I have the same question...Can someone please weigh in? Should I use an online service?
www.assetregistryusa.com

As a Background Investigator myself, I dont feel electronic Background checks to be effective. All it will tell you is whatever SUBJECT has ever placed online in a forum ie.. Locations, Jobs, posting's, however may not be accurate as those posting's themselves have not been vetted.

dave

Multi-State (not really national) criminal records databases are very useful tools, but should NEVER be used as the sole source of criminal history records investigations (CHRI). Best practices combine the Multi-State database with a search of statewide criminal records in each state in which the candidate has resided within the past (5, 7, or 10) years. Equally important is the telephone interview conducted by the screening company (a respectful, professional and much different interview than the one conducted by in-house HR or hiring manager.)

I used a company in previous position called Backtrack. They are quick and effient, and you can choose your level of each area you want researched.

 

http://www.btscreening.com/employment.htm

Hi - I wrote about this recently -
http://www.sileo.com/employee-background-checks/
Hope it helps!

Hi this is public information. Depending where you are most Superior Court Websites have the information both criminal and civil, some have a fee, some don't. I find it useful in the 2 local counties I work in. You can look up the info yourself. Hope that helps.
Diane

I have experience actually as a court house records retriever for a national employee background firm and also for local private investigation firms. my biggest advice is this. You can never fully know how accurate records are unless you pull them yourselves. A lot of these so called background check websites online are rip offs. Anyone who has done investigations can tell you that there have been cases of the clerk of courts themselves not having up to date information online. Alot of states, counties, parishes and city courts have different records online and different times they update them. I'm not saying that an accurate background check cannot be done. To tell you the truth for the price you pay some website to check records for you that may not be up to date, you can hire a private investigation firm to do your employee checks for you.

I am a loss prevention investigator and I can tell you that a couple of the employees that I have taken out for theft in the workplace have had criminal records and even active felony warrants out for them when they were hired. And our background check companies missed the information we needed.