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.
Visit www.instantcheckmate.com- Unlimited reports with subscription
- Detailed reports
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- Use 30 data points for reports
- Not a traditional background check
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Instant Checkmate Reviews
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- 4,920,214 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.
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Reviewed July 11, 2017
I have used Checkmate for several years as part of my genealogy research. It has helped me connect with my relatives across the USA. The information is easy to read and the searches help a lot. I especially like the links to social media.
Hi Vera,
Thank you for the high rating and positive review! We're so happy to hear that Instant Checkmate has been able to help you connect with your relatives. We appreciate you taking the time to leave your feedback.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 7, 2017
As a crime victim, I shouldn't have to give them more information than they've already made public. I called them. Explained I wanted my listing removed and would give them limited info. The extremely rude woman hung up on me. I've emailed repeatedly with information and request for removal and have gotten no response. Exploring legal action against these sites, brokers, etc. Why exactly are these companies allowed to not only unilaterally publish without consent, but make money off of publishing our personal and private information?
Hello,
We're sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Instant Checkmate. InstantCheckmate.com compiles reports from millions of public records, including information provided by state and local governments. All of the information contained in our reports is part of what is referred to as "public record." As a courtesy, we provide the option for anyone to opt out of Instant Checkmate. We apologize for your troubles getting your information removed. 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 July 4, 2017
I've been a customer for several years. I HATE THE NEW INTERFACE! Nothing is showing anymore! Very bad design. I don't care about their timeline. I want to see their phone and locations. HORRIBLE! I will be investigating other services who are user friendly!
Hi Anne,
We hate to hear you're unhappy with the updates we've made to our site. We sincerely apologize for your frustrating experience, and we will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 3, 2017
1st let me say that some info I found using your program broke my heart but it also allowed me to reach out to my brother and offer him some help and comfort. BUT AS GRATEFUL AS I AM - I AM STILL FURIOUS WITH YOUR COMPANY AND I WANT RESOLUTION. I just saw on my PayPal account that I signed up for your service and paid 34.78. Your advertisement said all was unlimited for this time period. Then I look and see 4 charges for 19.95. That is $80.00 I knew nothing about. Please explain your scheme and then refund the $80.00. Thanks so much and have a wonderful 4th!
Hi Cindy,
Thank you for reaching out and we apologize for any confusion. Our monthly membership does allow unlimited access to standard reports. 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 more difficult to obtain and it costs us money for each premium report we make. We do require a customer's authorization to charge the credit card or PayPal account each time they purchase a premium report. We sincerely apologize for your frustrating experience. A member care manager will be in touch shortly to help you.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 1, 2017
I use the service to confirm mailing address and birthdate to send my clients birthday cards. Facebook tells me their birthday too, but not all have Facebook and it waits until too close to their birthday for me to get a card in the mail and to them on time.
Hi Tammy,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review about how you use our service! We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that our service helps you find what you are 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 29, 2017
Went ahead and risked it and paid $35 for month of full access. It's not full access at all. They constantly want you to upgrade. The basic info shown is nothing like a PI background check. They even want more for you to save the info in a PDF, I mean for real. Most the data was no good. Phone numbers did not reach the person, social info was broken links. I've seen a real background check and this was nothing like it.
Hi G,
We’re sorry to hear you didn’t find useful information in our reports. 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 June 27, 2017
Instant Checkmate is manipulative in its implementation if not design. After playing what is essentially a gamified cow clicker to generate a report you will be asked to pay a sizable fee, despite no indication of a paywall until you've already given the site considerable time engagement. Fear not, for if you don't take action for a few minutes the site will "congratulate" you with a $1 5-day membership.
The site recurrently reminds you that many people don't know its services exist. This could be construed as empowering its customers, or simply getting them to play IC's game the way IC wants. A background check service does real good in encouraging its users to handle its information discreetly, but the overwhelming message is not "be sensitive" but "satiate your curiosity." The writing gratuitously uses exclamatory shrieks, and the prospect and reality of customers becoming addicted to the thrill of personal information is unsettling on some levels.
If a criminal record comes up clean, the site will prompt the user to investigate additional data points with a premium subscription precisely at the moment the user scrolls to the Criminal Records section. Scrolling to the Location section and seeing a paid satellite map of someone's home residence may make you hallucinate the smell of rat poison. Instant Checkmate may be evil, but its information is organized in such a way to ensure its customers know what kind of usage of its services is illegal. It is also transparent about its (sometimes amusing) inaccuracies.
Hi Titus,
Thank you for your feedback. We apologize that you were unhappy with our service and that you did not have a good user experience. We provide our users with as much information about our service before a customer signs up. We explain what type of information our customers can expect to find in our reports, how our billing works, our Terms of Use and disclaimers, what our service can and cannot be used for, and what you can expect to find in our Standard versus Premium reports.
The purpose of providing all of this information up front is to allow the user to decide if this is the type of background check service they are looking for. From there, they can decide if they want to sign up for our services or not.
Again, we apologize for your frustrating experience, and we will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 26, 2017
Try it - free trial. Really useful service for everyone who cares about knowing anything about people and for finding people you know a little bit about. If you're just worried about one person, you'll get the information you need for free so long as you cancel within the trial period. Yes, all of the information can be found on your own and usually for free, but that cost is dependent on you considering your time absolutely worthless. I seriously did find someone I've been looking for off and on since childhood (she had her Vietnamese first name on Facebook instead of the one I knew her in school by). It didn't tell me much of anything I didn't already know about most of the people I looked up except for a bunch of current phone numbers and a few addresses, but it has been invaluable to confirm information I'd already gained through regular Google research.
Their search feature is really good - if you know someone's first and last name and have a pretty good idea of where they live, or can do good enough research (like cities with a high median income, etc.), chances are this will find them. It won't tell you everything you need to take over someone's identity, but it'll help you find them, learn about them (especially if you're already familiar with their character), and often it'll help you contact them, too. Considering it's $30 for a full month and the most effort is spent in putting together a list of all the people you know, it's well worth it. Their cancellation process is 100% hassle free, no questions asked, maybe one special offer before you go. $2-3 to save PDF reports is essential, because once you cancel your account you no longer get access to your reports. They also have apps for Android and iPhone that are fantastic. Makes it really easy to creep on people even if you've only known them a few minutes.
