappy to be paying extra for a "premium" report. That part definitely comes off as bait-and-switch, to be honest.
You'll love it or hate it
Reputation-wise, PeopleWhiz is good enough. They've got an "A+" and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau and over 9,000 five-star reviews (though many of those were from users who had just barely signed up for the service and maybe hadn't had time to be disappointed yet). Feedback is mixed, though: there were almost 5,000 users who gave this people search platform just one or two stars out of five after not getting the level of detail they were expecting. PeopleWhiz invites you to give them a call if you're not happy with the service, saying that your satisfaction is guaranteed but stopping short of spelling out what they'll do to make it right.
Better options are available
In short, PeopleWhiz is probably going to cost you more than most services, if you want the highest level of detail in your people search results. Their BBB grade and their satisfaction guarantee should reassure you that you've got options if it doesn't work out the way you expect, but we'd still invite you to look at the higher-ranked providers in our review first.
PeopleLooker is one of many search services available today that offer to help you connect with long-lost friends or family members, check out your neighbors, or even see what public records say about you. This company says that their "incredible customer service" sets them apart from the competition. Does it? Read on and decide for yourself.
Lots of ways to search
There are six different ways to find people using this service: name, phone, email, address, unclaimed money, and B2B. The most common way to use PeopleLooker is by entering a name and state. From there, you'll be asked to enter a city (if you know it) to try and narrow it down, especially if you're looking for someone with a relatively common name. The initial search takes about three minutes and runs through personal information reports, social media profiles, and so forth.
...and finally the results
While the search is running, you might enjoy reading the tips offered by PeopleLooker, including popular use cases: search yourself, improve your contact lists, look up old classmates, and so on. In the middle of the process, there's a box to check indicating you'll use the information you discover in accordance with the law - so you may not want to navigate away while the search is running. Finally, you'll have to enter a name and email address to save and see your results... after PeopleLooker "prepares the final details" (*sigh*). All told, we spent about 10 minutes waiting and doing those steps in the middle.
No information preview
Even at that stage of the process, this people search service doesn't give you even a hint as to what records they've found or any way to take a preliminary look to determine if they've matched you up with the right individual's records. You'll have to choose between a month-to-month membership for $22.86 (plus tax where applicable) or a three-month plan for $54.83.
Costs
Mediocre grade from the BBB
PeopleLooker doesn't have a great track record with the Better Business Bureau: just a "B-" grade and no accreditation. That lower-than-average rating is mostly because the service hasn't been in business long enough to establish a good history, and because of the 40+ complaints filed against PeopleLooker over the last three years. But, that's not nearly as many as some of this service's rivals, and it appears that PeopleLooker reps do a satisfactory job of responding to problems when they're reported to the BBB.
Customer service is a let-down
And yet, that doesn't mean people are satisfied with this people search platform. We found reports on the BBB and elsewhere that described inaccurate info (when users searched their own information to determine if the service was on the mark or not), problems with canceling during a free trial period (which no longer appears to be on offer here), and lack of support from PeopleLooker's customer service team. The service claims that they guarantee your satisfaction and will offer a refund and/or their help if you're dissatisfied with the results of your search, but that's not much good if you can't actually get a hold of someone to keep that promise.
Comes up short by comparison
PeopleLooker doesn't get our lowest ranking, mostly because they do respond to customer complaints filed with the BBB and elsewhere. However, with no free or low-cost trial and no way to see any information prior to paying for a membership, this service ranks well behind its rivals who do both of those things. Choose a higher-ranked people search platform for a better overall experience.
CheckPeople is structured like most people finding services out there. Your first search is free, and you can begin with a first and last name or a phone number. We recommend using your own information as the first search, so that you can see how accurate (or not) the results are and decide if you want to use this platform for ongoing research.
Surprisingly accurate to start
When you enter your initial search, it'll take a little under two minutes to scan through the available records. CheckPeople says this includes social profiles, relatives, court documents and much more. We found that the preliminary information we searched was right on the money: it matched the identity with the individual's current and past cities, maiden and married names, and all of the adult members of the person's immediate family.
