Intelius is a leading provider of public data, with software that can help you perform background checks, look up criminal records, and conduct general people searches. Whether you need to complete a background check on a potential employee or need to find an address, background check companies can come in handy. But is Intelius all that it’s cracked up to be? By looking at the good and the bad, let’s find out if Intelius is the right software for you.
Comparing Intelius to The Best Background Check Companies
Unfortunately, Intelius didn’t make it onto our top list, as several other background check companies came out on top. However, after digging a little deeper, we found that Intelius does offer a few unique features to help quicken your searches or receive prompt customer support.
We reviewed dozens of background check companies on the market and narrowed it down to the top five:
- GoodHire – Best for Most
- Checkr – Best for Checking Gig Workers
- Asurint – Best Customer Service
- Sterling – Best for Criminal Records Checks
- HireRight – Best for International Companies
We looked at each option to see who it’s best for, what features to consider, and how to find the best option for your needs. Want to scope out all of your options? Read reviews of all our top picks here.
Intelius: The Good and The Bad
Just like for all background check companies on the market today, there will be good and bad features to consider. However, after extensive research, we found that many users avoid Intelius due to its seemingly deceptive practices. But before you make your decision, let’s take a look at both sides of the spectrum.
The Good
Extensive Background Check Capabilities: Background checks are helpful if you need to know more about someone, and Intelius offers quite an extensive background check feature. With an Intelius background check, you can find public information either by searching for someone’s name, phone number, or address—making it a lot easier for you to find the information you need with such a broad scope. When you initiate a background check with Intelius, you get access to a report which might include the individual’s criminal record, marriage and divorce history, any lawsuits they have been involved in, bankruptcies, and any liens against them.
The background check report may also include other basic information, such as full name, birthday, and address. Intelius also gives you the option to narrow down your search results by location to help you find who you are looking for in a much more timely manner.
Fast Pass Feature: If you are in dire need of information, Intelius might be able to help you with its unique fast pass feature. The fast pass allows you to skip the line and get right to your report without waiting for long periods. You also get access to unlimited searches and have dedicated customer privacy, so the people you are searching for are never alerted.
The fast pass feature gives Intelius users a way to receive an organized report in seconds, eliminating the time it usually takes to find or request the information that they need from government agencies or individual inquiries. With over 20 billion public records currently available, the Intelius fast pass feature may help you quickly and safely get the information you need while remaining completely anonymous.
Direct Customer Support: Unlike many other background check companies, Intelius offers a direct line of communication for its customer support team. When you arrive on the Intelius website, you will see a phone number for customer support in the top right-hand corner of the screen, and when you scroll down to the bottom, you will find a link to the Intelius help center email address for additional customer support.
Now, while Intelius offers a direct line for customer support, this doesn’t mean that it is helpful or even responsive. However, it is still a positive thing that potential customers have the option to contact the support team if needed.
The Bad
Inaccurate Reports: Even though Intelius claims that customers will receive reliable and comprehensive reports, many users found this to be untrue. We found a significant number of negative reviews that stated the information in the reports were either outdated, inaccurate, or a lot more basic than Intelius promised. For example, one user complained that they only received a current address, even though they paid for a complete report with a full background check.
Many users feel that they could have found the same information online for free instead of wasting time and money on a faulty report.
Deceptive Pricing: Many of the negative reviews we found were surrounding the concern of Intelius’ deceptive pricing practices. When you first visit the website, Intelius makes you believe you will be receiving a report for free. And while you can use its People Search and Reverse Phone Lookup service free of charge, it only provides you with age, location, and possible family members, which is generally rendered useless for many users looking for an in-depth report. In this case, you will need to pay for any additional information.
Many users felt that Intelius was purposely hiding its fees from the general public, and some reviewers even expressed that Intelius charged a completely different price than what they were originally meant to be paying.
Recurring Charges: While many complaints revolve around Intelius’ deceptive pricing, by far and large, the vast majority of negative reviews address recurring charges and unauthorized monthly subscription fees that are difficult to opt out of. Many users have labeled Intelius as a straight-up scam after realizing their $1.99 reports actually cost them a $30 monthly subscription that was not consented to. According to many users, Intelius has a misleading website that doesn’t advise users on its subscription service, and after doing a quick search of its website, most of the reviewers are right.
Intelius doesn’t disclose pricing anywhere on its website. But one reviewer stated they were told by customer support that the subscription information is mentioned at the bottom of the receipt in tiny print, meaning that even if you don’t see this, you are still technically consenting to the service. We also found a few reviewers who claimed they had declined the monthly subscription, but Intelius still took money out of their account and ghosted them completely.