One bad thing is how they associate people with criminal convictions. It seems like everyone and their mother has like 100 "criminal" convictions (most of these are traffic, which doesn't get its own category). All the false positives are "partial matches" - it's on the person's list of "likely" convictions so long as a couple points match, like First and Last name. Different birthdays often get included. In Los Angeles County, you can do a name search for a couple bucks that will give you all of the criminal and civil cases a person has been involved in, though, so this isn't a big issue. Another bad thing is the sexual predator thing - it's there on everyone's report and it's often the longest portion of the report. Totally unnecessary - should at least be a collapsed section.
Never bought a premium report, largely due to the whole "gambling" thing - you have no idea if what you're looking for will be included, only what category it may be in (civil conviction, etc.), and it may not even be applicable to them (based on the shoddy criminal conviction history) - but I can definitely see a use for that. Whether they actually have to pay that much extra for such information, though, even to average out their profits depending on the information sought, I have my doubts, but I can see how it would be worth it to someone needing specific information.
Hi Ryan,
We appreciate you taking the time to review our site! We're happy to hear that you found our trial useful, and we appreciate your feedback on the criminal and sex offender section of our reports. Thanks again for the positive feedback and high rating!
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 22, 2017
They have yet to remove my protected information, blocked me from Facebook although most other companies removed my information after I explained a crime victim and my life at risk publishing my information. They do not care if I get hurt or killed a veteran. They care about making money and that is all they care about despite the fact my address is protected under the law. Very sad.
Hi Lee,
We're sorry to hear you had a negative experience with our site. Our management team is currently looking into this issue. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 12, 2017
I went on the website to determine if an acquaintance of mine was still alive. I found that he was but ever since that time I get frequent continuing requests to reopen the report. at the bottom of my computer screen. There is an X to delete them but no way to say enough!
Hi Leonard,
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 1-800-222-8985. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Reviewed June 10, 2017
I signed up for this thinking I could obtain the date of my long-ago divorce. After waiting a ridiculous amount of time to get the results, what I read did not include my current address, current employer or LinkedIn profile and most important, NO DIVORCE RECORDS. So then, thinking maybe if I get the Premium Search I would get what I was looking for -- NO! They will entice you with a message saying, "There's a big asset in your records, you should claim it," then you discover it's a house you sold decades ago.
They include those sales records, alright, but still NO DIVORCE RECORDS. Then I looked over some of my old addresses and found looong lists of names of people who "may have" lived in the same building decades ago -- people you likely never met, which fills out your "report." Then if you're feeling especially P.O.'ed by the experience, try calling "Customer Service" so they can put you in an "on hold," message loop that never gets answered. SUCH A RIPOFF. I want my money back!
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you for reaching out to us. We appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent experience with our service. An Instant Checkmate standard report may contain the following information: a person’s date of birth, phone numbers, address history, related persons, arrest records, government license information, social media profiles including email addresses, and nearby sex offenders. Although our service has included marriage and divorce records in the past, they are not currently provided. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Reviewed June 9, 2017
Every time I try to locate someone from my past, I can always find the contact information and a report. The site is super helpful! I have used it for reunions and locate former classmates, professors, and colleagues. It is well worth the cost of the membership!
Hi Saundra,
Thank you so much for the positive review! We're so glad to hear that we are able to help you locate people from your past. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Original Review: May 26, 2017
I paid $35 to see my own report and it is missing very important background information. I called to complain and I was told old records wouldn't show up. I checked a friend's record and their 20 year old record showed. I do not recommend this service.
Hi Suzanne,
We're sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Instant Checkmate and that you were unable to find the information you were looking for in your report. 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
Reviewed May 24, 2017
My ex used your site to try and find negative things against me to interfere with me seeing my children. She never even paid for a review. Just screenshot the page where it says you folks have three criminal reports on me (included... she sent me the image with a rather nasty "gotcha now" type message). Which is outright FALSE. As I've never been arrested, never failed a drug screen, never had any convictions, and have even been registered with the Department of Homeland Security for employment and shown absolutely squeaky clean.
If this is just a hook or gimmick to dupe people into paying for your service, you need to rethink what damage you can do to clean reputations. "If she paid for the service and you're telling the truth, there should be nothing there." If you're thinking of replying with that, don't bother. All it took was her screenshot without even going into detail for her lawyer to try and jump all over me in court and slander my name. Either you need to remove my information from your listings, change your "gimmick", or print up a notarized statement of the true report that shows nothing so that I may clear my name in court.
What you have done is, by definition, libel and is a criminal act in itself. It has interfered with me seeing my children and that's one line you do NOT cross with me! Remove my name, clear my name, and/or change your "gimmick". This is your only warning or you'll be hearing from MY attorney. And if I have to pay for your service to clear my name you WILL reimburse it, with interest, for hardship and defamation.
Hi Travis,
We have received your request to have your information removed from our website. Here at Instant Checkmate, we hold the utmost respect for each individual's privacy, and we apologize for any inconveniences you may have experienced due to our services. As a courtesy, we provide the option for anyone to opt out of Instant Checkmate.
We get our information from local county courthouses and census bureaus. This information is then uploaded to the database that we pull from. There 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. For these reasons, search results are filtered by "most likely," "likely," and "somewhat likely." The following disclaimer is also posted on every page of our website:
DISCLAIMER: It is PROHIBITED by law to use our service or the information it provides to make decisions about consumer credit, employment, insurance, tenant screening, or for any other purpose subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681 et seq. Instant Checkmate does not provide consumer reports and is not a consumer reporting agency. The information available on our website may not be 100% accurate, complete, or up to date, so do not use this information as a substitute for your own due diligence, especially if you have concerns about a person’s criminal history. Instant Checkmate does not make any representation or warranty about the accuracy of the information available through our website or about the character or integrity of the person about whom you inquire. For more information, please review Instant Checkmate Terms of Use.
A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to help resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Reviewed May 23, 2017
I had canceled originally, but after my company gained a lot of use out of it, I renewed. I've compared this service to BeenVerified - Instant Checkmate has consistently had more information in general and/or a correct information on people.
Hi Charli,
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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Reviewed May 21, 2017
I'm not sure how people I don't know are linked to me. Otherwise, this is the best people searching tool I have ever used. The accuracy is very good with dates of birth and past residences. This is a good product to check for identity theft is a growing crime. Keep up the good work!
Hi Rosita,
Thank you for the positive review and feedback! We're so glad the dates of birth and location information has been helpful to 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed May 13, 2017
Everything is spot on. There's zero errors in their reports! After talking with people and friends about the accuracy of the reports, everyone was impressed. They all loved InstantCheckMate.com as much as I do. Keep up the super sleuthing.
