Instant Checkmate Reviews
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About Instant Checkmate
Instant Checkmate is one of the leading public records search tools on the internet, providing instant access to millions of documents. Instant Checkmate’s information is generated by searching public records that include federal, state, and county databases and compiling them all into one report. Users can look up addresses, phone numbers, social media profiles, driving records, arrest records and more. Just enter a name and state to start your search.
- Unlimited reports with subscription
- Detailed reports
- Easy to use
- Use 30 data points for reports
- Not a traditional background check
- Subscriptions automatically renew
Instant Checkmate Reviews
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- 4,880,395 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.
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- We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
- Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.
Reviewed Oct. 2, 2014
I can look locally for sex offenders but was nice that you have this feature as I'm not usually thinking about looking that up and it was here which made it convenient.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating! We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find our more about the people living in your neighborhood.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Oct. 1, 2014
I was searching the background of someone I am dating. There were certain aspects advertised such as marriage records and arrest records, et cetera and when I paid the one month membership fee to have access, I did not receive anything except his address, people he was associated with such as family members, and horoscopes! What?!?!? I want my money back. This is not what was advertised at all! I can't even find the order number on my account settings to even include in this message. I am very dissatisfied!
Hi Mia,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Oct. 1, 2014
We would like to see the dates of the locations they have lived at.
Hi Nakia,
Thanks so much for your feedback and positive review! The reason you're unable to see dates of the locations is because we obtain our data from public records sources, so we are only able to display these records as they are provided to us.
If you ever have a another question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980. Thank you again for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Oct. 1, 2014
I decided to try Instant Checkmate back in May. I discovered that it did not quite have all of the information that I was looking for and did not have updated and accurate information in some instances. I used the link they have at http://instantcheckmatecancel.com and filled out the short form for cancellation. I even went in and tried to access my account after I used this to make sure my account was cancelled. My username and password no longer worked and I was under the impression my account had been cancelled. I recently was looking over a credit card bill in which I rarely do simply because I pay it with auto-pay only to discover that Instant Checkmate was still charging me for services and had been since June!!!
I called their customer service and she informed me there was no record of me cancelling but that the account shows no activity since late May!! I told her that was due to me being under the impression that it was cancelled as the website had informed me! I have never been so upset in my life. I had to contact my credit card company and report these fraudulent charges. Then the rep told me I had to email Instant Checkmate support to try to get my money refunded! This should not be a question. If the short form link does not work, that is not my fault - they shouldn't have the website available. I wonder how many people this has happened to! I am hoping they do the right thing and refund my money. If not I will let them fight my credit card company over it. RIDICULOUS. I am very, very, very disappointed.
Hi Joni,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 30, 2014
Beware before you sign up as a refund process does not exist. I ran myself to see how good the product was and found listings for arrests that never occurred. Unfortunately you have to give your credit card information prior to getting the results.
Hi Leonard,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 30, 2014
Would not accept my information to upgrade. :(. I am happy though with your services and would recommend.
Hello,
Thank you for reaching out to us to let us know about the issues you experienced. We sincerely apologize for any technical problems that occurred when you tried to upgrade, and we will contact you as soon as possible to walk you through the problem.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 30, 2014
Renew subscription. Like the program.
Hi Carmelo,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 30, 2014
After my sister was attacked in her dying fiance's hospital room by her fiance's psycho daughter, I signed up for a ONE MONTH membership at Instant Checkmate to see if she had any priors we could nail her on if we pressed charges. Imagine my surprise yesterday when I checked my paypal account to see that I had been billed for THREE MONTHS!!! Somehow, I was supposed to magically know to scroll down to the bottom of the page and NOTICE that if I did not contact Instant Checkmate after the first month, they would continue to bill me...every month.... Now, how is THAT a ONE MONTH MEMBERSHIP??? First, they only wanted to give me 1/2 of a month's fee back.... Then they agreed to one of the two months they ripped me off for. Because I am a good person and did not want the young man on the other end to hear me curse for another 15 minutes, I let it go at that. But....that is ridiculous! If I ask you for a one month membership, GIVE me a one month membership and stay the hell OUT of my bank account!!! Total BS!
Hi Kathleen,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 30, 2014
This website is nothing more than a scam. Be sure to read the agreement thoroughly when you sign up for the 5 day trial, as they will be charging your account $30 after it expires, unless you call and cancel. Didn't even get my $30 worth. Don't waste your money here. Information is either inaccurate or very limited. Most profiles include no more information than what you can get by doing a Google search.
Hi Mackenzie,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Oct. 15, 2014
Instant checkmate resolved my concerns. Would recommend.
Original Review: Sept. 30, 2014
This site gave me NO information...I found way more information on my own! Furious that I paid for this garbage report that gave me NOTHING.
Hi Krista,
We’re really sorry to hear that you weren’t happy with your report. Our developers are always working hard to integrate current data into our reports, but due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record,” some reports may be incomplete for people living in certain counties. We apologize, and will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 29, 2014
I have ran reports on convicted felons who appear "clean" in your system. Most of the information on your site is easily available through Google.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for getting in touch with our member care team. While we’re sad to learn you weren’t happy with the service, we’re glad they were able to get that issue taken care of for you. If you would like further assistance, please contact our member care department at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 29, 2014
These reports are outdated and inaccurate. I feel like I've wasted my money. So far this site is 0 for 2 and I'm really disappointed.
Hi Iris,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 28, 2014
The gentleman I talked to was very helpful and considerate. The kind of employee I would want.
Hi Larry,
We’re so happy to hear that our member care team was able to assist you. If you ever have another question, or need help with our website, we are standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help! You can reach us directly at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 28, 2014
Only reason I signed up for this was to get the arrest record for my nephew. I know he has been arrested, just not sure why. Glad I only paid 1.00 for a trial, which I'll be cancelling later today. Other than arrest info, everything else was helpful and correct.
Hi Brenda,
We’re really sorry to hear that you were unable to obtain certain details about your nephew's past. Our data providers are always updating their information, but some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually, which can create gaps in our data. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 27, 2014
Buyer beware - disclaimers on every page might protect them but - they still may be breaking the law or we need new laws that need to be enacted. They want to sell information about me that may or may not be true. But, when I ran a search for myself, I cannot find an option to see what they would report!
Hi Greg,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 27, 2014
I have to enter my log in info at least three times before the site opens up. Very frustrating.
Hi Nancy,
Thanks so much for reaching out. We sincerely apologize for any technical difficulties you experienced when trying to log in, and we will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Oct. 5, 2014
I contacted this site because I had a problem with a background check. The response from the team was extraordinary. They resolved my problem immediately with a very courteous, friendly manner. I am very satisfied and changing my past star review to excellent. I now would recommend this service.
Original Review: Sept. 26, 2014
I ran a background check on myself. I was very disappointed. The personal information that came up about me was WRONG! The ALIAS it has me listed under has totally NEVER been used. My snapshot came up for the other person. It includes WRONG information about me. I just ran a report on my sister and it then lead me to a question that my MOTHER may have a criminal record. UNTRUE!~!!!!!!! I wish I never joined this and am immediately discontinuing your services. I feel like I should get a refund. I am telling all my friends who use background checks not to use you.
Hi Barbara,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Oct. 13, 2014
Thank you for the quick action, Instant CheckMate. Instant CheckMate was prompt to respond to my grievance and we came to a quick and agreeable solution. I will consider them for future needs, just not what I needed right now.
Original Review: Sept. 26, 2014
My first, so far only search was on myself. The info provided was skimpy, with many non-matching "finds" (people who were not me). I chose my profile, with my address and proper info, and still got a list of people who were not me, even the wrong sex. And to get the complete info I have to pay MORE!!! Really not happy. Now I'm trying to search someone else, and the page just sits there. Website problem? Who know. I'm not sure this was a good choice. At this point, I won't be recommending Checkmate.
Hi Jeanne,
Thanks for reaching out to let us know about your recent experience. We're really sorry that you experienced problems when trying to view your report. A senior member of our team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 25, 2014
They just stuck me for $22.86 to get less information than I already had and then wanted another $19.95 to get the information I probably have that I got for free searching on the internet. My advice to anyone using this site is if you need to know someone's birthday then send them $22.86.
Hi Michael,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 25, 2014
I sign up and avail the 22 dollars fee and it says go to my email and confirm but I NEVER RECEIVED ANY CONFIRMATION just to find out they already deducted my bank times 3 for 65 dollars and it clearly states that it is deducted by Instant Checkmate. I called the customer service of Instant Checkmate and the representative said they don't have any record of my name even my email address and he can't view or search the description of transaction that I have from my bank! It's ridiculous!!! After a month I received the email of Instant Checkmate in my spam folder. I tried accessing it but I can't view it cuz it says I have to pay again to view the report!!!! So see? I don't have even received any confirmation about the fees they deducted in my card. I should have accessed it already if they are legit and not tricking people.
Hi Julie,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 25, 2014
It's a gimmick. Most of the reports are wrong, and "premium" reports are $20 more... Just a rip off.
Hi Joel,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 27, 2014
I was contacted by Instant Checkmate and they have agreed to issue me a full refund.
Original Review: Sept. 24, 2014
I thought it would be interesting to see if they had accurate information on me or my family members. They did not. The only marriage information for my father, who has been married to my mother, is to me. Let me repeat that, it says I am married to my father. It also did not have any arrest information on several individuals that I know have an arrest record. Do not waste your money. It is a pain to cancel, you have to call, as the website does not work.
Reviewed Sept. 24, 2014
I signed up for a special 5-day offer for $1.00. They sent me receipts for 2 charges at different times. Also signed me up for auto monthly payments thru PayPal. Again I was charged 2 times and for the amount of $29.63 per month each time. Have 2 different order numbers. Plus...never received access to the information... Kept getting the sign up page each time. Please assist me in this. This seems like one big scam!!! Profile #1=**; Profile #2=** with Instant Checkmate. T.Y.
Hi Barbara,
Thanks so much for reaching out to us to let us know about your recent experience. We sincerely apologize for any technical difficulties that occurred during your search, and we want you to know that we're committed to making things right. We will contact you privately to get this issue resolved as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 24, 2014
Huge, huge rip-off... If you're considering this service, don't. There's nothing in the reports that can't be found Googling around. They got my money. Hopefully you'll read this review and save yours!
Hi Robert,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 24, 2014
I am furious. I took forever running a specific people search, finding out the cost for membership, getting a special offer, signing up for membership, only to receive phone number and address for the person (which I can get from the Whitepages for free) and if I wanted more I would have to pay for "Premium Data." Premium Data was all I wanted to begin with: background check, address history, legal document, court records and of course email and social media... What a waste of my time. Don't bother - there are plenty of legit sites that get you the information you want without all the smoke and mirrors.
Hi Victoria,
While we try to provide our members with as much information as possible in our standard reports, we can’t show everything because some records are simply more expensive to access. Therefore, we must charge a one-time fee to compile premium reports for our users. I want to sincerely apologize for your frustrating experience. A member care manager will be in touch shortly to help you.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 24, 2014
So much missing info and wrong info. People that I know have criminal arrest, report says no. Compare all marriage/divorce records for the few that show one and they all say 2012. I didn't find any with correct phone numbers??? And to get all information in the advertising you have to pay more money to access.
Debbie,
We're really sorry to hear that you had a bad experience on our site. Our data is obtained from public records and various other records sources. We are always working with our data providers to get the best information possible, but as our Disclaimer states, there are some cases in which the information may not be 100% accurate due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record.” We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences you experienced, and we will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 24, 2014
I tried using Instant Checkmate for background checks and was not satisfied with the results so I cancelled the subscription per website instructions. It ended up costing me around four bucks. No problem. Until . . . . The next week I received an urgent e-mail from my credit card bank that there were possible fraudulent charges on my account and they were canceling the account. I asked what charges triggered the alert and was told that it was (the legitimate charges from) Instant Checkmate.
