Posted: May 13th, 2012
The "Intelligent" Truth About Public Records Sites
Intelligent-Consumer.com sets the record straight about which Public Records sites you can trust and which ones are Scams.
Dear Consumer,
If you know where to look, the Internet makes it simple to track down almost anything about anyone! Just find the right website and in a matter of seconds you can pull up anyone's Public Records, such as:
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But all the sites that appear in a search for "Public Records" are not created equal. In fact, most are not what they claim to be!
Most of the databases out there are not as large as they claim to be; many are outdated and inaccurate; some sites claim to have customer support when all you get is a robotic voicemail; and while many claim Satisfaction Guaranteed, they couldn't be further from "satisfying."
But it's the sly tricks that are the real topic of this article. While many sites offer a free search or a free full background report, after clicking the search button all you see is a credit card form. You'll just get duped and lose a lot of time trying.
What's worse, you don't realize the person you're searching for doesn't exist in the database UNTIL AFTER you've paid for the service.
How To Spot The Scams:
- If the public record finder site claims to be 100% accurate, they're lying! No site is 100% accurate and here's why:
- For instance, if James Jones just moved to a new state, it'll take time for public records databases to update his records from government agencies, banks, and other private sources.
- While some sources update in days, others take weeks, and some only update annually.
- If the public record finder site claims to be free, they're lying! Very few are advertiser supported, so they must rely on subscribers to pay for the server upkeep, database administrators, and data feeds.
Results May Shock You!
Intelligent-Consumer.com has tested dozens of public records sites, and we have posted our honest results below. While we do receive compensation from some—but not all—of the sites we recommend, we purchase all of the products we test and do not accept free test samples. You may read our full compensation disclosure here.
What was AMAZING to us was how inconsistent results were! After signing up for memberships and searching for known family, friends, politicians and celebrities, at least 7 out of 10 sites could not locate any public records... anywhere!
The good news: The 3 sites below all have solid reputations and positive customer feedback. They will save you time and money and get you the most accurate public records, hands down. Here they are, in order of rank:
#1 Net Detective
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Click Here To Visit |
Net Detective simply outperformed the rest in our tests. We can confidently say Net Detective has all you need to become your own Internet Detective. You can't really go wrong with a 90 Day Money Back Guarantee (no questions asked!). Plus there are some great extra features not found in the other sites: How-to Articles, a Free Identity Theft Kit, and more. |
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#2 Background Searcher
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Click Here To Visit |
The name says a lot: Background Searcher is a solid tool for locating anyone anywhere in the U.S. It doesn't have all the added features or size of database when compared to Net Detective, but with a money back guarantee and unlimited searches we feel this online service deserves a spot in the top three. |
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#3 Complete Detective
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Click Here To Visit |
While not quite as deep as Net Detective, Complete Detective does tend to be accurate compared with most, and, well, complete! You'll want to play around with their background wizard for more advanced public records searches, but be prepared to lose a few hours of your life. This is addictive! |
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