The Internet makes its so easy to find all the information we could ever want right there at our fingertips. We have the ability to look up just about all the information we want about someone anytime. Some websites like Instant Checkmate are available to help do the work for us for a small fee. But are they really worth the price? Let's find out!
What is Instant Checkmate?
Instant Checkmate found at InstantCheckmate.com provides personal background information on individuals obtained from a large number of public databases. The company acquires information from local, state, and federal databases to create a report consisting of 30 different data points. The company was founded in 2012 in San Diego, California.
Instant Checkmate Features
Instant Checkmate creates two types of reports for its users. Users run unlimited searches and receive unlimited reports for one monthly fee. To start a search, all a user has to do is enter the first and last name of the person they want to look up in the search bar on the website. There is also an option to choose a specific state that the person you're searching for resides in or a choice to search all states. A search takes only a few minutes to complete. The company's reports feature the following data information:
- Standard Reports: includes first and last name, current and last known addresses, phone numbers, date of birth, any other persons living at the address, satellite images of properties, census data, potential relatives/spouses, marriage/divorce records, arrest/DUI records, traffic records, certain types of licenses, and any potential nearby sex offenders.
- Premium Reports: includes everything in the Standard Report plus civil judgments, owned properties/vehicles, corporate affiliations, voter registration, UCC filings, SSN issuance date, hunting/fishing/weapon permits, professional licenses, and potential neighbors and/or business associates.
How Much Does Instant Checkmate Cost?
Instant Checkmate offers several types of payment options. At the time of this review, the company offers a 5-day trial for $1 and premium reports are $19.99 each. A 1-month membership plan costs $22.86 and a 3-month plan costs $14.86 each month. Members can also choose a 6-month plan for the price of $9.86 per month. The company charges a one-time $1.99 fee for PDF files.
Pros:
See if You Like It For $1: You can test out the unlimited personal background reports for 5 days for only a dollar. If you don't like it, then you can cancel before the trial is up with no real hit to your wallet.
Run as Many Searches and Reports as You'd Like: Members are able to run and create as many standard search reports as they want for the one monthly fee.
24/7 Customer Service Help: Customer service representatives are on hand by phone or email if you forget your password, have trouble logging in, or need a question answered.
Cancel Anytime: Members can cancel their monthly plans at anytime for any reason. To cancel, members must log in to their account using the form on this cancellation page.
Excellent BBB Rating: Instant Checkmate has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. The company has made an effort to resolve as many complaints as possible to the customer's satisfaction.
Instant Checkmate Complaints:
May Not Get the Accuracy You Pay For: Many online complaints from consumers state that received reports were not entirely accurate. It's important to note that the company cross-checks its information with other databases. However, if both sides have inaccurate information then this cross-checking is pretty much useless.
Where's the Price?: The company does not provide any readily available information about its pricing plans upfront on its website. It's not until you run a search or you click on the website's Terms of Use that you get provided this information.
Premium Doesn't Mean Digging Up More Dirt: There is no guarantee that ordering a premium report will give you any more information than what is in the standard report.
Heavy on the Spam: Consumers have also complained that giving Instant Checkmate their email address and personal identification resulted in advertisers spamming them with emails and phone calls. Even if consumers cancel their membership plans, the company will still use their personal information. Customers must opt out manually on the website.
So Is Instant Checkmate Legit or a Scam?
Instant Checkmate is a legitimate company. The company offers unlimited personal background searches on individuals for a monthly subscription. The company's premium reports are probably not accurate enough for the additional price tag. Customers say the company spams telephone numbers and email addresses with repeated unwanted messages from affiliated advertisers.
Ultimately, the decision to use Instant Checkmate is up to you. If you don't want to do all the search work yourself, than Instant Checkmate is a suitable option to try out. Let me know your thoughts and experiences with Instant Checkmate in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you!
If you've enjoyed this review, you'll probably appreciate my SpyFly review as well.
Until next time,
Eddy with a y
Instant Checkmate
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Our Overall Rating
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Summary
Instant Checkmate is a legitimate background checking service. However the information provided isn't always accurate and there are complaints about spam.
Hi Eddy, thanks for the sharing this review about Instant Checkmate. It seems like the personal privacy is becoming less of a norm with the advent of technology which seems to be a bad thing in my opinion. I think there should be some control of this, or else it just going to be misused by certain people someday.
Like anything, services and products can be used for good or evil. Unfortunately it’s the nature of any consumer product nowadays. But I hear your concern. I had them as well when reviewing companies like this.
Well the product isn’t too expensive compared to what I’ve seen elsewhere. But you threw in one key points that steered me away from this one. IT is a legitimate company but I found a better on it a little bit more. All in all this was a great review and I will share it on Facebook.
Concerning the issue of privacy, I think this could be used for good purposes like when you are trying to find a lost relative. I always hear about those cases of brothers and sisters separated in childhood. Using these services or similar services could potentially help people with the search of their lost relatives. Thank you Eddy for the honest review and for clearly stating the strong and weak points of this service.
I've used instantcheckmate before...
Sup Eddy, I’ve used instantcheckmate before.. About a year ago, I found it to be useful. Yes they do search all public databases and combine them into a report for you. I however took advantage of their $1 trial and got the info I needed then just cancelled my membership. Yup! and thats all she wrote.
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Thanks for sharing your experience man. I appreciate it.
This was a very comprehensive overview of Instant Checkmate and I appreciate that you took the time to review it! There are occasions where I, or one of my friends, are in need of additional data on some of the individuals we come in contact with and this seems to be a pretty legitimate company.
How does Instant Checkmate compare to some other background check companies like BeenVerified or Intelius?
Jim
I haven’t looked into the other ones yet. But I’ll add them to my list of sites to review.
I lived in US before and I did background check before I do business with somebody. At that time, I will find some online credit check companies like Instant Checkmate for basic information.
To be honest, the most important thing will be accuracy of information since it is about credit and money. From your report, its quality is only 3/5, so I think they could not provide good quality service, because wrong information will lead to your further money loss if you have financial relationship with the guy you are checking. It is legit but in this kind of situation, I will not consider to use their service even very cheap.
The information is only as accurate as the source they’re getting it from. So it’s not necessarily their fault or lack of quality.