Hi Geoff,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 24, 2014
Good to see what is accurate.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 23, 2014
This is VERY expensive scam, more than the initial offering, with high "premium" report rates for stuff other than basic info. There is even a charge for downloading a pdf report. The automatic payment feature is the default option but that is not set forth until AFTER you sign up. When you finally want to cancel, you have to call a phone number that, if you are lucky, will work from within your calling area and not be with a constant busy signal.
Hi Ramon,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 23, 2014
I can see the information I need, however, when I click on the print PDF, it keeps coming up with an error page and says "try again." I'd like a refund if I can't print my report.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for reaching out to us. We did experience some technical issues with our PDF reports yesterday, however, this issue has been resolved and everything is functioning properly. If you experience any other issues, or need help with your search, our US-based member care team is standing by 24/7 to help! We can be reached directly at (866) 490-5980. Thank you again for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 23, 2014
I am not a happy camper. The website leads the user to believe Instant Checkmate discovered information that is negative. Once you pay you discover they do not have such information. The practice is reprehensible. I hope this review helps others to keep their money.
Hi Ernest,
We’re sorry to hear you were unable to obtain information on certain people. Our data providers are always updating their information, but some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually, which can create gaps in our data. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 23, 2014
I was charged twice for Premium reports. Things were easily accessed.
Hi Mary,
Thanks so much for your positive feedback; we really appreciate it! We're glad to hear that you were able to locate the information you wanted. We will contact you privately regarding the double charge you mentioned, and we'll be sure to get the issue resolved for you as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 23, 2014
My search was very shallow and I didn't find any information that I thought I would get. Very, very, very disappointed!
Hi Dennis,
We know how frustrating it is when you don’t get the information you were expecting. We are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible, but due to some states’ laws regarding public records, and slow electronic processing times in certain counties, there may be gaps in our data for some jurisdictions. We sincerely apologize, and will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 23, 2014
I have searched several family members and have found the quality of information is not very good. Marriage and divorce records are useless. People I know have been divorced and remarried have no records of either. Although I have found several people with possible arrest records - the one person I know has such a record had NO listing at all. For the others, the records clearly did not pertain to the individuals and serve no purpose other than to raise questions for some gullible person looking at them but not paying attention to the details. Likewise, the social page has contained NO information I expected to find and lots of information on totally unrelated people. I had hoped this site might help with some family research, but it looks like I most likely wasted my money.
Hi Linda,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 23, 2014
Thought I was making a one time inquiry for 39.00 dollars, turns out that I was charged on 08-23-2014 $22.86 for premium check for 30 days and $19.99 for the premium check, plus paypal charge - $1.00. One month later get auto deduct from checking - $22.86. Lady on phone says no manager available!!! then after 3rd time, she talks to manager. She says manager oks discount of $11.43 = 50% off. I state I don't agree, she says "do you want your confirmation number"? I state no, need refund of $22.86. She says that is all I will get. Now I have stopped payment at bank - 09/23/2014. I will pull up receipt and mail to them. Also there were 2 other charges, same day - not recognized inquiries.
Hi Ernest,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 23, 2014
I wanted to be able to find public records that picked up where the 1940 census ended. Instead, I'm finding the same information I find from online searches in the white pages--and for some searches not even that much. I would have realized this without having to pay for the partial search I was offered if the website had published a phone number. There were no records for many of my family who have lived here for more than 60 years.
Hi Sharon,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 22, 2014
Site is easy to navigate. I found people I never thought I would be able to locate. My only issue was when I first pulled up the site after purchasing access, I didn't see the login area and once I had entered search data, I was prompted by, 'You don't seem to have an account'. I was then taken to a login screen and once I entered my password, was able to complete the search. You have a great site and I will use it often! Thanks!!
Hi Becky,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 22, 2014
I started by looking up my own info. Since very little is presented, despite A LOT being promised, I paid for a premium search. The only thing correct was my name and DOB. I do not know any of the people they say I know. I do not have any of the business listings (or LinkedIn accounts) listed. I am mad I paid one penny let alone got suckered into extra. I'd like to warn other people to save their money and go elsewhere!
Hi Thomas,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 22, 2014
Need premium information and website said it could not get it.
Hi Becky,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 21, 2014
I find only partial information on several researches I have done including myself such as state/city of birth. Resistance pertaining to them.
Hi Betty,
Thank you for reaching out to let us know about your recent experience with our site. We're really sorry to hear that some of the records you retrieved were incomplete. Our data is obtained from public records and various other records sources, and we are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible. However, due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record,” some reports may be incomplete for people living in certain counties. A senior member of our team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Oct. 18, 2014
They refunded all my expenditures and i am modifying my review to show that i am satisfied that i did not lose my money.
Original Review: Sept. 21, 2014
I looked up my own name and found that all they offer is my name, address and phone number (unlisted) and my astrological sign and social accounts for people not me or related to me, so woefully inaccurate and potentially harmful if other try to associate me with social accounts in other states.
Hello,
Thanks for getting in touch with our member care team. While we’re sad to learn you weren’t happy with the service, we’re glad they were able to get that issue taken care of for you. If you would like further assistance, please contact our member care department at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 21, 2014
The premium content should be included in the fee for the service. The initial pitch is misleading. I cancelled same day as order. Please include the premium data and you will have less cancels and more referrals.
Hi Martin,
While we try to provide our members with as much information as possible in our standard reports, we can’t show everything because some records are simply more expensive to access. Therefore, we must charge a small, one-time fee to compile premium reports for our users. I want to sincerely apologize for your frustrating experience. A member care manager will be in touch shortly to help you.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 21, 2014
Very easy to get records on persons. I'm not sure about accuracy since I haven't seen report yet (not sure if price is worth what you get).
Hi Robert,
Thanks for reaching out to us - we appreciate your feedback. If there is anything we can do to assist you, including help with your searches or questions about our site, our US-based member care team is standing by 24/7 to provide assistance in all capacities. We can be reached directly at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 21, 2014
My aging mother wanted me to look up my estranged brother. We know his address, etc...just haven't heard from him since our oldest brother died. Mother was just curious if he is doing o.k. I'm not sure if these records will show what she wants, but...here he is!! Thanks!!
Hi Meg,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you and your mother locate your brother - that is great news!
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 21, 2014
Paid $23 dollars for membership to receive limited information on searches, asked to "upgrade" for an ADDITIONAL $19.99 to receive detailed report. Information received with "membership" is generic information easily found in public records.
Hi Rita,
Thank you for reaching out to us. While we try to provide our members with as much information as possible in our standard reports, we can’t show everything because some records are simply more expensive to access. Therefore, we must charge a one-time fee to compile premium reports for our users. I want to sincerely apologize for your frustrating experience. A member care manager will be in touch shortly to help you.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 20, 2014
There are no pictures in the pdf export, for mugshots or social network profiles. This makes it a lot less useful than I had hoped.
Hi Clarence,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate honest feedback — it allows us to do our job better. We apologize that you experienced technical issues when trying to download your report, but we want to let you know that we’re committed to making things right. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to help resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 20, 2014
Instant Checkmate is terrific. LOTS of info on ALL the searches. Very reasonably priced too! Love it!
Hi Jana,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for. Thank you for the positive feedback and high rating! If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 19, 2014
Sometimes the info is old or not available even when I know the people I am looking up. If they do not have a land line then they do not show up is my guess. Also marriage records do not always show up.
Hi Chris,
Thank you for reaching out to us; we appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent search results. We're really sorry to hear that you were unable to obtain public records for certain people. Our data is obtained from public records and various other records sources, and we are always working with our data providers to get the best information possible.
As our Disclaimer states, there are some cases in which the information may not be 100% accurate due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record.” We sincerely apologize, and a senior member of our team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 19, 2014
I have several criminal convictions and am married, none of which showed up on Instant Checkmate's reports. This company seems to be a scam and charges your card without providing any information you need.
Hi Preston,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 19, 2014
I have never in my life felt so violated as I have by these scam artists. It was completely my fault for paying any money ($22) to get this report which was so basic and could have been found on any state or Federal site for free. I GOT NOTHING FROM THIS and then asked to pay more to get a so-called premium report is highway robbery. DO NOT USE THEM AND IF YOU ARE READING THIS AFTER YOU PAID, you are just like me, scammed. There should be a law against this.
Hi Trevor,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Oct. 7, 2014
I was not satisfied with the information received, however the company offered a prompt refund. This was not expected and I am satisfied with the outcome.
Original Review: Sept. 19, 2014
Once you join and they have your money, you get very basic info on your search that is very available for free with a Google search. Anything useful is extra. Want a phone number? Pay up. Don't do it.
Hi Ernie,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 19, 2014
ACCURATE! I have only been using this system for about 1 month and so far I have been successful in my searches.
Hi Amy,
We’re so happy to hear that our service is helping you find information you need. Thank you for the positive feedback and high rating! If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 19, 2014
Satisfied... Looking for my father for 20 yrs... Finally...
Hi Luis,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find your father, that is wonderful news! We really appreciate your feedback, and if you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 19, 2014
Info received was great.
Hi Lou,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 19, 2014
I really can't believe this so-called info finding company cannot find info on people whom I personally know have been arrested. This is a scam. Once a person pays for finding info on people, you want us to upgrade. Why didn't you just tell us to begin with that this was only capable of finding traffic tickets? I am so disappointed.
Hi Robert,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 19, 2014
The information here is usually only 20% accurate and so far as all the searches I have ever tried, totally absent in records such as marital, licenses. The information presented typically is available in county records. As soon as I have time to phone (since I can't elect to non-renew on your site) I will be cancelling.
Hi George,
I’m sorry that you weren’t happy with our service, but glad to hear that our member care team could help you out. Please feel free to contact us again if you need anything else. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980. Thank you for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 18, 2014
I feel like you ripped me off. I paid you 22 some odd dollars and I'd not get back 1 single thing you didn't already tell me for free.
Hi Robyn,
We know how frustrating it is when you don’t get the information you were expecting. We are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible, but due to some states’ laws regarding public records, and slow electronic processing times in certain counties, there may be gaps in our data for some jurisdictions. We sincerely apologize, and will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 18, 2014
I am very upset that I paid for something I did not get. Your information is grossly inaccurate. I looked up people I wondered about then people I do know about. Explains everything. The findings are more incorrect than accurate and missing more than they find. I wish I could get my one day's worth of nothing back. If I paid with Monopoly money I would feel I paid for what I got. Useless information inaccurate or missing facts and true background information. Oh, I'm sure I need to pay more right? Not happening. Why pay more? Guidelines are perfect. We agree to not express our experience using insults or all caps. Ha Ha Ha. I guess you make the list from your early customers paying real money to get empty promises.
Hi Sarah,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 18, 2014
Happy with all the searches that were made thus far.
Hi LisaMarie,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for. Thank you for the positive feedback and high rating! If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 18, 2014
YOU NEED A MOBILE APP so I can use this on the road. Recently the birth dates are either wrong, incomplete, or missing entirely. I provided Instant Checkmate the birth date for one of my searches.
Hi Tammy,
Thank you for reaching out; we really appreciate your honest feedback. We currently are only able to display records as they are given to us by our data providers, but we are working a feature that allows us to update data based on user-generated feedback such as yours. We are also working on making our site more compatible with mobile devices as we realize this is a growing request from our customers. We sincerely apologize for any frustrations you experienced, and we will contact you privately to get this issue resolved as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 17, 2014
I just signed up today and was disappointed that the records were not up to date. Most of them didn't have marriages or divorces and the arrest records were not correct. I know of 2 people that are in prison but no arrest record was found. My daughter has been married 12 years and when I pulled her up, her husband was not mentioned as related.
Hi Becki,
Thank you for reaching out to let us know about your recent experience with our site. We're really sorry to hear that some of the records you retrieved were not up to date. Our data is obtained from public records and various other records sources, and we are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible.