Hi Jason,
Thank you for the positive review and high rating! We're happy to hear you were impressed with our reports! 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed May 10, 2017
I had the worst experience! I just found out I was being billed by Instant Checkmate for years! Good news first: they returned me 12 months worth of payments they withdrew from my bank account, but only after I threatened to have them investigated. Bad news: There is still approx. $1,100 of my money that they kept, customer service never replied to my email, operator asked for my phone number telling me someone will get back to me and no one did! Operator was not able to provide me with my contract.
They claim that I signed up for membership back in 2013 and ever since then they were billing my bank for over $29/month, each month, even though I did not authorize this, didn't use their services or member benefits. They were sending the bills to my spam email so that way I wouldn't see them. Operator told me I will receive an email confirming my cancellation but the email never came. I have never had to deal with this before. This is the very first company that screwed me like that and won't own up to it.
Hi Yevgeniya,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed May 3, 2017
It looks as if I have multiple Premium Reports for the same person. Am I being charged for each? In the last few months a bunch of errors have begun showing up in reports that were all correct up until the last time you "appear to have updated" your system. What's going on? Don't you test changes before you put them into the system?
Hi Richard,
Thank you for your honest feedback. We apologize for any errors you may have come across in your reports. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed April 30, 2017
You recently removed all information relating to persons being dead or alive, after I indicated to your Customer Service people that it was one of the main reasons I carried the expense of continuous membership. Unless you change back, I will be terminating my membership in the very near future.
Hi Joseph,
Thank you for your honest feedback regarding your recent experience with Instant Checkmate. We do provide date of death when 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 April 22, 2017
There just didn't seem to be any in depth info. Nothing with a current address... or at least something that looked like a credible/reliable current address. No record of when the phones and emails were active. No records of divorce/marriages, court records were not nearly complete. No records of child support. Info on adult children missing. Just not worth paying more than $10 at most.
Hi Brent,
We apologize that the information was not as in depth as you were expecting. 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 April 20, 2017
Overall great, but your profiles need to be updated. They do not have the most up-to-date information, plus they keep referring back to old information (i.e. addresses, at the top left side, phone numbers, etc.) and it has been deleting aliases that are currently used that are verified. Some criminal records do not show up in the paid Premium Reports, nor does some of the assets. I hope by me doing this some of these issues are fixed/updated. Thanks.
Hi Angel,
We appreciate your honest feedback regarding the information found in your reports. 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 or up to date. We apologize and will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed April 20, 2017
A lot of my son's information has been merged into my info. This problem needs to be addressed by checking birth dates and Social Security Numbers, and Addresses. My son has a HVAC License and has lived in Athens, Ga most of his life. He was born ** in Riverside, CA while I was a member of the US Air Force.
Hi Ricky,
We're really sorry to hear some of your son's information has been mixed into your report. 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. 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 April 18, 2017
The information I got wasn't dissatisfying, but I did expect a little more for the monthly fee... plus $19.99 per premium report? That one caught me by surprise but thought I'd try it once to see what I got. Nothing life changing, actually not much additional information. Not everyone is going to have dirt pulled on them... and a lot of the dirt was accessible from other sites. I was OK with getting through the first month and then cancelling, even after paying the extra $19.99 premium fee, but what ticked me off was I ended up with another premium charge. There is a pop up that asks you if you're ready for the premium, and I admit it was a little late, but for $20 a pop I think it should take you through more of a check out process, rather than just hitting one button.
Reviewed April 17, 2017
I have found that I can not get any information on some Persons!!! Which is VERY DISAPPOINTING TO ME!!! And a lot of Information is not up to Date!!! Like Phone Numbers and Addresses... It also said that I myself have 34 criminal charges which is very WRONG!!! And has my daddy has 8 and he has NONE PERIOD!!!
Hi Raymond,
We’re sorry to hear you didn’t find what you wanted. While our data providers are always updating their information, some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, which creates gaps in our data. 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. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed April 14, 2017
Usually helpful. It would be beneficial if you could indicate the last time a phone number was verified as you indicate the last time an address was used. It is infuriating that your drop-down messages that have check boxes for "Do not show this again" are completely ignored. If you plan to ignore the check boxes, then don't include them on the drop-downs. It just makes Checkmate look inefficient or insensitive to your customers.
Hi Robert,
Thank you for your honest feedback. We'll bring that issue up with our developers. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed April 7, 2017
This was not at all helpful, there was no useful additional information that wasn't available elsewhere for free - don't waste your money on the upgrade. This information is not even up to date as I found other addresses elsewhere that weren't even listed in the upgrade.
Hi Carol,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985. Thank you for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed April 6, 2017
First of all they tell you you can search for free on the web and then when you go on their site. You sit there and wait sometimes 20 minutes for them to retrieve all the information then once they tell you they have your background check on the person then it proceeds to direct you to a payment page when it says it's for free. It should be for free. I think that that's false advertisement.
Hi Melissa,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985. Thank you for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed April 6, 2017
Too many dropdowns. Right in the middle of every search, down comes the ad to buy the premium report. I like your product and the ease of use but I will change if the annoying dropdowns persist. Once every 10 times would be ok. Please!!
Hi Larry,
Thank you for your honest feedback, and we apologize for your frustrating experience. There is a checkbox on these popups that you can click that says "Don't show this again." If you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please do not hesitate to contact Customer Support at 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: April 21, 2017
The Instant Checkmate service did not work for me but when I notified customer service of my displeasure they did everything possible to accommodate me and help me resolve my issue. Great customer service team and I would recommend them again.
Original Review: April 5, 2017
I signed up to do a background check on myself and this service did not provide any useful information. To add insult to injury I was just charged again for this ** service. I regret having signed up but I will be canceling this subscription as soon I finish this review.
Hi Lamesha,
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 1-800-222-8985. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed April 3, 2017
I was looking for my girlfriend's biological father. I had limited information and the information I entered seemed to pop up the most accurate results in all the searches we have done in the last 2 years. I am happy with it. The information is presented in an organized and easy to understand manner. It also makes it easy to connect the dots when researching lost relatives. I have found my own lost relatives by other means and wish I use Checkmate sooner. Hopefully everything pans out well for my girlfriend. No one should go their entire lives without knowing the other half of their genetics.
Hi Angel,
Thank you for taking the time to leave your positive feedback! We're so happy to hear that our service is helping you and your girlfriend find lost 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed April 1, 2017
Premium report. My extra $20 made no difference whatsoever, though I know for a fact there was more info on that subject. I thought the boost extended to my other searches (wishful thinking, I realize now; you avoided specifying). Unless you improve my experience, I won't be renewing. Please do not charge me anymore.
