Background check companies are enormously popular these days. They retrieve publicly-available data on someone in a matter of minutes. If you tried doing it yourself, the process would take at least a handful of days.
Of course, not all information-retrieval companies are above board. Some are merely scams, providing information that a quick Google search would reveal. Others, however, are legit and provide real, valuable info.
Is PeopleFinders.com a scam? Or are they on the up and up and actually deliver on their promises? To help you answer those questions, we review the company and its various services.
The PeopleFinders – An Introduction
PeopleFinders has been in business for a very long time – 40 years, to be specific. They were founded in Sacramento, California in 1988. They claim to be a leading “DaaS” or Data-as-a-Service provider, a technical term for background-checking.
The company has an A+ business rating on BBB, a notable achievement. They have a solid, established web presence and can be reached easily on the phone. You don’t have to worry about PeopleFinders being a scam – they’re not.
According to PeopleFinders, they’ve run billions of searches in the past 40 years. They have one of the biggest public information databases in the US, not to mention they have built up quite a large info-sharing network till date.
The company tagline is “Find anyone, anywhere”. They claim to be able to connect you to anyone in the country. They also say they provide more accurate and comprehensive reports than the competition. We’ll see if it’s true.
The PeopleFinders – Services Offered
What sort of services does PeopleFinders.com have on offer? And how well do they do when pitted against their competitors? Let’s find out.
First, here’s an overview of PeopleFinders various services:
1. People Search
When most people use a background check services business, they’re looking for someone. It could be a lost friend, acquaintance, old flame, or relative. With the quick person search, they can find whoever it is they’re looking for.
With People Search, you can search through potentially 43 billion U.S. public records for contact information on your target. What kind of information? You could get phone numbers, full names, addresses, and more.
2. Background Check
A background check has always been the most thorough sort of check you can carry out on someone. It’s supposed to paint a clear picture of someone’s past and give you a good grasp of his or her personality.
With the Background Check service, PeopleFinders will pull up anyone’s contact details, phone records, property records, assets, criminal history, sexual offender status, and more.
The company claims its servers contain pre-culled profiles of over 250 million adults in the US, with data sourced from local, national, and occasionally private sources. Privacy implications aside, it’s [retty impressive if true.
3. Criminal Records
Before you decide to associate with someone further than having a passing acquaintance, it’s a good idea to verify their criminal background. This is especially crucial if they’re a potential love interest. With some people, you never know.
The Criminal Records check gives you an overview of a person’s possible criminal history. PeopleFinders will pull up information from a nationwide criminal database. You’ll be able to see someone’s minor as well as major transgressions.
4. Public Records
You probably know what public records are already, but here’s a quick reminder: They’re non-confidential documents about someone. They generally pertain to all government-related activities the person has ever engaged in.
What are examples of public records? Bankruptcies filed for, marriages and divorces registered, birth and death certificates, census data, assets, court cases, licenses, tax and liens, and criminal records are some common examples of public records.
Companies like PeopleFinders will find all public records related to the target person and share it with you.
5. Reverse Phone
Don’t know who’s calling you? You can use the Reverse Phone service to find out who the unknown number is linked to. The Reverse Phone Lookup service will be able to bring up the person’s name, address, and other pertinent info.
Reverse Phone services are popular. People often use them to find spam callers. Sometimes, people use them to see who their partner is always on the phone with. The service is also useful for parents looking out for their children.
The PeopleFinders – Pricing
So how much does PeopleFinders cost? That depends on whether you want to opt for a full membership or merely purchase an individual report. If you’re searching for info on multiple people, the full membership is cheaper.
For individual reports, the prices vary. A basic People Search or Phone Lookup costs you $1-1.95. A much more thorough Background Check will set you back by $39.95. Note that to download a report, you’re charged $.50 extra.
There are two memberships on offer, a PeopleFinders Membership and a PeopleFinders Premium Membership. Here’s a cost and feature summary:
1. PeopleFinders Membership – $9.95 for the 1st month, $24.95/month thereafter
- Phone numbers
- Addresses
- DOB
- Age
- Contact numbers
2. People Finders Premium – $9.95 for the 1st month, $29.95 thereafter
- Contact information
- Property records
- Bankruptcies
- Misdemeanors
- Public records
- Assets
They also offer a PeopleFinders Rewards add on. If you opt in, you get heavily discounted reports, assisted searches, discounts at local shops and stores, and a free monthly self-background check.
If you’re lucky enough to spot a promotion, you might be able to try out PeopleFinders for less than $3. The trial usually lasts for 3 days. You’ll be charged at monthly membership fee if you don’t cancel within the 3-day period.
Depending on what you opted for, you may still be charged for generating reports. Read the fine print carefully before agreeing to anything. PeopleFinders is good at luring people into paying extra. We don’t think it’s transparent.
Is PeopleFinders affordable? They charge about the market rate. They don’t have discounted quarterly or annual membership plans, though. We also don’t like they charge a 50 cent fee to download an already-purchased report.