However, due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record,” some reports may be incomplete for people living in certain counties. If you have any additional questions or concerns in the future, our US-based member care team is standing by 24/7 to provide assistance. We can be reached directly at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Nov. 30, 2015
5 stars! Instant checkmate was very nice & quickly resolved my issue. They also refunded my money. I was very pleased with the resolution.
Original Review: Sept. 17, 2014
I am not impressed with this service. I have looked up several people, including myself. There is so little information besides the very basic but even that doesn't include birth information or military. I thought this might help me with my ancestry search but it doesn't appear to be able to do that. I would also think newspaper articles would be cited. I won't renew.
Hi Corlene,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 17, 2014
Do not be deceived. They offer you a trial $1 membership. All you can see is no more than in a phone book. If you want to even download your info, that's $1.99. To see any "real information" about yourself, That's another $19.99. For anyone else, that's another $19.99. Do NOT be deceived! This is a ripoff. I'm embarrassed I fell for the scam.
Hi Chip,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 17, 2014
On Oct 2012, we noticed a one dollar trial for info. We used the service for about 45 min and found very vague info that was comically off from the person in question (a 72 year old business owner, who was sitting next to me). We therefore decided to call people we knew in Law Enforcement to get better results, which helped us resolve the situation. I saw that this service wasn't for us, realizing that I got about what I paid for "one dollar" and we just cancelled the service and went about our day.
Now we come up to date Sept 2014 (24 months later). I'm doing my taxes and notice a charge that I thought was a vendor for my entertainment company but something was odd, the charges were all the same and every month $29.63... It was 1am so I googled the number on my Credit Card account and discovered the Company in question, I could not believe it ... I had been taken advantage of. I called my Credit Card company early the next day and explained the situation. Her response told me everything I suspected... "Yes, Mr. **, I've dealt with this company in the past". They called the company and got a representative on the line. Rueben was quite polite and researched the account to inform me that the cancellation had not been recorded and according to the company agreement (otherwise known as small print), if you didn't get a confirmation number of cancellation... you were billed every month. I have been billed $29.63 for 24 months for something I wasn't pleased with and tried for less than an hour. That's around $700.00.
People, make sure that you read the fine print. Make sure you know what you are being billed for on your credit card. RESEARCH the company before trying out that Trial for a buck. Now I can't say that the company is a total scam and it may help others in some way but They offered to refund me $15.00 which I considered an insult. They have taken advantage of ME. To throw away $700 unaware hurts as I have my first child on the way. READ Carefully... When you Cancel, make sure you get a confirmation in your email. Check your spam or junk folder. Confirm and document it all... Don't let this happen to YOU!!!
Hi Michael,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 17, 2014
I was pretty excited when it went step by step all the info it was finding. Offering to find and report on people associated with the name. The information I received I already had. It was not much - I did not find out looking for about an hour myself. When I clicked on the phone number it wanted more $. When I clicked on another name it wanted more $. Even PDF form, it wanted more $. I will say though that I called about 20 min of reading the report and playing with it to ask for a refund. Apparently they don't give those but I insisted and with little effort of my displeasure I was told I would receive it between 3 and 5 days. I was glad they were pretty flexible about it because I would have gotten my money back regardless but this made it easier and for me to be only dissatisfied instead of angry. I guess for someone who does not know how to Google or go to county and city websites it might be worth it - it just was not for me.
Hi Mary,
I see that you've already resolved your issue with Instant Checkmate’s member care services. Sorry to hear that the information we provided you wasn’t what you were expecting. We work hard to get as much data from public records as possible, and we are just as frustrated as you are when we can’t provide our members with the records they want. Please feel free to contact us again at (866) 490-5980 if you have further questions.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Oct. 10, 2014
Instant Checkmate responded to my complaint here with an apology and a refund.
Original Review: Sept. 16, 2014
Despite advertising their low monthly rates, Checkmate locks anything and everything they can behind further extra "service" fees. This includes accessing anything considered "premium" information, i.e. "pretty much everything" which can double the cost. Heck, you can't even view reports in PDF format without paying extra fees. On top of that, all subscriptions auto-renew, and require calling their support line to cancel. Very shady business practices all around.
The garbage and BS of their fee system aside, they DO seem to have a very solid data collection system behind the paywalls. Cheaper than trying to run a background check, if you don't care about being legally able to use the information. Oh, that's another note. The information can NOT be used for anything other than personal knowledge, if that's important.
Hi Knight,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 22, 2014
I was unhappy with the service which I paid for to get the phone numbers and addresses of old friends. A customer service representative contacted me and was very helpful in canceling my account for me, and then answered several questions I had about the service. The service is not for me, but many companies could take lessons from their customer service example!
Original Review: Sept. 16, 2014
Most of the people I searched were found. Only one so far had the right phone contact and address. For roughly 23 dollars I really expected better information.
Hi Genevieve,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 16, 2014
I was disappointed that the information is incomplete. For the people I personally know, the information was lacking the Marriage record, divorce records in some case, spouse information, children listing was incomplete. I thought more information and accurate information would be available. Dissatisfied. I checked over 10 people I know to get a reliability reading of the information and was disappointed in every case. With the inaccuracies I found and then to find out if you want more of the inaccurate information I need to pay $19.99 really!! I thought there would be no hide fees with this service only to find out there are more fees to pay, e.g. $1.99 for the PDF, $19.99 for EACH Premium report. I thought a 3 month period would let me know if this service is of value, after 2 hours I have my answer.
Hi there,
We're really sorry to hear that your search results were incomplete. We know how frustrating that must be, and we want you to know that we're committed to making things right. A senior member of our team will be contacting you privately to get this issue resolved for you as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 16, 2014
You can find more information in 1.26 seconds from a Google search. I'm not just saying this, I paid my money and ran ten searches. If you want someone's address, DOB and zodiac sign, just ask them. If I haven't been married I need about $1MM back. NO INFORMATION AT ALL ON ANY SEARCHES. Absurd.
Hi Dwayne,
Thank you for your honest feedback. We're really sorry to hear that you were unable to obtain information about certain people. Our data is obtained from public records and various other records sources, and we are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible, but sometimes the records are not available to us. A senior member of our team will be contacting you privately to get this issue resolved for you as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 16, 2014
I think the upgrades to the site are too expensive!
Hi Gary,
We appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent search results. While we try to provide our members with as much information as possible in our standard reports, we can’t show everything because some records are simply more expensive to access. Therefore, we must charge a one-time fee to compile premium reports for our users. I want to sincerely apologize for your frustrating experience. A member care manager will be in touch shortly to help you.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 16, 2014
I was trying to run my own to see what is out there. What your report came back with was not very accurate and the records didn't go back far enough. I also do not like the fact that I would have to pay for a "Premium" report. Set your prices accordingly so you do not have to upcharge. Results... Name was correct and birthdate but your simple report could not find any information. I do have to say it was very quick and very easy to use...
Hi Amy,
Thanks so much for reaching out to let us know about your recent experience with our site. We're really sorry to hear that the results of your self-search were inaccurate. We are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible, but due to some states’ laws regarding public records, and slow electronic processing times in certain counties, there may be gaps in our data for some jurisdictions. We sincerely apologize, and will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 16, 2014
I was not happy with the first search which I did on myself. I called the helpline and got some assistance, he directed me to use the search items to the left which didn't tell me anymore than I had already found. I was not aware I would have to keep paying more each time I wanted to do a more extensive search and who knows if they will show anything the basic search doesn't show? I feel like this site is a complete ripoff and they should put it in writing that each time you want to know more about someone other than their address and out of date phone number it will cost you about another $20.00.
Hi Ricky,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 16, 2014
I love the service. I would like to see marriage information available.
Hi Lindsey,
Thank you for reaching out to us. We're really glad to hear that you are enjoying our service! In the event that marriage and divorce records are unavailable, it is likely due to variables such as clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record.”
Some reports may be incomplete for people living in certain counties, but our developers are always working hard to integrate the best and most up-to-date information possible. If you ever have a question or need help with our site, our US-based member care team can be reached directly at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 15, 2014
You helped me get info I needed to get back in touch. He had moved several times.
Hi Nicky,
We're very happy to hear that our service has helped you locate the contact information you needed to get back in touch. We really appreciate your feedback and high rating, and we're always here to help if you ever need assistance with your search. Our US-based member care team can be reached directly 24/7 at (866) 490-5980.
Thanks again!
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 15, 2014
The information I received was wrong. I will never use this service again.
Hi Debbie,
I’m sorry that you weren’t happy with our service, but glad to hear that our member care team could help you out in getting this issue resolved. Please feel free to contact us again if you need anything else. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980. Thank you again for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 15, 2014
While I haven't use Checkmate long, I have found some info I was seeking and the phone numbers so far, have been working, which is better than the last service I tried, where more than 60% were out-dated.
Hi Nelson,
That's great news! We're so glad to hear that our service is helping you find the information need. Thanks so much for the positive feedback and high rating, and if you ever have a question or need assistance with your search, our US-based member care team is standing by 24/7 to help. We can be reached directly at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 18, 2014
I was very disappointed with the information I received from Instantcheckmate.com. After sending a note to Instantcheckmate, a very helpful and caring Gentleman called yesterday. He not only helped me, but upon hanging up the telephone, I had a "smile" on my face. This Gentleman refunded the entire amount of money I had signed to pay Instantcheckmate.com and was very professional in the way he conducted business.
Therefore, I was happy when I hung up the telephone. We need understanding and caring people in the workforce and I consider this Gentleman one of these people. Thank you for your help, Instantcheckmate.com, and I hope that you will hire others like this Gentleman for future customer complaints as he was very dedicated to your company and also a very helpful business person.
Original Review: Sept. 15, 2014
RE: Report on Barrie **. I cannot access all of the information I ordered. I need to have his criminal background, e-mail information, etc. Also, he has lived in England and none of that information has shown up. I am very unhappy with this service. I NEED the information I ordered ASAP. Thank you.
Hi Charlene,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 15, 2014
I found it so very interesting that there is so much information on a person, that you think is supposedly a good person and find out you really did not know that person. But the personality lets you think he is the nicest person! But you learn.
Hi Edna,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service is helping you find out more about the people in your life.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 15, 2014
There were many things not listed where I knew they existed. Incorrect phone numbers, present addresses, relatives, etc. While many were married, only a couple had marriage/divorce listed, and that particular category didn't exist for many others. Ages missing and histories very inaccurate with incorrect names from the individual to what their name was a relative. Misspelling of names which would be very important plus incorrect middle initials. That distorts the investigation. I must add the additional same names from different states with photos not of the person sought out is senseless. I really thought this would be a better site. When more information is needed, additional money is asked for. Why give additional funds when we have no idea what we're in store for as to its credibility or authenticity, or even any additional information. Sorry, but this is not for me with the quality it presents at present.
Hi Nick,
Thanks for reaching out to us; we appreciate your feedback. Our data is obtained from public records and various other records sources, and we are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible. As our Disclaimer states, there are some cases in which the information may not 100% accurate. There also exists the possibility of false positives, and more than one individual with the same name and basic information may match up with many other records. We sincerely apologize for any inconsistencies you experienced during your search, and we will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 26, 2014
Instant Checkmate provided a full refund in response to my review on Consumer Reviews. The refund was given in a timely and courteous manner.
Original Review: Sept. 15, 2014
The information provided in the basic check was insufficient and the premium search offered no additional information. The person I was doing the background check on has many arrests and convictions, also prison time, found by a different search provider.
Hi Roxanne,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 14, 2014
I think this service is good and easy to use.
Hi Larry,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for. Thank you for the positive feedback and high rating! If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 14, 2014
I've used your services for about three weeks. I really appreciate and like it so far. I will cancel and possibly wish to buy another month next year or so. I can see how others might want this all year round but truthfully there are only 5 or 6 searches a year I'll need. Wish there was a plan for that too, rather than the yearly monthly things.