Hi Drew,
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 1-800-222-8985 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 31, 2017
I found out who my boyfriend's other girlfriend is. He only told me he was seeing somebody else, but would not tell me who it is. It is someone he once lived with. She is 6 years older than him. I am 9 years younger than him. She was a nurse and is still working (possibly with pets in some capacity). I know she has children and grandchildren.
Hi Bonnie,
Thanks for taking the time to provide your feedback! 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 31, 2017
Needed information about my estranged son's family for inclusion in his grandmother's family tree. Did not have wife's full maiden name, nor did it have any information of my grandchildren's full names or dates of birth. TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY!!
Reviewed March 27, 2017
You're doing a great job helping me find people. It is a tough job with moving targets. I have been looking for friends, relatives and classmates. In most cases I have found good information. I greatly appreciate the possible relatives which has been very useful in making positive ID.
Hi George,
Thank you for the positive feedback! We're happy to hear we are able to help you find your friends, relatives, and classmates. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 27, 2017
I've been using this program a few months now and it's paid itself off several times over. The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that it is overpriced on the additional information reports. It should be half the cost to run the additional report even though it costs you money.
Hi Sarah,
We're glad to hear you like our service, and we appreciate your honest feedback regarding our premium reports. We apologize for your frustrations about the costs of the premium upgrades, and we will contact you in order to get this issue resolved as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 25, 2017
I have been looking for a service like Instant Checkmate offers for a few months now. All the awards and reviews on the website I chose Instant Checkmate. I purchased the Standard Report and it took a good 20 minutes to receive the partial information. I did not receive what was promised and had to pay again to be able to see the information. Then Instant Checkmate wanted me to pay more again to see the information but thank goodness I did not give in. Instant Checkmate offers a wonderful service but it is not real! After being told I would get all these searches done and what would be on the report it basically made me pay more to see it and I only did because it said it was there (something was found). Then after paying more it gave me a piece and again said to pay more to see what was found. I'm not one to be such a fool but Instant Checkmate got me.
I was just waiting on the phone for 30 minutes because they are open 24/7 to discuss this matter. All I did was press 2 to talk to an agent then I waited for 30 minutes and hung up. I have been in the customer service and sales field for many years and I would never go to the extreme and lie to get a sale. Never have I written a complaint or bad review but Instant Checkmate takes advantage of people in need. All in all the information found was all information I knew from Google. Beware of this website and don't be a fool like me.
Updated on 05/17/2017: Please do not trust this company even if you have spoke to them! They assured me I would not be charged anymore and I would be refunded for the 2 months. They are still charging me without consent!! I used their service one time and purchased a one time only not a subscription! This company is a scam! I'm going to have to take legal action!
Hi Heather,
Thank you for your feedback. 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 March 22, 2017
The price to join is reasonable but if you want more than just address and phone you have to pay an additional $19.95 for each search.
Hi Karen,
Thank you for reaching out. We strive to provide our members with extensive public record information in our standard reports (including names, aliases, phone numbers, location history, possible related persons, arrest records, sex offenders, licenses, social media accounts, and horoscopes). However, customers do have the opportunity to upgrade their Standard Report to a Premium Report, which will supply additional and supplemental data about a person. A premium purchase is not required to view basic information.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 15, 2017
Report shows nothing. No previous driver's licenses. No address dates. No previous court dates. Waste of money. Will cancel if no back-dated info shows up within 30 day period. I need previous driver's license for Michael ** and past addresses, court dates in Virginia 1989-1992, and Virginia tax liens past that proved where I lived 1989-1992.
Hi Michael,
We’re sorry to hear you didn’t find the information you were looking for in your report. While our data providers are always updating their information, some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, which creates 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 March 10, 2017
Very quick and easy to order. Great introductory offer. Very accurate information and fairly up to date. I would recommend this to a friend. Easy to navigate and great customer service. This is one of the best people search sites I have used.
Hi Tracy,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating! We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that you are enjoying our service. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 7, 2017
I signed up for a $1.00 trial account for this service. The information they allow you to see is outdated and vague. Additional information is all extra payment, and not much is there, making it not worth it. I forgot to cancel it within the "trial" period and found they had charged me, within the trial period, $1.00, 4 payments of $29.63, and 1 payment of $29.66. To date, (it's been over two weeks since I initially signed up for a "trial") I have yet to receive any sort of refund whatsoever. I am not a wealthy person and this has significantly devastated my finances. Not only is the information lousy, the stress created from the bogus bank charges makes it definitely a website to avoid unequivocally. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!
Hi Kate,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 7, 2017
I am frustrated by having you locate information via a phone number and then having you list several different people when I ask for a background check. If I want more information I want it on the person who is connected with that phone number, not a list of similarly named individuals.
Hi Al,
Thank you for your honest feedback. We're sorry to hear you were frustrated by how our service returns results. We are always making improvements to our site based on customer feedback such as yours.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 21, 2017
I have used this service before and all was fine. This time my payment has been deducted but I cannot access reports. I've called 4 times and on hold forever. I've also used the option to have an agent call me back, no call has came. Basically, I've lost 35.00.
Hi Vicki,
Thank you for reaching out. We apologize that you were unable 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 Feb. 19, 2017
I created an account with Instant Checkmate for one month. Gave log-in required information and password (kept record not to forget). Subsequently, my attempt to log-in failed. Phoned and was given directions to log in with the temporary word "checkmate" because I requested to change my password. In fact, truth is I never requested such a change. Besides, had I asked to change, I would have changed it myself. Even today, with my original password, I cannot log in. Second deceptive issue: on two (2) occasions I was charged, much to my surprise, twice $19.99 extra.
In my discussions with your personnel, the deceptive word in very large printing (continue) is clearly a deceptive design to seek more information in which case your company charges that fee. Information seeking three names gave scant and several errors in your report. In one case, you could not locate a person even though I gave full name, residence, state. Your reply: not available. I know he exists, we're on facebook. Clicking "continue" in another case with wrong reporting, I discovered your company charged me $19.99. Bottom line: I will no longer use Instant Checkmate, instead, urge anyone never to use their deceptive service.
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 16, 2017
Not much to say than absolutely satisfied with the service. I was able to get all that I was looking for and I am still hoping to get more from the website. It will be great to have friends and family know about the good service and let them know how well the website functions.