Check out PeopleFinders’ alternative app TruePeopleSearch
Canceling a PeopleFinders Subscription
Canceling a PeopleFinders subscription isn’t hard, thankfully. Many similar services require you to contact customer care to cancel. However, with PeopleFinders, you can cancel just by logging into your account.
How do you cancel exactly? You’re supposed to login to your account with your registered email and password. In the “My Home” section, click on the “I would like to cancel my Membership” link and follow the prompts.
You can also contact customer care directly. If you send them an email, they respond within 2 or 3 business days, so be sure to contact them will in advance of the end of the membership term.
The PeopleFinders – Data Accuracy
Do you get what you pay for with PeopleFinders? Are their reports any good? From our research, PeopleFinders is surprisingly accurate. You’ll find what you’re after more often than not. That’s rare for a background-check service.
The company maintains one of the largest people’s record databases in the country. They have access to billions of current and historical records. Some of their information sources are pretty offbeat – like magazine subscriptions.
Of course, PeopleFinders isn’t perfect. Sometimes they’ll pull up records for a different person with the same name. At other times, the records they retrieve will contain factual errors. Occasionally, the information may be out of date.
On the whole, though, PeopleFinders offers one of the most accurate background-check services we’ve come across. Their reports are detailed and well-organized. In case the make a mistake, they’re also usually willing to offer up refunds.
The PeopleFinders – Customer Service
The PeopleFinders Company has a standout customer service, definitely one of the best we’ve ever encountered. Their team has a reputation for being polite, well-behaved, and attentive. They’re also knowledgeable and competent.
You can contact PeopleFinders customer care via phone 7 days a week. The number is (800) 718-8997. They’re available Monday to Friday, from 7AM to 6PM PST. On Saturdays and Sundays, the timing is 7AM to 3:30PM PST.
Alternatively, you can email them. They have a customer contact form on the official website. The final contact method is sending them a postal mail, though this is going to be slow and not recommended.
PeopleFinders does a great job of addressing customer grievances. It wins them many brownie points, both from us and their customers. They’re prompt and polite. Also , they aren’t stingy with the refunds, which we like.
How to Use PeopleFinders
Using PeopleFinders is simple and intuitive. You can choose to initiate a people search or any other offered service immediately. After the server retrieves the data for you, you can purchase an individual report or sign up for a membership.
If you choose to sign up for a membership, you’ll have to furnish your payment details. Once they verify your payment method, you can begin to run searches. Note that you may have to pay extra for some reports, like the background check.
At first, it may appear that PeopleFinders allows you to run an infinite number of searches monthly. However, note that there is a hidden search limit of 150. You will be charged extra if you happen to cross that limit. Beware!
You will have to cancel your membership manually. You will have to contact them if you want refunds or wish to close your account. You can also voluntarily opt out of their database.
The PeopleFinders Alternatives
How It Works
The PeopleFinders server checks publically available, digitized records for information about the target person. The information is retrieved and neatly laid out in a report for you. Note that they can’t check non-digitized sources like county records.
PeopleFinders is very good for casual searches like looking up people’s phone numbers. They also do a solid job of providing background reports, though these cost a pretty penny.
The PeopleFinders Breakdown – The Good, the Bad, and the Average
1. The Good
- Accurate reports: PeopleFinders is very accurate for an information provider. They do a bang up job of finding the people you’re looking for. Rest assured they’re one of the best.
- Android app: There’s a PeopleFinders Android app. It’s a convenient way to conduct searches, store reports, and access them readily later. Not to mention you can reach customer care easier.
- Customer service: The PeopleFinders customer care is excellent. They’re polite, well-mannered, and competent. You can expect a quick resolution of problems. You definitely won’t have to fight with them.
2. The Bad
- Not cheap: PeopleFinders isn’t cheap. Their reports can set you back by a lot, especially if you purchase multiple. Also, while they offer a cheap trial, their consequent membership plans are expensive.
- Lack of transparency: The business is cagey about the pricing. They make it easy for you to opt for additional services, like the “Rewards” add-on. They make you pay extra to download already purchased reports.
- Hidden search limit: Finally, they have a hidden limit on monthly searches. You can only carry out 150 searches per month. It’s not a threshold most users will cross, but it’s worth noting there’s a threshold.
3. The Average
- Website: Their website isn’t exactly memorable. We’re not saying it’s hard to use, but it’s not as slick or as polished as some of their competitors’. But we think their Android app makes up for it.
Our Verdict – You Get Your Money’s Worth
If you’re willing to fork up the cash, you’ll get your money’s worth with PeopleFinders. The company provides you with accurate information 9 times out of 10. When it doesn’t, they’ll give you a refund. Did we mention their awesome customer service?
Of course, PoepleFinders isn’t perfect. We don’t like their lack of transparency. And they don’t offer services like dark web scanning. But it’s by no means a deal breaker. We can honsetly recommend PeopleFinders.