Hi Marco,
Thanks so much for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for. Also, if pay per use ever becomes an option in the future, we'll be sure to contact you to let you know.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 14, 2014
When you locate a person specifically age and demographics, and then you ask for report, you get "STUFF" on all the other people with that name that are not near the one you requested. This includes criminal records, etc. I do not like, printed on the document "How many sex offenders live in that area". I still have issues with it giving me the $19.95 report that I don't want. It seems to have quit it but I was charged for 3.
Hi Al,
Thanks for getting in touch with our member care team. While we’re sad to learn you weren’t happy with the service, we’re glad they were able to get that issue taken care of for you. If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 14, 2014
This website is a series of bait and switch and ads. I will tell everyone I know to stay away!
Hi Jack,
Thanks for reaching out to us. I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site, and our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 13, 2014
Very good website, I've tried a few in the past but only for very basic information. This site has it all if you need it and I like that they respect privacy rules and encourage others to do so too. Easy to navigate, has more accurate info than some of the others and has friendly staff if I need help. Prices are higher these days but Instant Checkmate's fees are competitive. Altogether, a well-put together website and I would use it again.
Hi Leigh,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for. Thank you for the positive feedback and high rating; we really appreciate it! If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 13, 2014
DOB is important but would like email addresses and social media contacts. Astrology signs useless...can be be determined by DOB.
Hi Frederick,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate honest feedback — it allows us to do our job better. While our data providers are always updating their information, some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, which can create gaps in our data. We want to let you know that we’re committed to making things right. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 13, 2014
It could go into a little more detail as I was married 2 other times and there is no mention of it in my records - just saying.
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for reaching out to us; we appreciate your honest feedback. Our developers are always working hard to integrate current data into our reports, but due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record,” some reports may be incomplete for people living in certain counties.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 13, 2014
I was lead to believe I would get detailed information. What I got was vague outdated information. There was apparent information that should have also been present even on the generic page you offer with the trial membership. First you said there was 7 arrest records on the search before membership and then when I opted for the trial membership nothing was listed for an arrest but I sure had the option to upgrade. I then proceeded to check my own background and I don't have a middle name but your records show that I do. Also my brother has a current criminal case. I was hoping maybe your records only went by current criminal cases, yet you only posted one record of his from 2007. I expect to be refunded or I will report this to the Better Business Bureau. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Hi Nadine,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 13, 2014
All I can say is please please do NOT use Instant Checkmate!! We came across this site by accident and it offered to do people searches for $9.86, so we thought $10 bucks no big deal it might be useful. We searched ourselves and family members and there were so many inaccuracies it was unbelievable! On basic things like marriages, divorces, DUIs that we knew about but were not listed. So we called and cancelled right away. The agent was nice and no problem until the next day when I checked my bank account and found that $56.19 was charged to my account! I called immediately and and a very nice agent connected me to a manager who apologized and credited my account $49.32. Ok guess what, they still got $10 from me. Apparently in very small print it says you are charged the entire 6 months upfront. So how many people get charged $56.19 then cancel and this company still gets $9.86? Can you say scam! Wow if I didn't have a conscience I could make millions too!
Hi Tony,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 12, 2014
I was dissatisfied when I paid for the premium on myself and could not see my criminal charges. I paid money and didn't get to see what I wanted to see. I was looking up Robert **. I do not know why It didn't work.
Hi Robert,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 12, 2014
Lester ** info is off, no arrest. He has spent 1/2 his life in and out of prison and jail **. His middle name is ** not **. Most of his aliases, you do not have nor any of the other addresses in Florida or Texas.
Hi Margaret,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Oct. 3, 2014
After some good feedback explaining some things to me and in a very good turn around time period to my email. I have decided to give Instant Checkmate another shot. I was a little put off that because I said something (in an email the first time) I could not access my account for some days. I am amazed that someone got back to me so fast and explained a few things I did not know. For future reference let someone ask for a refund first, some of us consumers might need a few tips or explanation as to why things are a certain way. There has to be a little room for consumer relations a little give and take sort of between the two. I am always looking for something better at the same price like everyone else.
Original Review: Sept. 12, 2014
Not enough information when someone is in jail or has been. I kind of want to know whom I am dealing with, that is why I got on this site.
Hi Karen,
Thanks for getting in touch with our member care team. We're really glad that we were able to provide assistance. If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 12, 2014
I found out that a sex offender lives in my area.
Hi Melanie,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re glad our service is helping you find out the truth about the people living in your neighborhood.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 12, 2014
After trying to get answers about their "premium service" and being completely ignored by their customer support staff, I have no choice but to believe this is just another scam site trying to sell you something that you can otherwise obtain for free through direct channels.
Hi Ed,
Thank you for letting us know about your recent experience. We sincerely apologize for any frustration you experienced regarding our premium reports. We try to provide our members with as much information as possible in our standard reports, we can’t show everything because some records are simply more expensive to access. Therefore, we must charge a one-time fee to compile premium reports for our users. I want to sincerely apologize for your frustrating experience. A member care manager will be in touch shortly to help you.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 17, 2014
Received a full refund which was unexpected but welcome.
Original Review: Sept. 11, 2014
I'm not really satisfied with the price I paid for the type and amount of data returned. I've seen better results on free search services. I will not be renewing.
Hi Peter,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Dec. 3, 2014
Although, I am completely put-off by their advertising and pricing trickery, the company did reach out to me and provided a 100% refund without me asking. It was unexpected, but a nice surprise. I appreciate their integrity for making my unpleasant experience go away.
Original Review: Sept. 11, 2014
I'm such an idiot. Instead of trying the site for one month I signed up for 6 months. I was mesmerized by their slick Website that lures you to take the next step to see all this amazing information. They even tell you to prepare yourself for "shocking information". Got me hook-line-and-sinker. Goodbye hard-earned money. Do not waste your money. You can find any of the information they provide in their basic service with a free Google search.
This is a money making scheme. When you ask for the premium report for $19.99 the description is hazy and lead me to believe it would get premium reports for the remainder of my membership. Wrong. It's $19.99 per record. The one record I did pay for didn't even have any extra information. I did a search of myself. It was a joke how much information was missing and even incorrect. The biggest telling tale of this site is when I called customer service. One of four options is for the media to contact them for press relations. And when I told the very friendly cust service rep I was unhappy and wanted to cancel. He took care of it immediately and didn't ask me why I was dissatisfied. I guess they really don't care... They already got my money.
Hi Mark,
We're really sorry to hear that you weren't able to find information on certain people; we know how frustrating that must be, especially after purchasing 6 months of service. We are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible, but due to some states’ laws regarding public records, and slow electronic processing times in certain counties, there may be gaps in our data for some jurisdictions. We sincerely apologize, and will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 11, 2014
9-11-2014 I went on their site to find out how much. I could not locate pricing. As I searched their pages I read all the information you will obtain. Finally I decided to pull myself up, knowing at some point it would tell you a price. I signed up for 6 mths. So I entered my credit card information and proceeded to pull up my information. At the bottom it said Premium and I went to see what that meant and it meant after you paid the 56.17 and 1.99 that you have to pay 19.99 for all the information that it shows on the website (without showing pricing until you go to check out).
So I called them and explained that I had just joined an hr previously, found out that I had to pay extra for each pull of 19.99. Explained that you cannot see pricing unless you pull someone up. That it doesn't say you have to pay extra for each name for all the information. I am with beenverified.com and it's so much better, easier to use and up to date. The info they have on me is 7 yrs old. Not even up to date. Called they stated they would not return any portion of my money, but said he would put that I wanted to cancel when membership ran out. Beenverified much better, more info.
Hi Delana,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 11, 2014
InstantCheckmate.com is a ripoff (read the disclaimers... you MAY not get the information for which you will have paid and the disclaimer is both wordy and the information is buried). If you need information, use another service. They are very facile at disallowing responsibility for what they say they will provide and then do NOT provide.
Hi Annabelle,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 11, 2014
I have to admit I fell for this site's scam without doing a quick review search online so anyone reading this do yourself a favor & put your credit card back in your wallet ASAP! Everything that's searched & returned you can find that & more by searching Google for free. They mislead you thinking you'll get a full report back for the monthly membership fee of $22.86. Nope they want $19 more. I'm actually shocked you have to call & cancel your membership since I know each operator gets their ** chewed for scamming the public.
Hi Melissa,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 11, 2014
Your service has proven accurate, excellent, and easy to use! I gladly recommend you #1 in your field!
Hi Ronnie,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 11, 2014
Out-of-date and missing detailed information on Scott **.
Hi Bernd,
We’re sorry to hear you were unable to obtain information on certain people. Our data providers are always updating their information, but some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually, which can create gaps in our data. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 11, 2014
Helps me feel more secure about the people I come into contact with.
Hi Pierre,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for. Thank you for the positive feedback and high rating! If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 16, 2014
Instant Checkmate responded to my original review promptly and listened to all of my concerns. They refunded my payment as I was not satisfied with the original service provided. I respect a company who listens and is willing to resolve customer concerns. I appreciate the customer service.
Original Review: Sept. 11, 2014
I am a former victim of violence and as such keep a close eye on people who have hurt me in the past. I found the Instant Checkmate reports failed on all levels to include information of the most basic kind on known and registered offenders. I even tried the first search on myself to see what info was included and found that the report was so substandard and incomplete as to make it worthless. I felt so misled by the claims of the original advertisement. Very painful...I should have read the multiple negative reviews beforehand.
Hi Maureen,
I'm very happy to see that our member care team was able to assist you. I see that your issue has been completely resolved, and that you have increased your star-rating. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 10, 2014
I paid for a 6 month membership and I feel like I have completely wasted my money. I can find more information in newspaper archives than your database has been able to provide thus far. I tried searching my deceased brother and I found more information typing his name into google than what your website provided. I honestly could not believe that I paid $60 for this lack of information. I want a refund minus one month membership of course.
Hi Deborah,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 10, 2014
I understood I would receive COMPLETE background information unlimited amount of times for one month! I had to pay an extra $19.99 for each!! Misrepresentation at its best.
Hi Grace,
While we try to provide our members with as much information as possible in our standard reports, we can’t show everything because some records are simply more expensive to access. Therefore, we must charge a one-time fee to compile premium reports for our users. We want to sincerely apologize for your frustrating experience. A member care manager will be in touch shortly to help you.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 16, 2014
A gentleman from Instant Checkmate called me to inform me personally that they would like to refund all of my initial payment. He also asked that I log back into Consumer Affairs and change my initial post rating indicating I'm completely satisfied. I'll give them ONE more star but come on ... let's be honest. I called them once and was very polite, professional and explained my dissatisfaction at that time and they only offered me 1/2 of my money back. It wasn't until I took this viral via Consumer Affairs that they were willing to refund all of my money. It boils down to them paying me a little over $11 to change my post. Done.
The information was old and they claim that state and local laws prevent them from getting as much information as they'd like to provide to their members ... I pulled up background checks on two of my friends just to see what was there ... all residents of Arizona. One had his marriage info and the other didn't ... I'm confused. Needless to say, thanks for refunding all of my $22.86. While I'm satisfied that I got all of my $22.86 back ... I think this should have been handled this way from my first call into them without having to go to these measures. That's my opinion and why I'm only giving you ONE more star. Wish you all the best.
Original Review: Sept. 10, 2014
This morning I was curious to check my own background with Identity Theft being so rampant these days just to see what I'd find and I was more than willing to pay the $22.86 for the 1-month plan (but turns to month to month if you don't call and cancel, FYI). I pulled up my report and the data was very outdated and there was nothing on ME... Tons of other individuals with same first and last name though. Then in order to get the information I thought was being provided at first was going to cost another $19 and change. That's insane.