Answer further questions
From there, click on "Open Report" . CheckPeople runs another scan across social media networks (which takes another 30-60 seconds), lists likely relatives you can opt to include in the report, and then moves on to yet another report-building page (criminal records). We also spotted another sidebar that asked if we thought the individual ever had a DUI, hidden social media profiles, or a criminal past and to click yes, no, or "I don't know" for each question.
Shocking, embarrassing, and unfiltered?
CheckPeople warns you that the person you're profiling may have user comments that are "shocking" , "embarrassing" and "unfiltered" , including "multiple criminal records" containing the name you've searched. Notice that it doesn't say those records match the individual you're looking into - just that their name has matching criminal records. The whole point is to get you hooked, and CheckPeople does a pretty good job of it.
Takes a long time to run
To save your results, you'll have to enter your first and last name, plus your email address... aaaaaand then you still have to wait for more report sections to load as CheckPeople "sorts information into an easy to read & accurate report" . All in all, it took about 10 minutes before we were taken to the final page, where we had only 10 minutes to decide if we wanted to pay $4.99 for a three-day trial that would let us see that report. The checkbox at the bottom of the payment information clearly states that if the trial isn't canceled within the three-day period, the membership will continue at a monthly price of $29.16.
Costs
Horrible reputation with the BBB
Given the accuracy of the initial name match, we might have considered paying for that limited-time offer. Unfortunately, CheckPeople has a horrible reputation. It starts with the worst possible rating from the Better Business Bureau - an "F" - due to nearly 1,000 complaints filed and the BBB's subsequent concern about CheckPeople's business practices. Beyond that, the BBB listing references a 2020 ruling against CheckPeople in Los Angeles County that required this people search platform to pay $775,000 in fines for automatically charging customers for ongoing subscriptions without their consent. Super sneaky, CheckPeople...
False and fraudulent
It gets worse. Not only are people still being billed for charges they never authorized here, but we found multiple complaints from people who used CheckPeople to look up their own profile - and discovered false reports with serious charges. Individuals with nothing more than a speeding ticket in their history are coming up with arrest records, records of being the plaintiff in lawsuits, and even a history of battery and abuse! Even people who think they're signing up for a $1 trial - should be pretty low-risk, right? - find themselves being charged $6.95 for an unexplained "PDF fee" , charged $30/month and then unable to reach anyone to follow the instructions to cancel by phone, and so on.
Run, don't walk
Is it any wonder so many customers describe CheckPeople as a scam? There are legitimate, reliable people search platforms out there - but this isn't one of them. Don't waste your time on the preliminary search here, and just go directly to one of the more reputable services in our evaluation.
Those trials typically convert to a monthly membership unless you cancel first. As you might guess, some people search providers make that cancellation more difficult than others - or they make it less likely you'll realize that you're opting into a monthly plan with your trial. Be sure to read the fine print.
Another thing to watch out for is the difference between a basic people search and a comprehensive one. What you'll get with almost every platform's initial search is just the basics of phone, address, known relatives and email addresses. More detailed information like criminal records and property ownership will almost always require an upgraded plan, either as a one-off fee for each report you want to run in-depth or as an extra monthly fee.
If you're concerned about having your own personal information available to other people conducting searches, you've got one good reason to visit every people search site, even the lowest-ranked ones: removing your own data from their records. You'll usually find that function at the bottom of the site, worded as "Opt-Out" or "Do Not Sell My Information" . Typically, you'll either enter your information and perform a basic search (no paid membership required), then click on your matching profile to request that it be removed. Finally, expect to get a confirmation email; after you've clicked on the link in it, your info should be removed within 48 hours (though, in our experience, some sites had our results gone almost immediately).
When you're trying to choose among people search providers, they all start to look the same. Confused? Don't worry! You can use these criteria to decide which one to use:
To help you find out more about virtually anyone, TopConsumerReviews.com has evaluated and ranked the most popular people search providers available today. We're confident that this information will make it possible to track down a long-lost relative, learn more about your prospective love interest, or see what your high school classmates are up to!
Select any 2 People Search Providers to compare them head to head