Hi Brian,
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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 29, 2017
I went through the process to do a search on their site. I used a temporary email address that had only been used to receive emails and had not been used in several months. It had not received any email in several months. Immediately after giving them my email address and ensuring that I unchecked any boxes that said they could share information, that email address started to receive spam emails. Now, a month or so later, it receives 2-5 spam emails a day and the number is growing. Several of the emails have been detected to have malicious code in them. Very poor site. I usually don't take the time to comment on anything, but this site and their affiliates are the type of people that should be driven from the internet.
Hello,
Thank you for reaching out. A senior member of our team will be in touch privately to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 8, 2017
I asked Instant Checkmate to cancel my so-called "membership" in May and asked the bank to stop auto debiting my account. They continued debiting my account until October at which point my bank stopped payments, even though I asked my bank in May to stop paying them. I contacted them again yesterday and told Instant Checkmate that this is my second time contacting them. They said they have no record, and would now send me an email receipt acknowledging my cancellation. I also filled out their useless online cancellation form. I still have no email from them. I want my money back that they stole from me and I want them to stop auto-enrolling unsuspecting users into a phony membership, whose purpose is to steal money and make it impossible to stop them from doing so. I want them shut down and convicted of deceptive and fraudulent business practices. DO NOT ENGAGE BUSINESS WITH THEM.
Hi Shelley,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 1, 2017
I signed up for Instant Checkmate to satisfy my curiosity. Sure, it takes a few minutes to provide you with information you could go get yourself for free, but what their service does in 6 minutes would probably take the average Joe 6 hours, assuming he/she knew where to get the information, because it is all considered public information unless that person "shields" that information from public view.
The problem, as always, is the representation of the product. If you "order" a phone number search, that's what you get, a phone number. The name of the person linked to that phone number is only as good as the last time the carrier updated the information, or, on the flip side, the link to the person who uses the number is only as good as the information online. Huh? That's right. Let's say the number is registered to John L Doe. So you google the name. What you probably didn't realize is it's NOT the same John L Doe you're looking for. It's just the way search engines work sometimes. Very common names (words) are ranked by use. Use doesn't care if it's the right one.
As with ANY purchase, reading the fine print will reveal pretty important stuff. With Instant Checkmate, when you pay for a year, you get a year. Even if you cancel, you're still paying for the year. Your account is still active, so if you sign back in at any time after you cancel, you incur even more charges. So if you're like me, you "ordered" the phone search. Yep, that's what I got. If I want more information than the phone number, it costs more money. Want to download that in information? Yes, it costs more money, and be mindful, these are not "one-time charges" they are recurring billing charges.
I have followed the cancellation instructions several times. I have successfully "canceled" my contract several times. Unfortunately all users sign a limited use contract without knowing it. In other words, you're stuck with it and the charges until your subscriptions end. Don't bother calling the customer service number. Nobody will answer. If they do, they are not terribly helpful. The long and the short of the story is I've paid Instant Checkmate $169.30 for two (2) phone number searches. Neither was accurate. Want to avoid all this? Do your own research on how to find accurate public information for free. Really.
Hi Aaron,
We're so 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Jan. 20, 2017
Instant Checkmate reached me to correct the situation in quick fashion. I am very satisfied with their response.
Original Review: Nov. 10, 2016
Two items. 1- I think many of your email addresses shown in profiles are inaccurate. These need to be better verified. 2- I received an invite and completed a live survey with COURTNEY (Dir of Research at Checkmate). She promised a $40 AMAZON Gift Card which I NEVER RECEIVED. I will shortly be sharing this fact on social media.
Hi Terry,
Thank you for your feedback and for reaching out. We will contact you privately to work out the issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Nov. 3, 2016
I did one check on 8/4 for their monthly fee knowing that they now will automatically charge every month for unlimited checks unless you cancel. I could have sworn I called and cancelled it yet when I called back with close to a $100 of billing for one usage in August and begged them to refund the $30 they just charged me for the third time yesterday because things are so tight. I can't even buy groceries. They REFUSED!! What a greedy company who can care less about their customers or their reputation!
Hi Melody,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Oct. 14, 2016
I tried this service and the reports were totally blank except the person's name and address which I already knew. I complained and they basically said sometimes that happens, of course in a longer winded version of that but same BS. It happened 3 times because I tried several as a test before I gave up on it. They refuse to refund me. Oh well live and learn, but thought I'd share.
Hi Bruce,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate honest feedback — it allows us to do our job better. We apologize that there was a problem with the reports you pulled, and that we were unable to get your issue resolved when you contacted our member care team. We have contacted you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Oct. 5, 2016
I used instant checkmate back in March 30, 2014 and at that time did not set up a recurring auto payment. I set up a one time payment to see my report such as this statement taken right off of your website: "Remember, you do not need to purchase a Premium Report to access all of the information available in your Standard Report. Our Premium Reports contain exclusive data that is not available in standard reports, and this information is gathered from an extensive network of secure databases. To access the premium data, a onetime payment of $19.99 will be applied to the credit card on your file."
"Why is there an additional charge? Premium data can be highly sensitive, and we pay an extra fee each time we unlock this information for our users. To help cover this cost and keep our membership prices as low as possible, we must charge a small upgrade fee. Remember, you do not need to purchase a Premium Report to access all of the information available in your Standard Report."
I was never one to check my account and did not think there would have been any dishonesty from this company. However not once but two times a month for the last 30 months you guys have been taking money out of my account. I just realized it and am so upset. The first charge every month is for $19.86 and then the next amount is $29.63. So they did more than take a monthly charge out - they did it twice in two amounts. I looked into this on my account and nowhere on my account did it show I was set up for an recurring charge nor did it say I was set up for a certain account. I opened up another window while logged in and looked someone up to see what it would charge for additional information and copied information for this letter.
Next thing I know it tagged my husband to my account even though I did not look him up in it. They obviously do not have things put together there and their website gives you little to no information about your account. I live paycheck to paycheck and have 3 children 2 of which are disabled and am totally upset that they would take advantage of someone just hoping that they would not notice like me. They have taken a total of $1484.70 out of my account just for me looking to look up a couple people back in 2014.
I trusted the one time payment and never agree to a monthly payment and now I have to look into legal action to get my money back. How sad to run your business like this and take peoples money. I would hope that no one else gets fooled into using this place and have the same problem happen to them like me. That money could have went the therapies for my boys instead of Instant Checkmate stealing it.
Hi Bonnie,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 27, 2016
Mediocre results. Cannot readily tell what is current and what is not.