I pulled up a couple of other reports of siblings and all of that data was at least 2 years old and inaccurate. It's not what you think you're getting and when you get the "carrot" in hopes of buying more... it's old info and way off base. I called the customer care line and spoke with Deborah, a very nice lady. I cancelled my account immediately and asked for a refund since I was on the site for less than an hour. They kept 50% of my $22.86 - not life altering but it's the principle. Beware of this outfit.
Hi Troy,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 10, 2014
Upon entering this site, you are prompted to enter the name of the individual you would like to research. For the first 5 or so minutes after providing various information, it starts "preparing the data" for you to look at. Then, right before you are allowed to review the data, it requires a credit card. While paying for a service in general isn't unwarranted, I do believe it is very misleading to let you get that far without so much as a prompt letting you know you must pay. But, upon trying to exit the site, they gave me a prompt saying I can have a 5 day trial for only $1 and I can look up as many reviews as I wish. This sounded like a very good deal, so I decided I would go for it.
Upon paying the dollar, I was allowed to the next page where it provided the "information". Rather than doing what it advertised, which is displaying sexual offences and various other criminal records, it just gives you their names and useless info like that. In order to see any of the stuff you came to this site for, you must pay an additional $20. Why would I want to pay to look at somebody's name and astrological sign? Total rip off. The worst part about the entire thing is that they don't even provide a simple membership cancellation like most modern sites. They don't want people to be able to get out of this scam.
Hi Dakota,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 10, 2014
I did want to add the phone reports. But I was told to contact your office & then I was told you can’t take credit cards over the telephone. Too bad for me :(
Hi Colleen,
Thank you for reaching out to us. We really appreciate your positive rating, as well as your honest feedback. We're sorry to hear that you experienced technical issues when trying to upgrade your account online. A member care representative will be calling you within 24-48 hours to provide further assistance and walk you through the process. In the meantime, if you have any further questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to us directly.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 10, 2014
This site has not helped me. It leads me to believe you going to give me information and then I have to pay to get information and it is not good or right information.
Hi Martha,
We know how frustrating it is when you don’t get the information you were expecting. We are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible, but due to some states’ laws regarding public records, and slow electronic processing times in certain counties, there may be gaps in our data for some jurisdictions. We sincerely apologize, and will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 10, 2014
My experience has been great.
Hi Reata,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 10, 2014
On 7/22/14, I submitted my debit card number for an instant background check on a member of my family. The so-called "background check" that I paid $22.86 for was nothing more than a list of names, phone numbers and addresses for every person in the country with the same name as my family member. No background information at all was provided. To add insult to injury, they are now using my debit card for unauthorized MONTHLY CHARGES of $22.86. I have called their customer service line on numerous occasions since I first noticed the fraudulent charges on August 22, 2014. Each time I am told I will get a complete refund in 3-5 days. As of Sept. 9, I am still waiting for my refund. This company needs to be investigated for fraud and ID theft!
Reviewed Sept. 9, 2014
I paid the initial amount that Instant Check said I needed to pay, to receive ALL the information they showed me I would receive before I paid the $14.99. I later was told I would need to pay an additional $19.99 for a platinum check out to receive the information I was led to believe I would get with the first amount. I would have never paid the first amount if I hadn't thought that was all I had to pay for ALL the information they said I was going to get. They were not honest and led me on. Once I saw more money had to be paid, I immediately signed off and unsubscribed. This was done and the second amount was not paid.
Hi Richard,
We’re sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with Instant Checkmate. In an effort to keep our monthly membership costs down, we must charge a small, one-time access fee for premium reports. A manager from our member care department will contact you privately to help resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 9, 2014
I am trying the trial membership & found it does not fit my requirements as expected. I was lead to believe it would contain all information yet the criminal reports require an additional $19+ to get. I thought that was a part of the info I would have a chance to review before buying into the entire program. I was looking for relatives for my genealogy reports for some who have sort of disappeared. I did find names that had related persons that matched, but found much of the details expected missing, so I decided to check on info about my wife & other family members. I didn't even see their Facebook accounts under social. In one case, the person was correct, age, places names but when looking at the social report, it was from someone in Florida... my family lives in Michigan. I don't believe this is the kind of site that has any real pertinent information and will be cancelling my membership as soon as possible. Thank you anyway.
Hi Duane,
I'm very happy to see that our member care team was able to assist you. I see that your issue has been completely resolved, and that you have increased your star-rating. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 9, 2014
Sadly, this appears to be just another misleading (upgrade to premium) website that basically STOLE my money on the "most popular" subscription. Here I just wanted to check a few things out only to immediately see that you want to charge me for a PDF file (one time fee). Then I want to see the entire report and find that need to upgrade. The web's equivalent of small print dishonesty. I will be sure to tell everyone I know on every website I visit of my experience here. Enjoy my 22 bucks. I will go out of my way to persuade everyone I know to make that 22 bucks the most costly membership you get. Thanks.
Hi Todd,
Thank you for reaching out to us. While we try to provide our members with as much information as possible in our standard reports, we can’t show everything because some records are simply more expensive to access. Therefore, we must charge a one-time fee to compile premium reports for our users. We want to sincerely apologize for your frustrating experience. A member care manager will be in touch shortly to help you.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 9, 2014
This is the best site of its kind. I have used a number of sites like this one, but this one is the best so far.
Hi Billie,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for!
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 8, 2014
I have found Checkmate extremely helpful in finding old friends and relatives.
Hi Joseph,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find your old friends and relatives.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 8, 2014
The accuracy of some of the info is not correct. Also there is another Susan ** out of California. I've never been there. My ex Willie ** used to live there, and from what I gather, the person’s name as the same as mine went through the same court as he did. So I am assuming that she lives somewhere around the same location as he did. I am not good at researching stuff, and would like to know if somebody is using my identity. Especially a foreigner. Because he use to be married to a Spanish or Mexican, but I don't know what she looks like. I have seen so many people with the same name as mine - it scares me. I don't feel the least bit safe at all now. Thanks so much. I can't afford to search farther at this time.
Hi Susan,
We know how frustrating it is when you don’t get the information you were expecting. Our data is obtained from public records and various other records sources, and we are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible. As our Disclaimer states, there are some cases in which the information may not 100% accurate. There also exists the possibility of false positives, and more than one individual with the same name and basic information may match up with many other records. We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences you experienced, and we will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 7, 2014
Someone who is stalking me used this site to not only look up my address and my family's but also look up very personal info he gained to harass me with. SHAME on this site. It puts people in danger. I believe they should only allow very personal information such as income and family and addresses released for people with dangerous criminal records NOT innocent people who have done nothing wrong. This site can be used by pedophiles and stalkers to track victims and who says employers DON'T use the information...who would even know if they did? What's especially concerning is some of the information being inaccurate so people can judge you off something that isn't even true? Is there a way to block my personal information on this site?
Hello,
We're very sorry to hear about your recent experience. However, all of the information provided on our site comes directly from public records sources. All information is readily available to the public, and anyone can pull this information from various different websites, not just ours.
You do have the option to opt out, which will remove all of your information from our site only. That way, if someone searches your name on Instant Checkmate, your information will no longer come up in the search results. A member care representative will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 7, 2014
I'm glad I downgraded my account from the automatic pay because once you pay up front then you want more money for every little bit of information at this site....it Sucks!!! The information that is just basic on her of family members is wrong anyway....so this is not a very reputable site!!
Hi Gayla,
We’re sorry to hear that you weren’t happy with your report. Our developers are always working hard to integrate current data into our reports, but due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record,” some reports may be incomplete for people living in certain counties. We apologize, and will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 7, 2014
Seems to be accurate. The number of sex offenders is appalling. OMG.
Hi Karen,
Thank you for reaching out; we appreciate your honest feedback about your recent search results. If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 7, 2014
The first time I used your service, I didn't think you'd be able to give me much information. I'm happy to announce that I was wrong. I've used this site for some time now and am impressed with the ease and quality of the work done here. I may have started as a 'trial basis only' customer, but months and months later, I'm still here. Thanks Checkmate :)
Hi Sandra,
We’re so happy to hear that our service continues to help you find the information you're looking for! Thank you for the positive feedback and high rating. If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 7, 2014
Could not find half the people I looked for and no criminal records would display, kept giving error on page.
Hi Charles,
Thanks so much for reaching out to let us know about the technical problems you experienced during your search. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and we will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 6, 2014
I'm absolutely disgusted with instant checkmate, their information is so off. Good example: apparently I have an individual living at my address with the same exact info except he is 51 - totally false and never happened. It was the biggest mistake I could have made -- spend 22.86 for what, absolutely nothing that I didn't already know. It didn't have a glimpse of my arrest record and not only am I convicted felony but also have 2 DUIs, as well as multiple driving violations. If you're looking for a website that does background checks, this is not the one for you. I highly suggest not wasting the time or money. Oh and on top of that, right after noticing my info was wrong I contacted customer support and kindly asked for a refund and they tried to explain to me they don't keep their files up to date. "Sorry sir there is nothing we can do for you." Please people for your own sake, stay away from instantcheckmate.com. Don't let them play you as well.
Hi Joseph,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 6, 2014
Complete waste of money. For the $19 a month charge, you receive old phone numbers and addresses, some outdated by more than 6 or 7 years. They also couldn't find any criminal record on people I used as test controls, whom I know had been to jail or prison several times. If you want to get the "premium report" you have to pay an additional $19.... FOR EACH REPORT. Who would allow themselves to get suckered into that after receiving nothing for the initial $19 monthly charge? You can find out more relevant and up-to-date data by doing a google search. Will file a complaint with AG, and dispute charge with my bank. Also will review on ripoffreport.com and other consumer sites. Anyone interested in a class action suit?
Hi Richard,
We’re sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with Instant Checkmate. Our developers are always working hard to integrate current data into our reports, but due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record,” some reports may be incomplete for people living in certain counties. A manager from our member care department will contact you privately to help resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 6, 2014
Very pleased so far.
Hi Peggy,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 6, 2014
They have a 5 day trial for $1.00 so I paid the $1.00 for the trial run. They gave me nothing in return. After that they took money from my debit card without my knowledge (over charge, stolen).
Hi Stevie,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 11, 2014
The company responded directly to my after I tried unsuccessfully to get a refund and after I posted here. Not a good way to run a business. If your business is as legit and wonderful as they claim they are then offer a free 24-48 hr trial use. Or a one time trial use. I put in known offenders and came up empty. I search other criminal databases and got better information.
Original Review: Sept. 6, 2014
When I searched for myself it also brought up family member names just like Whitepages.com. When I searched it gave me nothing more than the information I can obtain from Whitepages.com, family names, places they lived and approximate age. That's it. So if that is all you are really looking for the site is great but save yourself some cash and go to Whitepages. When I called to complain they had a whole speech ready...blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Consumer be wary. As per request from you to include order number, I never received one. I received 2 emails, no order number. When I call the agency to cancel and complain they never asked for order number. They did however ask for my email. They said they located email and will cancel account. That remains to be seen. I am contacting AMEX to dispute.
Hi Debbie,
I'm very happy to see that our member care team was able to assist you. I see that your issue has been completely resolved, and that you have increased your star-rating. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 6, 2014
I have tried for 2 days to upgrade my account and continue to receive error messages.
Hi Leah,
Thank you for reaching out to let us know about the technical error you experienced when you tried to upgrade. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and we will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2014
There is hardly any information available. This is stupid and I wish I wouldn't have even paid $1 for it.
Hi Brandi,
I see that you have already contacted us and had your issue resolved with Instant Checkmate’s member care services. Sorry to hear that the information we provided you wasn’t what you were expecting. We work hard to get as much data from public records as possible, and we are just as frustrated as you are when we can’t provide our members with the records they want. Please feel free to contact us again at (866) 490-5980 if you have further questions.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2014
Missing public information. Not enough information in arrests, present address, divorce..
