There are numerous reasons as to why you may want to complete a criminal background check. Perhaps you have a new boyfriend, maybe someone has moved onto your block, perhaps you have a new employee, and so on. Because these types of checks give people peace of mind, they have become incredibly popular. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, a lot of people are now also looking into whether they can complete them for free. While it is possible to do so, it is also important that you understand their limitations.
Potential Issues with Free Background Checks
Once you start to look at free background checks, you will have to be aware of some common problems. Those include:
- That it is almost impossible to determine whether you’re looking at the right person, particularly if they have a very common name. Only if you have their social security number will you be sure of their identity.
- That the information is often unreliable.
- That you don’t get any guarantee about the accuracy of the provided information.
Doing it Yourself Is Difficult
A lot of people decide that they don’t want to pay for a background check, but they don’t want to trust the free sites either. Hence, they perform the check themselves. While this is possible, it certainly isn’t easy. It would mean contacting each individual courthouse and police department to get the potential information. This can take a lot of time, unless you know exactly where the person you are interested in has lived before.
Why Paid Sites Are Better
Instead of doing it yourself or using unreliable free websites, you should try the paid ones instead. There are numerous paid services that complete these types of checks and, by and large, they are highly accurate as well as being affordable. You can get the information in almost an instant and you will be guaranteed that what you are presented with is both accurate, and complete. The only downside is that you have to pay for it, but the benefits might just outweigh that.
How to Find a Good Paid for Criminal Background Check Provider
If you agree that making a paid for enquiry is the best way forward, there are a few things you have to check so that you don’t end up paying for something that is fit for purpose. Check:
- That the check is done immediately after payment.
- That the check includes a search of the sex offenders register.
- That the search will cover at least 20 years and that it takes a national look.
- Which records are included, such as DUI, divorce and marriage, sentencing, etc.
Once you have checked this, all that is left is finding the one that offers the best value for money. Not all services are created equally and you need to find the one that offers exactly what you need. You will also have to decide whether you want to pay for a single search, or whether you want to start a membership for multiple searches.