Unresponsive Support Team: Because of the high number of recurring charges many users faced, we also found a high number of negative reviews regarding customer support. Many users reached out to Intelius’ customer support team after having a poor experience and either heard nothing at all or were told that they weren’t able to be refunded. One user sent out three emails to the Intelius customer support team, but the user never heard back from a representative. On the other hand, another user found that customer service representatives were rude and gave no options to cancel their subscriptions, even when most of the memberships were unauthorized.
Some of these poor reviews date back to 2011, which is concerning and isn’t a good look for Intelius’ customer support team.
Intelius Pricing and Options
While Intelius doesn’t openly disclose pricing on its website, we found quite a few pricing comparisons and reviews. Here’s a quick overview of what we found:
- Intelius People Search — $3.95 per report. Includes phone numbers, address history, age and date of birth, and relatives.
- Intelius People Search Plus — $9.95 per report. Includes everything in basic, plus social networks and email addresses.
- Intelius Background Check — $49.95 per report. Includes criminal records, marriage and divorce history, lawsuits, bankruptcies, and liens.
- Intelius Reverse Phone Lookup — $4.95 per report. Includes landlines, listed and unlisted numbers, and cell phones. It also can include phone type, owner name, and address.
- Intelius Premier — $19.95 per month. Includes unlimited searches for anyone planning to generate background checks on a regular basis.
These pricing tiers seem to corroborate many user reviews. However, within Intelius’ terms of use section, it does offer two membership plan pricing options, including:
- Unlimited Person Reports Membership 1 — $42.25, renewed every 60 days.
- Unlimited Person Reports Membership 2 — $24.86, renewed every 30 days.
Intelius Reverse Phone Lookup
Alongside background checks, criminal records, and people searches, Intelius also provides a reverse phone lookup service. If you want to know the person or business associated with the number that keeps calling your phone, Intelius might be able to assist with this process.
When you perform a reverse phone lookup search with Intelius, its comprehensive data engine will produce a confidential and complete report. The report will usually include, when available, the owner’s name, address history, age, possible relatives, phone type and carrier, and the location associated with the number—no matter if it’s a cell phone number, a landline, or a business number.
Whether you’ve been receiving multiple calls from a mysterious number or if you want to confirm who a caller is, the Intelius reverse phone lookup may help you do just that. As a service with quick results, you will be able to learn more about the number that keeps calling you, stay informed, and don’t miss out on important calls within a matter of minutes.
According to many price comparisons and reviews, Intelius’ reverse phone lookup service starts at $4.95 per report.
Intelius Reverse Address Lookup
Do you want to learn more about the current owners of your home without contacting the real estate agency? With Intelius’ reverse address lookup service, you might be able to do just that.
A reverse address lookup with Intelius could provide you with the details you want to know about a specific address and the people who may live there. Just like any public records search, the Intelius reverse address lookup service extracts public information to form a detailed report on a particular property.
Finding a property owner through Intelius is a simple process. All you have to do is enter the full address, and then the Intelius software will begin to scan thousands of public records that are currently available and relevant to the location.
To view an Intelius reverse address report, you will need to be a member. Once you are a member, you will be able to view the available information in an easy-to-navigate online interface. Most of these reports will often include information about current and previous property owners, as well as other general details about the property.
Intelius’ reverse address lookup service seems to be one of the more comprehensive reports you can purchase, as there are many details Intelius can include if available. Some of these details are:
- Location details — including street, city, country, county, zip code, location type, mailing status, congressional district, and latitude/longitude.
- Possible past residents — including name, age, and dates first and last seen.
- Possible neighbors — including full name, age, and address.
- Ownership history — including current owner, floor plan, property value, assessed value over time, former owners, and deed information.
- Census information — including total households, average house value, persons per household, and income per household.
- Additional information — including crime statistics, community demographics, and nearby sex offenders.
You will have to contact the Intelius customer care team for specific pricing.
How Intelius Ranks
Unfortunately, Intelius doesn’t rank on our top list at all, and for good reason. Many other background check companies offer helpful ways to search public records without negative reviews.
Here is a short overview of the top background check companies.
Overall, even though Intelius does offer unique features for background checking, such as the fast pass, and while the option to directly contact customer support may be beneficial to some, it’s safe to say that the negative reviews that surround it are overwhelming.
Intelius’ deceptive pricing practices with hidden fees and recurring charges are simply unacceptable. If you want to use Intelius, we would recommend proceeding with caution.
