PeopleFinders Review: Is It Legit? How Can I Opt Out?

Want to learn more about a potential business partner or significant other? Or are you searching for a long-lost relative or friend? Perhaps you simply want to know what information about yourself and your family is accessible to others online. PeopleFinders is a tool that might help. As with any people search website or online directory, there are a few things to know first. I took a closer look and share my experience with PeopleFinders people search tool.

This people search and background check site is one of many you’ll find online. It offers both free and paid services. Is PeopleFinders worth it? I have used PeopleFinders to locate people successfully and have gone through the process of removing personal information from the site. I give you the lowdown to help you decide if this is your best option.

Visit PeopleFinders’ Website

Consumer Reviews

This is the aggregate score of reader reviews we’ve received on PeopleFinders. Have a good or bad experience with PeopleFinders? Feel free to leave your own review in the comments. Please note that only PeopleFinders ratings with valid review content will be published and counted.

What Is PeopleFinders?

PeopleFinders is a people search tool that scans millions of public records and other online sources to build custom background reports. These U.S. records have been filed or recorded by local, state, and federal agencies and are available to the public.

Instead of spending hours upon hours going to courthouses and agencies to physically search all of these records, sites like PeopleFinders make it easy to find them in one place.

You can search for anyone in the U.S. by name, city, and state, and it’s all done anonymously. PeopleFinders doesn’t notify the person that you’ve run a search on them. This is something that many people worry about when looking up someone online.

Along with searching for people by name, the site offers a list of names by letter that people can look through and click on to find information. There is also a state list, which allows users to work through specific cities and streets to select addresses and then see who has been associated with that address for the last several years, in some cases, decades.

While you can use PeopleFinders for a variety of reasons, the site explicitly states that it’s not to be used for employment, household worker or professional service provider screening, credit eligibility, education or scholarship eligibility, tenant screening, or related purposes covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

7 Things You Can Search For

You can use PeopleFinders to research:

1. Lost family and friends
2. Neighbors, associates, new acquaintances
3. Dating and relationships – look someone up before meeting them in person
4. Unknown callers and emails
5. Potential customers or business associates
6. Online sellers and buyers
7. Check the record they have on you (and remove it if you like)

Different Ways To Search PeopleFinders

PeopleFinders offers different ways to search. I tried out the different search methods to see what kind of information I could find. These included searching by full name, last letter of a person’s name, a full address, or by city and street.

Full Name Search

The most common way most people use PeopleFinders is by utilizing the full name search. Search results allow you to look at information such as location, age, and family members to find the individual you are searching for.

Last Name Search By First Letter

Searching by the first letter of a person’s last name is another search method. This is helpful if you only have limited information about the person you seek, such as a full or last name.

Search By City & Street

This search tool allows searchers to look at addresses and people by street. This could be useful if you are trying to locate a specific address that sent you mail, where someone lives, or are investigating the history of a home you are considering renting or buying. I was able to use this tool to locate the direct address of someone I needed to contact, as well as information for a very helpful roommate.

6 Key Features

1. Ability to search 43+ billion property, historical, business, consumer, and court records
2. Anonymous searching
3. The company has been in business for over 30 years
4. Enterprise data-as-a-service (DaaS) solutions for small and medium-sized businesses
5. Customer support via phone and email 7 days/week
6. Background reports can include:
   • Names & aliases
   • Relatives and other known associates
   • Current and historical phone numbers (phone type, carrier, etc.)
   • Addresses
   • Email addresses
   • Criminal records (arrests, trials, convictions)
   • Marriages and divorces (available only within certain date ranges and only from specific states)
   • Birth records
   • Property records
   • Foreclosures
   • Bankruptcies, liens, and judgments

Mobile App

PeopleFinders also offers a mobile app for both Android and iPhone that offers search services as well as data monitoring and security for cell phones. Services available on the app include name, phone, address, and email search; comprehensive reports; auto call blocking for spam calls; extended contact info; auto scans of incoming calls; monitoring of hacked accounts and stolen photos; and the easy sharing of reports.

Pricing

There is no PeopleFinders free trial, as many basic functions are free. A 3-day PeopleFinders trial is $0.95 for basic people search functions and $3.95 for full background checks. Payment is accepted from all major credit cards but no other online payment services or apps. Cash, cash apps, or checks are not accepted.

Subscriptions

• PeopleFinders Membership: Introductory month $9.95/month, after that $24.95/month (150 searches that include current and past contact info, reverse phone lookups, addresses and phone numbers, AKAs, age, relatives, and associates)
• PeopleFinders Premium Membership: Introductory month $9.95/month, after that $29.95/month (400 searches that can include addresses and phone numbers, email addresses, AKAs, age, family members & associates, assets & properties, business records, professional licenses, public records, deceased indicator, social media records, arrest records, criminal records, misdemeanors & felonies, registered sex offender check, warrants & police records, nationwide court records, evictions & foreclosures, bankruptcies, liens & judgments, and speeding tickets)

One-Time Purchases

• $1.95 people search
• $3.95 reverse phone lookup
• $39.95 background report
• View all options

Enterprise Solutions

• Enterprise Solutions plans pricing can vary. Plans include 1,000 to 5,000 searches per month. You must contact the company to set up these memberships.