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 Sept. 8, 2016
I opted into this service and would not have left a negative review if it did what it said it would. I was also extremely disappointed to learn that many of the features they promise require you to pay more and more money. These were features that were advertised in the initial signup. You're paying approximately $30 to sign up, and if you really want pertinent information, you're required to opt in and pay for more. They should give access to those "premium" features/services because that (I guess?) is where you'll find important information - it's the only reason people are signing up.
Hi David,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2016
This site is a total scam. You get absolutely NOTHING for the $22 fee. If you want any significant information such as court records you will have to pay for an "upgrade". This is deceptive and exploitative. I wish only trouble and pain for the people who run this site.
Hi Lynn,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Sept. 3, 2016
I looked up myself and people I know and address, phone numbers, jobs, etc. were all several years out-of-date. It seems pretty pointless to continue this service after my one month subscription is up.
Hi Gilman,
We’re 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 Aug. 24, 2016
I needed to run few background checks, and accidentally used my personal gmail address instead the address I typically use for these services. Within 2 days, I started receiving 500-1000 new spam messages to that email! I called the company and asked why they sold my information and they said, "just go unsubscribe from the spam messages." Of course, they could not be bothered.
Hi Andrew,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 21, 2016
Very good in most, many lookups. Do not like the drop down messages. Please stop them, it is annoying.
Hi Louis,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your honest feedback about our popup messages — we are always looking for ways to improve our user experience. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 18, 2016
It helped me find a ton of my lost friends and family members I would have never found on my own! LOVE IT.
Hi Sonia,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find your lost friends and family members! Thank you for the positive feedback, and we're glad you love our service. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 17, 2016
Instant Checkmate is a public records search engine that apparently sold the unique email address I gave them to spammers who have continued to send unwanted emails nearly a year after they were first told to stop.
Hi Jon,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 12, 2016
I've paid for and used this service for years and now I can't seem to get in. Horrible. I may have to cancel.
Hi Kathryn,
We're so 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 4, 2016
Very Unhappy with searches. I was unable to locate any information on some, only partial on others and on another there was someone else's arrests.
Hi Shelley,
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. 2, 2016
I used this service to check my criminal record but was discouraged as soon as I saw that the site didn't even get my birth date right! After all of those loading screens, making me think I was going to see tons of information, I was disappointed to see very little accurate information. Cancelled my account after about 5 minutes. Wish I could get my $22 back. :(
Hi Sarah,
We’re very sorry you are no longer a member of Instant Checkmate, but happy to know you got things straightened out with our member care team. If you have additional questions, our member care center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2016
Did not list my one speeding ticket from 1985, in Wisconsin. Did not list my cleaning business, in Bowling Green, KY, from 1997-1998. Listed a wrong state that I lived in -- Holland, MI. Did not list the house and property I own in Warren County, Kentucky. Did not list my three social media accounts, former and present: Facebook, MySpace, Google+. Did not list my second daughter. No past employment records were provided for me, Derek **. Did not list my university education, or my current SS disability. I feel like I was scammed. Plus every time a new piece of information was offered, a very high, ridiculous price was presented. I will never use this again. I will warn all of my relatives, friends, and former co-workers to not waste their money on instantcheckmate.com. I am very disappointed.
Hi Derek,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2016
The report on the person I was researching was very helpful. It contained much pertinent contact information. I was able to search by phone number and also by name. The name search produced much more data. It was good to know an even more thorough background check was available by paying a small fee if I needed it, but I only wanted the basic search provided to members. Once again my subscription to Instant Checkmate is well worth it.
Hi Todd,
We’re so happy to hear that you find your Instant Checkmate subscription well worth it. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 30, 2016
I only found one small and insignificant bit of information I wasn't already aware of. The pricing at the initial sign up surely didn't reflect that to get any decent information. You would be charge additional amount for any little bit of information. I wanted cell phone numbers and wasn't able to obtain them. This site is nothing but a money grabber.
Hi Denine,
We're sorry to hear you were dissatisfied with our service. 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 July 29, 2016
I signed up and paid for what I thought was a single background check on myself. I was curious what is out there for prospective employers to see. I watch my bank account daily, having seen identity theft in action happen to others. Also I was a Fraud Agent for a major bank. The company took over 200 dollar out of my account on a Sunday, in bits and pieces. Fortunately, I was working that day with full monitoring and it would have been impossible for me to make the transactions. The guy who took care of me tried to see if I would settle for half my money back and talked about it probably was someone who hacked me. After finding out I had proof that it could not have come from anywhere but Instant Checkmate, he returned all my money. I turned them into the FTC, but I guess the scams are more than their resources can handle. Stay away from this company.
Hi William,
We're 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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 27, 2016
The next time your software team works on the site, would you please give some merit to adding DELETE? The ARCHIVE feature is somewhat useful; however, I'm sure that a new customer like myself will look their own name up, their spouse, someone they really know, just to see how accurate the results are, etc. It would be great to DELETE that resulting record rather than using ARCHIVE before moving and/or after searching other people.
Hi Paul,
Thank you for the high rating and for taking the time to provide your feedback. We really appreciate your feedback and will pass this feature request along to our development team. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 26, 2016
This service surprised me because I was skeptical about receiving real value for my money. I do not find everything I'm looking for, but I'm still learning how to use the search inquiry to find what I really need. This isn't a copycat service of competing providers either as I use competing providers of this same service as well in my searches. They all have their "secret sauce" search engine that yield different results and I like the ability to dig further when necessary.
I had one issue with the company, but it was immediately resolved with a supervisor and I'm pleased with the results as it makes my sometimes monotonous job easier to manage. I could easily recommend this service to anyone. By the way, I have renewed my 3-month purchase again. I especially like the following features: Possible relatives, social media links (hit and miss here), addresses have a date when last seen (allows me to cross reference another address from a competing service) and ability to search further when needed.
Hi Derek,
Thank you for taking the time to provide us feedback of your experience with Instant Checkmate. We're so happy to hear that you are able to find the information you need and that our member care team was able to resolve your issue right away. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 26, 2016
Any service that promises detailed information to lure you into slapping down your credit card then adds a disclaimer after they don't provide that information is a scam. Many people are looking for arrest and legal records in order to apply for pistol permits. This site initially promises that information only to recant it at the last steps saying info may not be accurate. There is no way to find out if there is legal information in the report without putting down your credit card and paying $28 + another $2 to download a pdf. There was literally NO legal information included in the report instead it states local, state and government law offices do not provide that information. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY and be sure if you do to cancel the recurring monthly charges. I considered disputing the credit card charges since it is really a scam not a legitimate service.
