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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.
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.
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