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Spokeo Background Checks Review


ConsumersAdvocate.org Rating: 4.3 / 5 (Excellent)
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Spokeo is a background check website that aggregates information from sources like white pages, social media, and public records. The firm has been the subject of litigation for reporting inaccurate data and has been fined by the Federal Trade Commission for selling information to employers without following the standards set by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The company was founded in 2006 and is located in Pasadena, California.
 
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How is Spokeo rated?

Breakdown

4.5/5
Types of Background Checks
4.5/5
Report Quality
4.5/5
Reputation
4.0/5
Pricing
4.5/5
Customer Support

Overall Rating: 4.3 / 5 (Excellent)

Like many online background searches that return instant results, Spokeo cannot guarantee the accuracy or relevance of its results. In this case, inaccurate information reported on the site actually led to a lawsuit from an individual claiming the company's disregard for accuracy hurt his employment opportunities.

Despite being fined by the Federal Trade Commission in 2012 for marketing information to employers without following regulations set by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Spokeo continues to advertise themselves as a resource for businesses and offers three membership plans for employers. They do state that they are not FCRA-compliant on their website.

Customer reviews about the company tend to also be negative, with many alleging dubious billing practices and feeling duped into signing up for premium searches by promises of results that did not exist.

Users choosing Spokeo to conduct searches should take note of their auto-renewal billing and take into account that, even if they receive a notice that results are available upon signing up for a premium search, the site does not guarantee that they will have results and cannot vouch for their accuracy.

Spokeo Screening Details

Report Quality - 4.5 / 5

Spokeo's results are drawn from white pages listings, social media, and multiple public records sources. As with other background check sites that deliver instant results, the accuracy of its results is not guaranteed since they do not have investigators analyzing the data. Additionally, an overview of multiple customer review websites, show a number of complaints from customers who used the free search function on the site and who say they felt duped into signing up for a premium search. Many claim that, after doing a free search, they received a notice indicating that results were located and that these results would be available upon signing up for a premium search. However, once they signed up for the paid service, the search would either not return any results or return only vague, generic information.
Other Records
Social Media
Past Addresses

Spokeo Company Reputation

Reputation - 4.5 / 5

Spokeo has an A- rating with the Better Business Bureau; however, it has a long list of customer complaints and negative reviews on the site. An overview of other websites showed a large number of negative comments as well. Most complaints revolve around their billing practices, with many users claiming that paid for an individual search and yet they keep getting charged monthly. Other complaints involve their results. Many users claim that the site entices them to sign up by making it seem that results are available for the name they searched, only to find out, once they pay, that no results were available after all.

Key Reputational Facts

Year Founded
2006
BBB Rating
A+
Number of BBB Positive Reviews
4
Number of BBB Negative Reviews
35
Trust Pilot Rating
3.3 out of 10
Date Collected
2023-10-13

Certifications & Actions

Classified by FCRA as Consumer Reporting Agency
No
NAPBS Accredited
No

Consumer Litigation and Regulatory Actions

Spokeo is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit - Robins v. Spokeo - that has reached the Supreme Court. In it, the company is accused of harming an individual's job opportunities by reporting inaccurate information about him. The lawsuit alleges that Spokeo did not take sufficient measures to ensure the accuracy of the information.
In 2012, the Federal Trade Commission fined the company for marketing their services to employers without following the reporting standards set by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Spokeo Pricing

Pricing - 4 / 5

Spokeo has two pricing plans for individuals and three plans for businesses. For individuals, it offers what it calls a 3-month membership ("Moderate Users") and 1-month membership ("Casual Users"). Note that despite the name, the membership is not really for one month. It is an auto-renewable membership that charges the user's credit card every month unless they cancel. The 3-month membership will auto-renew at the end of three months as well.

Additionally, although the business plan pricing is described as results-driven, the membership options for enterprises are based on a monthly fee, which ranges from $39.95 to $119.95 depending on the maximum number of reports. These also auto-renew unless the user cancels.
Free Report
No
Monthly Subscription
Yes
Plan 1 Name
Moderate Users
Plan 1 Monthly Price
$0.00
Plan 2 Name
Casual Users
Plan 2 Price
$0.00
Plan 3 Name
Spokeo Enterprise
Plan 3 Price
$0.00
Annual Subscription
Yes

Company Profile

Full Name
Spokeo Background Checks
Company Website
https://www.spokeo.com
Headquarters
556 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Suite #101-179, Pasadena, CA, 91105

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