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: July 25, 2016
They first explained why info might not be as up to date as I expected. Then they were more than willing to give me a full refund which I found was more than fair. So, yes, I feel the issue was resolved.
Original Review: July 23, 2016
I looked up a couple of people and there was no "in depth" information revealed. In fact, much of what I already knew wasn't even listed. I feel this was not worth the cost and I feel ripped off.
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 July 23, 2016
I've used instant Checkmate before and really liked it but now it seems every thing cost extra and there's not much more info.
Hi Cleveland,
Thank you for reaching out to let us know about your recent experience with our site. We're really sorry to hear that you are no longer as satisfied with our service. We sincerely apologize and will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 23, 2016
Very dissatisfied with the information presented because I was able to find all the information on my own prior to Instant Checkmate's service. I thought that I was going to receive much more detailed and accurate information through the Premium access but I was sadly disappointed and will not be recommending this service.
Hi Iris,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 22, 2016
The information provided is old information. Nothing is up to date.
Hi Shauntel,
We're so 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Service
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 21, 2016
On your page you said there is no other charge for reports like other sites. Only the monthly membership fee. But you want extra funds to view reports just like other sites. False statements on your web page.
Hi Fred,
We get our information from local county courthouses and census bureaus. This information is then uploaded to the database that we pull from. There is a possibility that some information may not show on a given individual because some state and local laws restrict us from accessing certain records which may not be considered “public” in that jurisdiction. In addition, users do have the option to upgrade to a premium report if they choose to do so, however a premium upgrade is not required to view basic information such as names, aliases, phone numbers, location history, possible related persons, arrest records, sex offenders, licenses, social media accounts, and horoscopes. If you have additional questions, our member care center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 20, 2016
I was able to find information about me that I never knew would ever be online!!! I was so into it I started researching my family to see if they were at risk as well. Turns out EVERYONE had info online. Thanks to InstantCheckmate.com we are all now in the process of taking all our info off the net!
Hi Ruben,
Thank you for your positive review 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 19, 2016
Inaccurate info. I basically paid for info that is easily found via the internet!
Hi Melinda,
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 July 19, 2016
I was lead to believe you would give information, instead there were hidden charges to receive nothing more than I already knew. Things that should be listed were not. Very disappointed. Glad I didn't order the three month service. Would like my money back so I can go somewhere else to get real information. If you'd like to upgrade me to the premium member at no additional cost and it proves to have legitimate information I will happy to pay for it at that time.
Hi James,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 19, 2016
You changed your categories and length of membership terms without informing your existing loyal members, also raising the price substantially.
Hi John,
Thank you for reaching out to us — we appreciate the honest feedback. Our loyal members are very important to us, and we will contact you privately to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 18, 2016
The process is too long. I did not find what I was looking for. It is a complete waste of money. Unfortunately I am dissatisfied. I desire a refund.
Hi L C,
We're sorry to hear you were unable to find what 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 July 17, 2016
Information is accurate in most cases. Provides additional information that may be helpful. The opportunity to give feedback on any possible discrepancies is a bonus. It was overall a useful tool, that require much more time and effort to locate the information provided, if you did the research on your own.
Hi Sylvia,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating! We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear you find Instant Checkmate to be a useful tool. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 17, 2016
Not only in premium reports but in all reports, there seems to be no real distinguishing areas about accounts and all the same people & info gets the same mentioning in other reports. It becomes difficult to separate what belongs to who.
Hi Lorraine,
Sorry to hear you were unhappy with our premium reports. 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. This is due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record.” 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 July 16, 2016
I did a check on a young lady I had met online. It was great knowing so much about her BEFORE I got involved. I'd highly recommend this to every Man and Woman. We didn't work out but at least I knew a lot about her before we met. She wasn't so smart as I advised her to do the same with me, look me up, I have nothing to hide. But she was actually going to have sex with me, and me spend the night without knowing anything but phone calls and texts, which were great, but it was crazy on her part.
Hi John,
Thank you for the high rating and for taking the time to share your positive experience with Instant Checkmate! 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 16, 2016
When I signed up, I ordered three Premium Reports and PDF privileges, but apparently my credit card turned down the extra charges. I called the credit card company and confirmed the charges, then tried again. Again, it didn't work. I logged onto your website and was able to add the PDF privileges at the price quoted, but now the Premium Reports appear to be $14.99 each -- three times the price what you offered (and which I tried to accept) on sign up. I called your customer service and Rodney said, "Luck of the draw." In other words, I'm screwed. I am not trying to get anything I didn't pay for, but it would nice to actually get what I ordered from you rather than paying three times the price because my credit card company (probably based on previous experience) thinks you might be fraudulent.
Hi Katrina,
Thank you for reaching out. A senior member of our team will be in touch privately to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 16, 2016
I have been able to find a lot of useful information here. Most of it is up to date. I would like them to have their records a little more up to date, but it is not an easy feat so I understand. Other than that, this service has really come in handy.
Hi Alicia,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating! We’re so happy to hear that our service has come in handy for you. We appreciate the feedback, and we are constantly working with our data providers to get our customers the most up-to-date information possible. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 15, 2016
I expected much more for my money. There was a lot of missing information as well as incorrect information. I looked up people who I know very well to see how accurate the reports were and was shocked to find how inaccurate they turned out to be. If the info on the people I know is so inaccurate, how am I supposed to trust the info on the reports I get on people I don't know? I couldn't even find myself on here and I have loads of public record info available on me. PS. The upgrade report costing more on top of my monthly fee is double insulting.
Hello,
We're so 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 14, 2016
I am very dissatisfied with the site and with the review process--I have already filled this out, clicked on submit, and was informed the website couldn't be found. I believe that as your address information is so outdated on some people that no one could find some of the people I have looked up. I know this as I looked up "known" entities and saw that you were sometimes as much as 10 years behind in terms of address information. It is clear that you glean information simply from sources I can use myself for free, and I don't see the point in paying for a report that is inaccurate. I have cancelled my subscription, and I will not be recommending you to others.
Hi Mary,
We’re sorry to hear that you weren’t happy with the location records in your reports. 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 July 14, 2016
Provides a decent glimpse into someone's background, but even when you upgrade to Premium there is an overabundance of outdated info.
Hi Maurice,
We're sorry to hear the information in your reports were not completely up-to-date. 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 July 14, 2016
I would like to be able to search by "place of employment" or "associated with (some person)". Also, there is not a lot of info about where people work.