Hi Maria,
We appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent search results. Our data providers are always updating their information, however, some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually. This can potentially create gaps in the data that is provided to us. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2014
Great Site. Able to obtain most of the essential information I am looking for.
Hi Dennis,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2014
I have found everything I look for so thank you for your services.
Hi Heidi,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2014
The info provided has been helpful.
Hi Conrad,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for. Thank you for the positive feedback and high rating! If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 4, 2014
Right now I can't access anything, and it wants me to upgrade and won't let me.
Hi Toni,
Thank you for reaching out to let us know about the issues you are experiencing. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. A senior member of our team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 4, 2014
As soon as the information was put into the system, I hit enter and the missing person's information appeared as requested. One of the fastest search locators I've used since a long, long time.
Hi Shirley,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 30, 2014
Instant Checkmate responded quickly to my complaint, and surprisingly gave me a full refund. I'll give them 3 stars (Satisfied) for customer service, but do caution anyone using their site to read carefully before clicking through any of the screens/options.
Thanks for the refund!
Original Review: Sept. 4, 2014
I have been the victim of identity theft, and ran my name to see what came up. Their website indicated that I had a criminal record (which I do not), so I clicked through and paid $22 to access the record, then an additional $1.99 for PDF downloads, and then $19.99 for 'Premium Data'. Guess what.... no criminal records associated with me. I cancelled my subscription within 10 minutes of signing up. Can I get some rhythm on my billing too?
Hi Richard,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved, and I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 4, 2014
I subscribed because I wanted to see if I could find out additional information on someone. ALL this site gave me was where he lived, dob all for $22.00. I was able to find more information just by Googling him. Heck this site didn't even pick up the federal charges that were brought against him. I was able to find that information just by using Google for FREE!
Hi Marleea,
We’re sorry to hear you were unable to obtain information on certain people. Our data providers are always updating their information, but some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually, which can create gaps in our data. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 12, 2014
I greatly appreciate how instant checkmate reviewed and appeased my concerns. I appreciate the promptness of the resolution.. great customer service..
Original Review: Sept. 3, 2014
I signed up for this site bc a hotel employee attacked me while on a business trip. There is an ongoing investigation, but I had a feeling that a business card was taken from my purse the night of the attack, and with the detective pushing to talk to the suspect, the very next day I received a text from the area code of the attack, asking if this number belonged to "my full name"... so he does have my phone number and the address for the company that I work at. We did a reverse check on the phone number and found out that it belonged to this guy. I signed up for this site so I could see if there was a chance that he moved closer, or if he was just gonna show up at my office one day.
Your website gave me no accurate information regarding to what was promised. I looked up myself and found that I apparently am "still living" in a house that I haven't lived in for over 5 years. I have probably moved 9 times since then, and even out of state. Also, I can’t even get into my account, which I didn't know was longer than a month. I have been charged 3 times now, when I thought it was only 1 month. Seeing that I was just charged again, I tried to get into my account, and couldn't sign in for some reason with no option to look up my password or anything... How the hell am I supposed to sign in, or use the services.
Hi Jenna,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 3, 2014
I had for account for one month and I paid for another month but I was unable to login the account after I logged out. I called your customer service and was informed that I had to create a new password every time I enter a monthly renewal. I recommend that you let a customer know that it is necessary to create a new password when using a monthly plan.
Hi Issac,
Thank you for reaching out to us. We really appreciate your honest feedback, and a senior member of our team will be contacting you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 3, 2014
I am searching for long lost cousins and this has helped greatly, appreciate the accuracy. Each person you have listed as deceased has been. Most persons you listed with address have been also found in white pages. There have been a few that are not living, you have not recorded as such; it would be most helpful if I could send a note with a source of death (like social security or obit). Thank you so much.
Hi Dianna,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service is helping you with your genealogy research. We are currently working on a way to update our data through customer input, but for now we can only display public records as the are provided to us.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 3, 2014
Can get more info from phone book. Martell ** is dead and you have him moving around. Tammy ** is bigger crook than Billy the kid and she lives in MS, not GA. She has done time in GA and MS and it's on public record and they even show her mugshot. Sherry ** is in prison for 3rd time and you don't show it. I called you the 1st time you sent me a bill and told you I did not order your junk and you said you would take it off, liar. I got bill from you this month. I'm tweeting and contacting authorities about you trying to ripoff people. Take my name off your worthless site.
Hi James,
We’re sorry to hear that you were unable to obtain information on certain people. Our data providers are always updating their information, but some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually, which can create gaps in our data. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 10, 2014
I heard back very promptly from Instant Checkmate. They listened to my issues with the service, explained how their service works and decided to refund my membership. I appreciated the courteous and quick resolution to this matter. Their customer service was top notch.
Original Review: Sept. 3, 2014
I saw the article on AOL and thought I could check on background info for myself. I know I have no criminal history but was concerned about recent identity theft issue. Your site is very confusing and alluded to the possibility that I had a criminal history, which prompted me to get the membership (very confusing, because the initial inquiry doesn't mention fees). Once I got through the excessive amount of downloads, I ended up paying for someone else's criminal background. I did NOT want to be seeing others' personal info! It also is deceiving! There should be some other kind of prompt that asks for more information on yourself so you don't end up paying for a service that isn't correct! I'm very disappointed and promptly called to cancel. I will not be recommending this site and will actually discourage anyone I know from using it.
Hi Jennifer,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 2, 2014
Found who I was looking for old classmate.
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find your old friend!
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 2, 2014
The information found was outdated! Did not find what I am looking for! Won’t recommend to others!
Hi Megan,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 2, 2014
Subscribing was a waste of time. The correct names and locations came up before I paid for the service, and after I became a paying member, those names were not available anymore. So I call to cancel within the hour I signed up, explained what the issues were (multiple) and was told I only get a partial refund. Well, I didn't wait a significant amount of time to cancel, so that tells me their customer support needs improvement. Is that how you handle customers to make issues better?? Their actions do not make me want to return to the website - ever.
Hi Jamie,
I’m sorry you didn’t find the information you were looking for. We’re always working with our data providers to ensure that the information in our reports is as up-to-date and complete as possible, but sometimes the data just isn’t available to us. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to help resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 2, 2014
We have been members since 2011. I cannot get the report on Jason **. There is no information in the report at all. I tried to pay the $15 and update/upgrade in hopes of getting his records and it said there was an error. I don't know what to do.
Hi Sylvia,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate your honest feedback. We apologize that you experienced technical issues during your search, but we want to let you know that we’re committed to making things right. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to help resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 1, 2014
I wish I had read the complaints about this company. I usually look at complaints first, but Ancestry.com gave us a one day use and I thought it would be a reputable company. I just joined today and I paid the 6-month fee and right away did not get information about anyone I put in. Just basic info. It is not worth the money and I have already called to cancel. They said I would not be reimbursed for the 6-month service. I told her I didn't care but to cancel it anyway. Do not use this company you will not get anything but basic information. I am waiting on the confirmation email to cancel my membership. The clerk said it could take up to an hour for the email.
Hi Wendy,
I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience, but I see that our member care team was able to get that fully issue resolved for you. If you need help with anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (866) 490-5980. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 1, 2014
This was a prize for unlimited search because I did an online survey and have spent hours on this site trying to get one report on here and it never happened. I got numerous pop ups for other offers and this site bounced me off of here numerous times. Why can’t I just get one report... Why would I want to join this site if you didn't follow up on your prize offer?
Hi Donna,
Instant Checkmate has never run a prize-type campaign like the one you mentioned, nor are we involved with any third-party sites that are running campaigns of this nature. For more information, please refer to the following excerpt from Section 7 of our Terms of Use:
"Instant Checkmate has no control over sites that are not ours, and Instant Checkmate is not responsible for any changes to or content on them. Instant Checkmate assumes no responsibility for the content of or services offered by linked third-party sites, and makes no representations regarding the accuracy of materials on third-party Web sites. Statements made on third-party Web sites linked to or from this Site reflect only the views of their authors and not of Instant Checkmate."
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you experienced; however, there is nothing we can do since the survey you took was not produced by Instant Checkmate.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 5, 2014
Instant Checkmate resolved all my issues in a friendly and timely manner. This is a responsible company and many people can benefit from their service.
Original Review: Sept. 1, 2014
Ads promise complete unlimited info on anybody, but the names I checked did not have anything but name, address, and phone number. Then the site promises complete records for an additional charge. I paid for the premium service, but found out that the premium charge has to be paid for every name that is looked up. They already have my money and will charge to renew unless the account is closed. I will close the account on the first business day, but I will be shocked if anything is returned. I want to inform other potential users that I consider this site a complete scam. I know things about the people I looked up, and none of it was revealed in their report, even when I paid premium charges. Yes, I am angry!
Hi Bill,
I'm very happy to see that our member care team was able to assist you. I see that your issue has been completely resolved, and that you have increased your star-rating. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 1, 2014
Won’t let me upgrade.
Hi Jerome,
Thanks so much for reaching out to let us know about the issues you've been experiencing when trying to upgrade your account. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and a senior member of our team will be contact you to walk you through the issue and provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 1, 2014
In regards to obtaining information this site is by far the best.
Hi Danny,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for. Thank you for the positive feedback and high rating! If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 1, 2014
I'm paying for a service that wants to charge me more for additional information, which is not accurate information or states they cannot find it at all. I noticed that I get the name and location - the owner of the phone no. I look up from those free websites and I'm not getting it from the one that I pay for. Why is that? Your background checks aren't complete either. I really don't understand paying more for a might be info. If I want to gamble I would go to a casino.
Hi Patricia,
We’re sorry to hear you were unable to obtain information on certain people. Our data providers are always updating their information, but some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually, which can create gaps in our data. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2014
Some people were not fully verified and vetted for my satisfaction.
Hi Joan,
We appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent search results. Our data providers are always updating their information, however, some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually. This can potentially create gaps in the data that is provided to us. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2014
I joined last week, paid what I thought was a 6 month period plus 1.99$ for pdf download, one time only. Looked at my account only to see way more deducted. Called them immediately and was told that what I saw was only a monthly amount. I told them then to cancel my account immediately and that I thought this was bogus advertising. I was told they were only giving me back $29.58 out of the $61.15, cancelling my account, etc. They would not completely cancel the account but said I had search ability for six months and that my $29.58 would take 3-5 days to be put back into my account. That was the best they would do. 7 days later I'm still waiting. Save yourself a lot of grief and find another more reputable and honest site than this one because this one is definitely not above board and honest with it's advertising or customer satisfaction.
Hi Richard,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2014
They claim that the one month subscription is $22.86 for unlimited use of their services (running background checks on people), which they withdraw from your account immediately. But once you pay... Instead of giving you the information you've paid for, they say that because of the sensitivity of the information... you can't have the information unless you give them an additional $19.99!!! I quit at that point because that shows me that they're not a reputable company.
Hi Celeste,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2014
I am glad I purchased the trial offer because the search results were outdated and inaccurate. I searched myself is how realized how outdated the information was.
Hi Danise,
We’re sorry to hear that you weren’t happy with your report. Our developers are always working hard to integrate current data into our reports, but due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record,” some reports may be incomplete for people living in certain counties. We apologize, and will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 31, 2014
These reports are poor. It's not even worth the $1 trial plus 1.99 I paid for the pdfs. I wouldn't recommend anyone here.
Hi Julie,
We’re sorry to hear you were unable to obtain information on certain people. Our data providers are always updating their information, but some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually, which can create gaps in our data. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2014
Not always up to date information or limited background as with residence or locations.
Hi Eileen,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for. We do apologize for any inconsistencies in your search results, however, we can only display public records as they are provided to us.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2014
This service does not measure up to its advertising. I tried the service and was very disappointed in the results. The information is cursory at best and the phone numbers shown for people were all obsolete. I ran a person with a known arrest record and it came up showing no arrests. This is a total scam.