Is PeopleFinders Legal? Is It A Scam?

Searchers often ask, “Is PeopleFinders legal?” I can clear that up. It is legal, Peoplefinders is legit, and it is not a scam to address two other big concerns potential users have. The company does provide legitimate information. However, some users may feel scammed or report it as a scam if that information is basic or publicly available. Some users also report recurrent charges after a one-time purchase or unknowingly signing up for a membership, thinking it was a one-time offer. Reading the small print and membership agreement is a must to avoid these recurrent charges.

So, while PeopleFinders is not a scam or illegal, it is not a site that works for everyone or gets them the results they want. Many users ask, is PeopleFinders safe to use? It is, but as with all search sites, it should be used with caution.

My Personal Experience With PeopleFinders

I have used PeopleFinders several times to locate family members. In my experience, it was a helpful tool. In one instance, I had been out of contact with distant relatives for a long time, several years, but needed to contact them in a probate matter. I was the administrator of another relative’s will and estate. I needed to locate specific people to fulfill that obligation, even though it had been years since we had contact. One of the people I was searching for had changed their name, which complicated the process.

I paid for a few individual searches on PeopleFinders. The cost was minimal, and I was able to run them on different names, which was convenient since I was trying to locate more than one person. Once I got the reports, I was able to use some of the information to contact one individual. The other took more time and a few more searches since their name had changed, and they moved around a lot.

The information I got from the search was very helpful and sent me in a direction I may not have looked at otherwise. I can say that, in my experience, using this service directly assisted me in locating people I had limited information on. When I tried this, the PeopleFinders site was easy to use and had several search methods. This was of great assistance to me, as in one case, I had an address but was unsure of the current name of the person I was seeking. I was able to use the address information to find names associated with it and then search for those names. PeopleFinders helped put the puzzle pieces together.

While some of the information is publicly available, when using the paid search, I was able to access much more. If I had to use the site for more regular searches, I would likely opt for a monthly plan, as it can get costly to run each search, and there are some benefits to having the membership.

Consumer Feedback

Praise

I called to cancel my subscription. The customer service representative was extremely professional, informative, and just plain nice. Not only did he help me cancel my subscription but he noticed that I have not used it for an entire month so he credited that month of non-use back to my credit card. My experience with this gentleman could not of been better. – John M., Trustpilot 6/04/2020

I have been dealing with Peoplefinders for the last seven years. On the rare occasion that I have to call customer service, I have always been treated with a high degree of professionalism. Unlike many customer service departments, they have always been very helpful and each and every time, they have solved whatever issue I was calling about. To the customer service department at PeopleFinders: Thank you for being there. – Paul H., Trustpilot 5/27/2020

Complaints

Yes, they emailed me the report I requested about a person, but the whole “report” only listed an old address. NOTHING else. Someone I know used another site and received a lot of info about the same person. Because peoplefinders have been around a long time, I went to them thinking there would be more info available. TOTAL RIPOFF! I called the company to complain and a very nice person there said that’s “all” they had in “their” files and that I’d be refunded. Additionally I called the fraud unit of my bank and credit card as well. – Sandra C., BBB 2/12/2020

I am normally very careful about paying for any online service but this company really gives you nothing worthwhile for your money. Simple things that should have been easy, they apparently just skip anything that isn’t publicly available. I could’ve done as well. Very misleading, cant imagine how someone could get enough info to be safe if one was pre screening a date, really this is a pathetic excuse of a business. – Sheldon T., Sitejabber 10/18/2019

How To Opt Out Of PeopleFinders

If you are like me and don’t want your information on PeopleFinders, you will be relieved to find out it’s fairly easy to remove. On their main screen, scroll down to the bottom menu. Click on “Do Not Sell My Info” under Help. The opt-out page takes you through the steps with screenshots and a very brief video to show you how to remove your information from PeopleFinders. They say to allow up to 48 hours before everything gets removed. I followed this process, and my information was removed within 48 hours.

You also have the option to sign up for free identity monitoring rather than removing your information. This requires signing up for a PeopleFInders account, which may be more than some people want to do. I chose to remove my information as I have other identity monitoring services and would prefer my personal information to stay private.

Our Final Verdict

Visit PeopleFinders’ Website

I have tested and used many people search sites and find PeopleFinders to be one of the easiest and quickest to use. Unlike some other sites, PeopleFinders also gives you a decent bit of information for free, including age, aliases, some city/state residence history, and relatives/associates. This is important because it can help you know you have the right person before forking over your money for a full report.

Additionally, the site does remove people when requested. I personally tested the PeopleFinders removal process and can report that the requested information was removed after 48 hours. The information has not been restored to the site to date, which is another positive, as some other sites will repost information after a certain time. Even if you never plan to use the search tool, people who prefer not to have their personal information shared will be relieved to know that once removed, it stays off the site.

PeopleFinders also gives you plenty of purchasing options and a 3-day trial for a minimal fee (you just have to cancel before they start charging you). Many similar services require you to sign up for a subscription. That’s optional with PeopleFinders.

Want to see how PeopleFinders compares to similar sites like Spokeo, Intelius, or TruthFinder? Read our reviews of the best background check services to see what other sites have to offer.

What are you planning to use PeopleFinder for? Let us know in the comments!