Intelius Review: Is This Background Check Service Legit?

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Intelius phone app on Samsung phoneWondering who’s calling you from unknown numbers? Has someone new entered your life in an important role, but you’d like to know more about them before you let them too close to you and your family? Using the power of the internet, Intelius makes it possible to access a treasure trove of information online. Here is our review of this leading site in the online background check space including features, pricing, pros, cons, and more.

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Intelius logo

What Is Intelius?

Intelius, USSearch, and their sister website Classmates, are all part of the larger Seattle-based company called People Connect, Inc. Their website indicates that the “companies were brought together to revolutionize an industry that’s filled with dark corners and reactive strategy.

The company claims that by combining the resources of all three sites, they can:

Shine a light into those dark corners and be the digital identity company that empowers consumers.

Leveraging Classmates gives the company a large volume of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) which it can then use to fill its database on Intelius and vice versa. Regardless of the reasons for their success, it’s all working, because they have quickly become a leader in the people search and background check space.

How Do Intelius Searches Work?

Upon visiting the site, you have the option to run a people search or reverse phone number or address lookup. After inputting the information, you’re taken to a page which shows some details about the person being queried. From there, any further information requires paying for one of the reports.

Intelius

8.4
Customer Service & Support 7.0
Pricing 9.2
Data/Intelligence 8.5
User-Friendly 8.8

Pros

  • Among the most affordable
  • Easy to navigate
  • Some employment data
  • Mobile apps for Android and iOS
  • Unlimited full background checks with subscription

Cons

  • No pricing available without considerable wait time and giving up your email
  • Pricing and trial options can be confusing
  • Sneaky pricing practices for “one-time report option”

Best Background Check Services

Alternatives To Intelius

Not impressed with this score? Our background check experts have reviewed nine of the biggest providers. Check out our best background check services showdown to discover our top picks this year.

6 Key Features

  1. Wide variety of search options
  2. Use to look up unknown people in your life
  3. Employment data available
  4. Mobile apps (Android and iOS) give you unlimited access to billions of public records on the go (and can screen incoming phone calls)
  5. Report accessible for 45 days
  6. BBB: A+ rating and accredited

Pricing

Be careful when you’re getting ready to order. They say they give you the option of a one-time report for $29, but if you look carefully, the pricing is actually per month. So you can end up signing up for a recurring subscription that you didn’t intend to.

  • $24.86/month for unlimited searches
  • $42.25 for 2-month subscription
  • Reverse phone lookup 5-day trial: $0.95 ($34.95 charged after trial every 30 days)

Consumer Feedback

Praise

My personal experience with Intelius is completely at variance with all these poor ratings. Intelius is an information search company, and they’re the best, period. Perhaps equally important, they have integrity. There was a small automated-payment misunderstanding, and they returned my money with no hassle. I think this kind of honesty is esp. Important in an area like this. Nobody can work miracles, but if the information is there, these people will have it. Five stars, definitely! – Bill H., Sitejabber 9/6/2017

I used Intelius to find someone I was looking for! I tried one other service but they didn’t have current information on that person. Intelius helped me find the person I was looking for so 5 stars. – Paul, Trustpilot 4/8/2016

Complaints

I signed up for 1 reverse phone look up for a fee of $0.99. Now I’ve been charged on my credit card 2 reoccurring monthly fees of $32.05 each. I did not sign up for a subscription. When I called to resolve this they would not credit the 2 charges. I threatened submitting a complaint online so they agreed to credit 1 of the $32.05 charges. This is an admission of they should never have charged these fees to begin with. Not happy that they will not refund all fees that I did not authorize. – Susie W., BBB 7/8/2020

The information in the background was not what I expected. It was useless and basic information I could have found via Google. In addition, after I purchased the ONE TIME report, Intelius scammed me and began charging my PayPal account for a monthly service which I intentionally did NOT sign up for. But somehow in their purchasing process they manage to slam your account with a membership and then start charging you. In addition to losing $29.95, it cost me time and headache of having to reset my PayPal account since I had to stop any future payment attempts by Intellius. This company is a scam!!!! – Barrett P., Trustpilot 5/15/2020

Our Personal Experience With Intelius

The results themselves were very accurate for what we expected from a consumer grade background check company. However, the pricing model with constant offers to “add this and add that” made it feel like a bit of trickery. It wasn’t fine print, but a more upfront tiered pricing solution would give customers the data they want without feeling like the dealership that just sold them a car with no floor mats.

Intelius Mobile App

Watch this quick video to see how their mobile app works for getting background info on the go.

More Background On Background Checks

Intelius provides very accurate information for an online search company. At the end of the day, companies such as Intelius give the consumer the power of information like never before, and while it may not be as accurate or as thorough as a private investigator, the convenience and ease make it an attractive option (just make sure you know what you’re paying for and don’t get caught in their sales trap). Learn more about how background checks work and read reviews from other companies in our background check comparison article.

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The information provided through this website should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease; it is not intended to offer any legal opinion or advice or a substitute for professional safety advice or professional care. Please consult your health care provider, attorney, or product manual for professional advice. Products and services reviewed are provided by third parties; we are not responsible in any way for them, nor do we guarantee their functionality, utility, safety, or reliability. Our content is for educational purposes only.

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