Hi Eugene,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2014
THOU SHALL NOT LIE. THE TRUTH SET ME FREE!
Hi Deirdre,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2014
This site has been very helpful in finding people with whom I have lost contact over the years, as well as helping me to use the computer in general. I am (in essence) computer illiterate. I truly appreciate the assistance.
Hi William,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for. Thank you for the positive feedback and high rating! If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2014
Find the information re Tam ** my family member. Your information seems good. However I have some questions : 1. RE her email : some people with different names have the same e-mail address Why ? 2- Her carrier is not AT&T Cali. It seems that is she is Coordinator for the the City of San Francisco, Cityguides www.sfcityguides.org, ** is her old address. Is she still at the same address? Please reply.
Hi Ton,
We appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent search results. At this time, we can only display the data that our providers give to us and in some instances this information is not always captured accurately. We are currently working through ways of amending such information based on customer input and will hopefully be able to fix such inconsistencies in the near future.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2014
Inaccurate and difficult to narrow down.
Hi Mark,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate honest feedback — it allows us to do our job better. While our data providers are always updating their information, some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, which can create gaps in our data. We want to let you know that we’re committed to making things right. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2014
On the face page of this website it sounds like are going to get unknown information regarding arrests, bankruptcies, divorces, etc. of relatives for fees listed. After paying your money, you receive Name, Address and phone number, age and birthday. That's all! Likely you know this information about your relatives. When I called immediately, I was told after a debate that they would refund 50% of my money. That is an expensive look at their website for a few minutes. Each time you want more information, they tack on an additional fee for everything so now the cost is twice as much! What a scam! Don't do it! Go to Google, Anywho and People Search first to search for the basic information for FREE!!
Hello,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2014
I am alarmed at the inaccuracies of your reports for myself and related family members. This is what is very disturbing about your product. You have connected people that have no connection and in my opinion leave us open to identity theft and other issues. For instance, I am Marilyn ** formerly Marilyn ** (Marilyn **), which you have linked to a Marilyn ** who is associated with a criminal named Garth ** in Florida. Also, my father Levi ** is linked to Levi ** (Michigan). My father Levi ** has no middle name or initial. My mother Mildred ** has never used the alias Mildred **. The report confuses the residence Yeadon, PA with the name.
Hi Marilyn,
We know how frustrating it is when you don’t get the information you were expecting. We are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible, but we are only able to display public records as they are provided to us. We sincerely apologize, and will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2014
I paid for unlimited access and have been doing searches by clicking on additional premium information without knowing I was being charged every time I hit the button for additional information. Now my card has reached its daily limit and I'm trying to search for a close family friend (70+ years old) who has been a missing person for over two months and I can't figure out how to change my credit card information in order to continue to access the information. Just being aware of how much it costs for premium access and/or how to change credit card info for billing so I can continue looking. The police helpful, and I'm not intentionally being negative, every minute counts. Please, help quickly.
Hi Theresa,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2014
Out of curiosity I signed up for a month. Pulled a report on myself, paid for the enhanced version which did not show anything about me at all, except places I might have lived. I prefer that of course, but not at all what was promised in the advertisement. Don't waste your money. Welcome email claims never state there are additional fees either.
Hi Cheryl,
We know how frustrating it is when you don’t get the information you were expecting. We are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible, but due to some states’ laws regarding public records, and slow electronic processing times in certain counties, there may be gaps in our data for some jurisdictions. We sincerely apologize, and will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2014
I paid for a detailed background check on my ex-husband to see if their information was correct and, whoa, was it off. All it gave me was his address. They had an old phone number from 10 years ago. I have the correct address and phone number anyway; however he has been arrested three times - felonies, rape against me. Was in jail. It did say he had three arrest records and then when it downloaded it said no arrest records found - unreal. You can google him and get his address and his arrests. Don't waste your money. It's a scam. I called to get my money back and they were rude and nasty and that they would only stop charging me from future charges, lol. I paid for one month.
So my point is I'm dating again and if I wanted to see if my date had any felonies or arrests, this site is not the site. My opinion, use Google or people search. This site gave me less information than what they say they give you. The girl on the phone said only liens and traffic tickets come up - bull. No one gets arrested for a traffic ticket, lol. The girl kept tripping herself up telling different stories. Beware. I don't want anyone else to get ripped off. I'm still married to my ex pending divorce. They didn't even have my last name right which every other site does. So they are full of it and should be reported to the BBB for fraud and scams.
Hi Linda,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2014
I ordered a different site a year ago after my husband was hit by a drunk driver. This site is the same **. No info, only basic. I already know. Then you have to pay even more. I really can't believe I screwed myself again. I will get rid of this ASAP.
Hi Barbara,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2014
Wonderful info service. I'm running into quite a lot of errors with viewing and downloading. Either reports can't be downloaded or the view only contains content page with no following info.
Hello,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate honest feedback — it allows us to do our job better. We apologize that you experienced technical issues when trying to view your reports, but we want to let you know that we’re committed to making things right. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to help resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2014
Trying this service only made me realize just how many companies are scamming people these days. You provided inaccurate information that I could have found on Google just as easy, and nothing was even current. That in my mind is a scam to ask for money, so there should be a 100% satisfaction guarantee, and if you did that and gave 100% refunds rather than offer 50%, you may actually start to care enough to provide accurate information.
Hi Olaf,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 28, 2014
It done as it was suppose. Only thing I would like to be able to have all search information, because as it is I have to sign in under one email address then if I want get a upgrade I have to sign in under another email address along with another credit card to get my upgrade. Kind of screwed up huh. You ask for me to say what I thought, well now you know. I have invested about 15 hrs so far just trying to do what you ask. Very poorly I think. Any case I will say, have a good day.
Hi Bill,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your honest feedback, but we're sorry to hear that you've experienced issues when trying to login. Someone from our team will be contacting you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 28, 2014
I was curious as to what information was online about me. I paid for the basic inquiry & waited. Listed the following: 1. Personal Information - My Name & date of birth with none of my phone numbers? 2. My Address - good to know where I live I guess. 3. Related Persons - My Wife & 2 people I've never heard of? 4. Possible Criminal / Arrest Records - NONE kinda knew that! 5. Sex Offenders - There's many free apps for that, besides this has nothing to do with a background check on a specific person. 6. Businesses - Not one correct item here. 7. Assets - Nothing listed? 8. Possible Licenses - apparently I fly a plane now? Doesn't even list my driver's license? 9. Social / Web - This section was the most Jaw Dropping! Nothing what so ever listed? Facebook (Public) Google+ (Public) I have Three Blogs, one of which is a News Site, I have Twitter, Instagram, FourSquare, all Public with my name. I have several other Twitter accounts associated to my name or my address where I have lived for about 15 years. 10. Horoscopes - Really Horoscopes?
I then pay for the premium account info @ $20 & I get absolutely no more info? I then have to pay $1.99 to download in PDF format? I don't usually get scammed but this site takes the biscuit. I am totally dissatisfied with every aspect of the info I got from this site. Every single bit of personal information that this site provided me I can Google for free, in fact I did Google it for free and Google came up with more info than your paid service? I am most definitely requesting a FULL refund & cancellation of my account. There is a order number box below this post, checked all my emails & there was NO order number sent nor is there one on the site under my account.
Hi Thomas,
We’re sorry to hear you were unable to obtain the information you were seeking. Our data providers are always updating their information, but some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually, which can create gaps in our data. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 28, 2014
This company promises detailed background checks on individuals and delivers horoscopes. You will get nothing more detailed than what can you can from googling someone.... THERE IS A CHARGE FOR EVERYTHING... Want your report in a PDF??? - $1.99 extra. Want "premium" information on someone - another $20.00 (I refused to give them any more money). This is highly unethical and legally questionable at best. It won't surprise me if this place is sued out of business.
Hi Andre,
We're sorry to hear you had a bad experience. We’re happy that our member care team was able to get that issue resolved for you. If you need help with anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (866) 490-5980. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 28, 2014
I was curious about the details regarding an old friend who had gotten himself into some trouble with the law. I did a few Google searches, looked at the county courthouse website, and a handful of other sites. The information provided there was limited, so I decided to try Instant Checkmate. The price they charged was exactly the same price the local courthouse charges to obtain information, so I decided to try them out and save myself a trip to the courthouse.
What a mistake. The whole site is nothing more than a scam. They rope you in with a legitimate-appearing site and then attempt to charge you MULTIPLE times with NO "Are you sure you want to pay for this" window. Once they get your information, they will just charge you over and over for everything. Even obtaining the data in PDF form costs an extra 2 dollars! Absolutely NO additional information was provided over the local courthouse site - and the only difference between what is provided by Instant Checkmate and JustMugshots.com (a FREE site) was that the image on JustMugshots had a watermark. That's it! Even the chart shown by JustMugshots is IDENTICAL to what Instant Checkmate offers (Oh, Instant Checkmate does offer you their horoscope sign! Just what I wanted to know! *sarcasm*).
Then when you realize it is a bunch of baloney, you find out that in order to cancel the service you have to call someone! Have fun waiting on hold just to keep from being charged again next month! I would be very wary of any positive reviews of this service. Take them worth a grain of salt - most likely it is nothing more than employees trying to promote their fraudulent service. Read between the lines and ask yourself "Does this sound like an advertisement?" Google is free - use that instead!
Hi Michael,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 28, 2014
I am always fair when I'm asked to give my opinion. I like your website very much, and what it offers. I've had an account for quite sometime. I have recommend this website to several people. The feedback that I have received from them is very positive. I would recommend this website to anyone who was looking for hard to find information on someone. Or someone who was hard to find. Or to someone who doesn't have the time it would take to search all the websites it would take to gather all the information you have, with one click. Thanks for asking me for my opinion. I've wanted to tell you for quite some time. How much I do like the Checkmate website. Keep up the good work. :)
Hi Pamela,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for. Thank you for the positive feedback and high rating! If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 28, 2014
I have found very little information that is not easily acceptable for free on google. I have pulled several people that I know the information you are giving is inaccurate. I am very dissatisfied.
Hi Terri,
I’m sorry that you weren’t happy with our service, but glad to hear that our member care team could help you out. Please feel free to contact us again if you need anything else. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980. Thank you for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2014
Absolutely dreadful content. Inaccurate with the majority of information on dozens of people. Looked up known offenders with zero results. Complete waste of money.
Hi Rachel,
I’m sorry that you weren’t happy with our service, but glad to hear that our member care team could help you out. Please feel free to contact us again if you need anything else. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980. Thank you for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2014
I pulled data on myself. Many items found were inaccurate. Also, I feel that after paying for "premium" information, I should not be prompted time and time again to pay for further information. It should be included. At the very least, at the time the purchase is made, you should advise customers that "premium includes X and does not include Y. If you want to see Y, you will be prompted to pay for each finding individually. I would like a refund.
Hi Kim,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2014
I ordered this to see how a family member's criminal record would show up to employers -- and it showed a clean history which is NOT correct! This doesn't tell you anything about yourself that a stranger couldn't find on Facebook or Google for FREE!!! We checked other names we knew had records -- again, showed clean. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!!! Cancel before they charge you recurring payments, and DON'T do the premium service as it's an extra $20 and is charged separately even if you cancel the account. I'm extremely unhappy with their "service", not helpful at all and obviously not accurate!
Reviewed Aug. 27, 2014
I have tried many sites on the web that say they can check backgrounds of people... let's say your daughter is going out with. Two sites that I paid for had no clue of his name (and I know for a fact he had been in prison twice) and Checkmate had him dead on. The information they collect, so far for me anyway, has been close to actual reality.
Hi Cindy,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for!
