Differences Between a Free Criminal Records Search and a Paid Criminal Records Search
The reasons why people want to do criminal background checks are numerous.
Some are for business reasons, and some are personal.
The personal reasons are often the ones that mean the most, because these checks usually come when something just does not feel right.
There are times when you just have to know certain information.
When you have decided that the free sources you have found and used have not given you what you need, you may decide it's time to pay for a service that will tell you if someone is hiding something from you.
Sometimes that gut feeling just won't go away, and that is something that should never be ignored.
Before you put up your money, think about what you are getting in return.
There are three types of criminal fee-based record services out there.
One is not really a service, but it does require a fee.
Some states have their information online for free, or the look up service that you have to call or write in for is free.
Other times, they charge money for the time it takes to look up the records.
In this case, the money goes to the state.
The other two types are usually independently owned and run.
One will allow you to pay a fee to access all of their information any time you wish, or you can pay a fee to access information just one time.
Usually the latter is the one that will cost less, but it might not yield any results.
Once you have paid, your money is gone, even if they mess up and can't find what you need.
If you pay the state for a one time search, you know what information you are getting for your money.
In many cases, this information will be valid and accurate, but there are times when something can be missed.
You will rest better when someone comes up clean, but at the same time, you may have the nagging feeling that something was missed.
If that is the case, you might want to wait a bit and then have them run a search for you a second time.
If you want to use a paid service, you have a few things to consider before you decide what type you want to use.
When you only have to search one person and you are fairly sure they have been in the same spot for most of their life, a one time fee to look them up might be okay.
However, if you don't know enough about someone to know if they have had legal or criminal problems in the past, how can you be sure you know where they have lived? It is hard to be sure, and that is when this type of paid search might backfire.
When you have decided that you wish to pay the one time fee, you might want to see what you get for your money.
Would they offer you a refund if they can't locate the name? What would happen if they found nothing, and then you go on to find that they missed the information? What if they gave you information for your fee, but it is obvious the search was run on the wrong person and therefore the information is wrong? Check through terms of use before you pay so you know what your options are in the end if you are not satisfied.
Many will say that if you want to do criminal background checks, you should go ahead and pay a fee for unlimited access to everything that that site has to offer.
This will mean that you can go back as many times as you would like and do as many searches as you would like.
Even if you are only looking up one person, unlimited access might still be the best deal.
Sometimes, states and other agencies are slow to put information into databases, and that means there may be a criminal record out there, but you haven't found it because it has been missing.
You may find it a few months down the road.
Though searching for everyone you know can certainly strain relationships unnecessarily, it is something someone should do when something doesn't feel right.
What you see as an invasion of privacy and a 'need to know' is up to you.
Once you start looking around, you may do so more often, and that certainly means a fee for unlimited searches is a much better purchase than a one time fee for one search on one person.
When it comes down to it, the choice is up to you.
Think about what you want to do and what information you really need.
You should then look around at different sites to see what they have to offer and what each service might cost.
That will help you decide what you should do and what would work best for you.
In the long run, a one time fee is definitely the most affordable option, but only you know what you need and what you hope to receive from the service.
Some are for business reasons, and some are personal.
The personal reasons are often the ones that mean the most, because these checks usually come when something just does not feel right.
There are times when you just have to know certain information.
When you have decided that the free sources you have found and used have not given you what you need, you may decide it's time to pay for a service that will tell you if someone is hiding something from you.
Sometimes that gut feeling just won't go away, and that is something that should never be ignored.
Before you put up your money, think about what you are getting in return.
There are three types of criminal fee-based record services out there.
One is not really a service, but it does require a fee.
Some states have their information online for free, or the look up service that you have to call or write in for is free.
Other times, they charge money for the time it takes to look up the records.
In this case, the money goes to the state.
The other two types are usually independently owned and run.
One will allow you to pay a fee to access all of their information any time you wish, or you can pay a fee to access information just one time.
Usually the latter is the one that will cost less, but it might not yield any results.
Once you have paid, your money is gone, even if they mess up and can't find what you need.
If you pay the state for a one time search, you know what information you are getting for your money.
In many cases, this information will be valid and accurate, but there are times when something can be missed.
You will rest better when someone comes up clean, but at the same time, you may have the nagging feeling that something was missed.
If that is the case, you might want to wait a bit and then have them run a search for you a second time.
If you want to use a paid service, you have a few things to consider before you decide what type you want to use.
When you only have to search one person and you are fairly sure they have been in the same spot for most of their life, a one time fee to look them up might be okay.
However, if you don't know enough about someone to know if they have had legal or criminal problems in the past, how can you be sure you know where they have lived? It is hard to be sure, and that is when this type of paid search might backfire.
When you have decided that you wish to pay the one time fee, you might want to see what you get for your money.
Would they offer you a refund if they can't locate the name? What would happen if they found nothing, and then you go on to find that they missed the information? What if they gave you information for your fee, but it is obvious the search was run on the wrong person and therefore the information is wrong? Check through terms of use before you pay so you know what your options are in the end if you are not satisfied.
Many will say that if you want to do criminal background checks, you should go ahead and pay a fee for unlimited access to everything that that site has to offer.
This will mean that you can go back as many times as you would like and do as many searches as you would like.
Even if you are only looking up one person, unlimited access might still be the best deal.
Sometimes, states and other agencies are slow to put information into databases, and that means there may be a criminal record out there, but you haven't found it because it has been missing.
You may find it a few months down the road.
Though searching for everyone you know can certainly strain relationships unnecessarily, it is something someone should do when something doesn't feel right.
What you see as an invasion of privacy and a 'need to know' is up to you.
Once you start looking around, you may do so more often, and that certainly means a fee for unlimited searches is a much better purchase than a one time fee for one search on one person.
When it comes down to it, the choice is up to you.
Think about what you want to do and what information you really need.
You should then look around at different sites to see what they have to offer and what each service might cost.
That will help you decide what you should do and what would work best for you.
In the long run, a one time fee is definitely the most affordable option, but only you know what you need and what you hope to receive from the service.