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Oct. 2, 2014
Although I still have some quarrel with the manner in which "Instant Checkmate" advertises the capabilities of their product, the manner in which their customer service department (both by phone and via email) responded to my complaints was OUTSTANDING and could not have been more fair. I am completely satisfied with the final solution and appreciate the time and attention given to this matter.
Original Review: Aug. 26, 2014
My reason for subscribing, and taking the six month option, was to be able to do criminal background checks on individuals. I was surprised to learn there was a charge of approx 20 dollars per check. It is implied in your advertising that ALL data is available on any search for the subscription fee. This is NOT correct and is very disappointing to me as an end user.
Hi Jim,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 26, 2014
Instant Checkmate: Your product did not meet my needs in any capacity. After signing up for the 3-month plan - and realizing you charge extra for for a full report (which you refer to as Premium), I regret signing up for any of your plans. A 3-day trial period would have been nice - a sample - in place of "ALL or NOTHING" type of contract. I had no idea what I was getting myself in to. I am disappointed, unsatisfied and wish to cancel my business with you. Legally, I have three days to cancel for a full refund. I am requesting that you refund in full, to same account listed to bill from. Confirmation may be sent to: **. Aug. 26, 2014 @8:55AM CST.
Hi Cleta,
I’m sorry that you weren’t happy with our service, but glad to hear that our member care team could help you out. Please feel free to contact us again if you need anything else. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980. Thank you for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 25, 2014
You are saying my sister is married to my mother. None of the record match up. A lot of Junk. And will be sure to tell all my friends.
Hi Robin,
I'm very sorry to hear you had a bad experience. We’re happy that our member care team was able to get that issue resolved for you. If you need help with anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (866) 490-5980. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 25, 2014
What a total waste of time and money. You receive junk information like a horoscope and not any sufficient information without the premium upgrade for $20 bucks each - still a joke. I finally ran my own name and when it tells you there are reports (within the upgrade) it is other people with your same name. Total rip off! I am furious with myself for falling into this hoax.
Hi Lisa,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Aug. 25, 2014
While displeased with the service itself, the customer service is great! My issue was resolved in a matter of hours.
Original Review: Aug. 25, 2014
Paid $24 and spent almost 30 minutes getting to the point that I was lead to believe would include detailed information not able to be found by myself. In actuality, I received less info than I would searching Google in just a couple of minutes for free. Tried to access my account via the e-mail sent and then they ask for more $. When you leave the site, they also offer the same package for $1 that I paid $22. Also had to pay $1.99 for a PDF to be compiled. Beyond misleading. I'm angry and want a refund immediately.
Hi Adam,
I'm very happy to see that our member care team was able to assist you. I see that your issue has been completely resolved, and that you have increased your star-rating. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 25, 2014
Felt cheated and misled. Information on address history and birth dates is very good. All other is worthless. Marriage records are extremely rare (sometimes erroneously indicated married to son or daughter). No divorce records. No serious crime records - typically minor traffic offense usually for persons obviously other than the one searched (i.e. major differences in DOB). I searched probably 40+ people to give the site a fair chance and I learned nothing (other than addresses and DOBs) and did not even see information of which I have firsthand knowledge. I did appreciate the good customer service representative who very courteously and quickly cancelled my membership.
Hi Hal,
We’re very sorry to hear that you weren’t happy with your report. Our developers are always working hard to integrate current data into our reports, but due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record,” some reports may be incomplete for people living in certain counties. We apologize, and will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 25, 2014
All the information I have found is old. Nothing is up to date. I have found that nothing is as advertised. I was looking to dig a little deeper into some information on an individual and to have had to pay for this I did not get what I thought I was getting when I read what you said I was getting. Very disappointed.
Hi Jennifer,
We're very sorry to hear you had a bad experience, but we're glad that our member care team was able to get that issue resolved for you. If you need help with anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (866) 490-5980. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 24, 2014
After using this site, I was astonished at the wealth of information available on this site. With just a basic membership, you have a lot to gain by using this site. However, if you upgrade your account, the world of information seems endless. I highly recommend this site. It is much better than other sites in its field.
Hi Billie,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find what you were looking for.
If you ever have a question, or need help with our website, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 24, 2014
When you enter a person into the dashboard, you are given so many people to choose from. If you don't know the middle initial or exact age, you're most likely are not going to find the person you're looking for. You should be able to enter other information in such as high school they went to. And it appears that the site only works if you know where the person's living now. It is not as accurate if you enter the previous state they lived in. I tried it by entering in info about myself, and it only worked if I entered my current name and current state. I entered my own maiden name and you didn't even find me?
Hi Carmen,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 24, 2014
I was lead to believe, from the sample report posted on your website, that reports would include much more data than they do (such as marriage licenses and financial data -- see attached picture). Only after purchase is it clear that you have to pay $19.99 premium PER REPORT! The data you have for people is often wrong and very incomplete. My name is associated with arrest records in Altoona, PA, and I've never been there. People I KNOW who've spent time in jail in Hawaii don't have that information in their records. People with realtors licenses, or licenses to practice law are not listed -- only FAA or DEA licenses. I haven't tried searching my doctor for his licenses, but I'm expecting that to be a failure, too. In all, very unhappy with the service.
Hi Vanessa,
We’re sorry to hear you were unable to obtain information on certain people. Our data providers are always updating their information, but some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually, which can create gaps in our data. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 24, 2014
Was unable to locate the individual whom I searched for. I know they reside in Columbus, Oh but no info about them at all. NO Listing close.
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for getting in touch with our member care team. While we’re sad to learn you weren’t happy with the service, we’re glad they were able to get that issue taken care of for you. If you would like further assistance, please contact our member care department at (866) 490-5980.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 23, 2014
Although your service offers a straightforward and simple search mechanism, the information available via your databases is limited. For example, multiple searches revealed "no records available" when that same information was readily available via direct search of state or local record databases. The "location" feature was the exception to this and did provide quite a bit of information (although would have been more helpful if it provided possible dates along with those locations). I searched multiple persons whom I know were married in many different states and counties, yet not a single record was available. Additionally, I found criminal records for many on state websites that your service did not reveal. I also found in my single "premium" search that the additional information was very expensive and revealed only what was easily accessible online for free. Finally, the "Social" feature was frustrating in that it provided information for many persons (mostly Linked In profiles) that were obviously not that of the person I'd selected from the list of possibilities.
I think your product could be a useful one if you added more databases and provided more of the information readily available via online search.
Hi Holly,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent search results. We are only able to display public records as they are provided to us, but we are constantly working hard to improve our product based on user feedback such as yours. A senior member of our team will be contacting you privately to offer further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 23, 2014
I have tried other people searches and this one is no different. Too much money and not enough information. Then the scam attempt to get a person to pay for updated information and it being an extra $20.00. If so many people in my family and friends did not want to reconnect with people and there was such a thing as a white pages, this kind of a scam business would not exist. You really should give people more for their money. Then the gauges and data fillers. Dumb... I only am saying I am satisfied because I was able to utilize what little bit of information you did give me to learn about people for a friend. That was my good deed and she was able to learn of her brother in another state passing away. You asked...
Hello,
We appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent search results. Our data providers are always updating their information, however, some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually. This can potentially create gaps in the data that is provided to us. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 22, 2014
It's ok. Tired of being charged every month, prefer pay per use.
Hi Carol,
Thank you for reaching out regarding the issues you are having with our billing system. We started our recurring membership program to provide our customers with a convenient way to get unlimited reports. We want to apologize for the problems you experienced. We strive to provide excellent member care, so a manager from our member care team will be contacting you within 48 hours to resolve your issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Aug. 25, 2014
While I was not happy with the data they provided, their customer service has been excellent. I called up to request my subscription be cancelled and the phone was answered very quickly and they raised no issues about cancelling the subscription.
Then, I wrote the review on this site, which the company saw and they are giving me a full refund. They were very proactive about doing this. I am impressed.
Looking at the reviews it does seem that the quality may vary, depending upon the state of public records, but given their service I would say.... give them a try... it can't hurt!
Thank you to InstantCheckMate for the refund!
Original Review: Aug. 22, 2014
I ran a test report on myself, and found the results to be incomplete, missing a lot of stuff, and vague in other areas. It correctly identified an Alias (short form of my first name), but then totally missed my linkedin profile and showed 10 other possible matches. It had out of date phone numbers and addresses listed as current (and I haven't moved for a year). The "sex offender" information was sensationalized, showing people who lived nowhere near me just so they could show a large number. It failed to find my divorce records... and so on. All in all its results were sensationalized and boiled down to less data than you could find on my public facebook profile.
Hi Edward,
We're so happy to see that our member care team was able to assist you in resolving your issue as quickly as possible! Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 22, 2014
I joined Instant Checkmate as they boasted they had all records you need for a valid background search. I paid for my account, logged in and was not amused to find that they didn't even show the information that was freely available on state and federal run Govt websites. This site is nothing more than a paid search engine and everything they show you can find on Google and Yahoo basic searches for free but fails to show the majority of what else those other sites provide FOR FREE. This site is a SCAM. They mislead potential customers and have very poor customer service. They did not show me ANYTHING on anyone I researched that I had not previously found in free search engines or state websites. I cancelled my account and will tell everyone I know about my experience.
Hi James,
I'm sorry that you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,Member Care Manager
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 22, 2014
Information is outdated and incomplete in quite a few incidents, sure pray you are updating this system, it needs it.
Hi Wilford,
We know how frustrating it is when you don’t get the information you were expecting. We are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible, but due to some states’ laws regarding public records, and slow electronic processing times in certain counties, there may be gaps in our data for some jurisdictions. We can only display public records as they are provided to us. We sincerely apologize, and will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 22, 2014
From the very start and throughout my full experience with this Instant Checkmate Background Check website, it has been one misleading statement after another..... Starts out leading the reader to believe free information can be obtained only to find after entering the required data that there is a charge of over $22 to get any information, which is totally minimal at the very least. Then the site says additional information is ready to be unlocked, which allows the user who has just spent the $22 plus $1.99 to print the minimal information that is of no use, to think that the site has redeemed some validity..... but in very faint writing it explains that by clicking the "bright" green box the user is authorizing the website to charge another $20 to the user's credit card!!!! Well, no thank you!!!!
I don't care to play your game. I'm a patient, self-controlled soul yet I honestly feel that Instant Checkmate truly lied to me and robbed me of $24. I do not know anything more from this background check than I knew before I began. Had I been told the different levels I would have to pay for and the data that would be revealed on each level, I could have made a wise choice to use the site or not. However, this was not the case.... Buyer beware!!!!!!!
Hi Cynthia,
I see that your issue has been completely resolved. I'm very happy that our member care team was able to assist you. Thank you again for your feedback, and please feel free to contact us at any time if you have additional questions or comments. Our US-based member care team can be reached at (866) 490-5980 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Sept. 11, 2014
The company issued a full refund for both the $1 trial and the $29 monthly fee. I definitely appreciate their customer service and am raising my star rating; however, given the inaccuracy of the data I found, I can't go above a 2 star review.
Original Review: Aug. 22, 2014
Tried the $1 trial, missed the cancellation date, so continued trying it. It's missed picking up a known arrest record as well as other important information. The information it does provide is vague (what's the use of showing me a moving violation without a location, or associating those with just a name but no face or known address?). This site just isn't worth using. I've done background checks before and have found much more accurate alternatives.
Hi Sean,
I’m sorry that you weren’t happy with our service, but glad to hear that our member care team could help you out. Please feel free to contact us again if you need anything else. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at (866) 490-5980. Thank you for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services Manager
Instant Checkmate
Instant Checkmate Company Information
- Social media:
- Company Name:
- Instant Checkmate
- Company Type:
- Private
- Year Founded:
- 2010
- Address:
- 3110 Camino Del Rio N Suite 400
- City:
- San Diego
- State/Province:
- CA
- Postal Code:
- 92108
- Country:
- United States
- Website:
- www.instantcheckmate.com
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