Hi S,
We appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent search results. We are currently working with our data providers to obtain more information including places of employment. We apologize that you were unable to find all of the information you were looking for, but again, your feedback is very valuable to us. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 13, 2016
Lots of mistakes and omitted info. Checked info on several people, including myself, that is highly inaccurate. You didn't even get my name right. It's Cynthia Anne **... not Cynthia Ann **. The e is important to me.
Hi Cynthia,
We’re sorry to hear you didn’t find the information you were expecting. 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. This is due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record.” 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
Updated review: July 21, 2016
I was very unhappy because the information for the person I was checking on was incorrect. I notified them and they refunded my money.
Original Review: July 11, 2016
I was searching for court records for Jesse ** and everything that came up on him was incorrect. That is why I cancelled my membership.
Hi Cheryl,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 11, 2016
I thought my experience was frustrating! After paying for the service, access to the report came up. Then these pop ups came up and the page became shaded and I was not able to maneuver around the page. I just wanted to view the report and not download it. That was an additional cost, not a problem, however, I am not finding the report on my computer.
Hi Toni,
Thank you for reaching out. We're sorry to hear you are running into technical issues when navigating our site. 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 July 11, 2016
I have performed 5 searches, 3 to find long lost family members, and 2 to find friends. All were found quickly and accurately, 1 with very little information to go on. This is a fantastic search engine! I don't know how you do it and I worked in information technology for over 10 years. I am so grateful for all the joy your product has added to our lives. Without your product, I can't begin to think how empty the end of my life would have been. I have a rare but wasting illness and you have allowed me to meet with people I never would have found without you. Thank you so much!
Hi Patricia,
We’re so happy to hear that our service is helping you locate long lost family members and friends! Thank you for taking the time to share your story and provide us with such positive feedback. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 11, 2016
Easy to follow set up directions. Received my reports very fast and without errors! Would definitely use again if needed.
Hi Mary,
That's great news! We're so glad to hear that our service is fast and easy to follow. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 11, 2016
Under my report it has a Betty ** with police charges of burglary. I don't know this person. Last time I checked that info wasn't stated. This is a great informative site.
Hi Betty,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that you find our service informative. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 10, 2016
First time user. Much of my own personal information was missing or inaccurate. The most stroking was my middle name which was some ridiculous phrase I'd never heard. Some small details that were listed were spot on while other HUGE pieces of information were missing altogether, including my current phone number of two years.
Hi Daniel,
We appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent search results on your personal background report. 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 July 10, 2016
The ordering was very easy and the person I talked to on the phone was helpful and knowledgeable. I was able to make the right decision for my situation. Enjoying looking up people I know and correcting some on the information on my family. Just might use it again at a later time.
Hi Ann,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback on your recent experience with Instant Checkmate. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 10, 2016
Before paying it showed me all this information on a person I was looking for and then once I paid it showed me limited information so I paid an additional 20 dollars and there was nothing on this person. This is the worst service ever. You folks are just after money and not providing information that is really needed. A waste of 40!!!
Hi Epiphany,
We’re sorry to hear you didn’t find what you wanted. While our data providers are always updating their information, some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, which creates 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 July 10, 2016
This site has kept me in the know and out of trouble as long as I use it responsibly.
Hi Jim,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helps you stay in the know. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 8, 2016
Generally I am happy with your service and use it frequently. Each time I run a search, however, a blue banner titled "Notice: Additional Information" pops up. At the bottom it states, "If you do not want to see this notice again, click here." I have clicked about 50 times and it still pops up every time. That throws the competence of your software design in question.
Hi Robert,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback as it helps us to improve our site. We will pass this feedback onto our developers. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 7, 2016
The available information, for the standard package, is information that can be gained for free by an individual from public information. Great bait for use in catching us "Suckers"! Info is not current on individuals and I thought I was paying for current information.
Hi Brett,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 7, 2016
When I attempt to view my reports, the screen goes grey & I cannot click on anything that will open the report.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for reaching out. 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 July 7, 2016
I love this service. I meet so many people online and in life and I am sometimes a bit too trusting. While, sometimes not all of the information is 100% accurate, it more accurate than what I am able to come up with my own individual manual searches and much quicker. I am able to much more accurate results in minutes instead of questionable results over a period of hours by my own efforts. Considering the frequency that I use this service, it is well worth the low cost. Thank you for this service.
Hi James,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helps learn more about the new friends you meet in life and online. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 7, 2016
I use Checkmate for verifying names, locations and ages of people in my family tree and the possible relatives part of your program have found other family members. I recommend advertising to the thousands on Ancestry and I recommend you on Facebook.
Hi Ralph,
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 genealogical research. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 6, 2016
After paying for a month, I was disappointed that all the information included is info I can look up and find out myself without paying anybody. The basic plan is of no value in my opinion.
Hi Carol,
We're very sorry to hear that you were unable to find the information you were looking for. We strive to provide our members with extensive public record information in our standard reports (including names, aliases, phone numbers, location history, possible related persons, arrest records, sex offenders, licenses, social media accounts, and horoscopes). However, some jurisdictions do not release certain records to the public, or they may not update their databases annually, so we are unable to provide records for people living in certain areas. A senior member of our team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 5, 2016
I tried to run Checkmate to locate an acquaintance. Information was so bad. She is only 19 yet there was information of her having business all over since 1977. Bad. Did not help at all. I ran on myself and could not maneuver through info. Paid the extra premium and could not get the report. I have been paying for the service for several months and have not used it. It is not a good service. Have found no information that was helpful.
Hi Helen,
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. This is due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record.” 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 July 4, 2016
Had heard from "different" people that a business associate was a deceptive and crooked person. Needed to know if this was true. Found more than I wanted to know but glad I do. This person has in the past scammed 1,000's of dollars from people, one which was a family member that called me to tell me about this scammer. So I did the background check to protect our own finances. Thank you Checkmate.
Hi Janet,
We're so happy to hear that our service helped you to find the information you were looking for. Thank you for the positive feedback. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 4, 2016
I have a friend that is being harassed by an unknown person. She provided me with two phone numbers that these messages came from. Originally I was only going to sign up for the phone lookup service, but figured why not sign up for a regular Checkmate service so I can look up people also. After doing this I found that a regular account does not include access to phone lookups. That turned out to be an additional $23.40 per year. Since that was my main reason for using Checkmate I bit the bullet and purchased that also so now I have spent a total of $51.18.
To make matters worse I received no useful information for either number I looked up. So ultimately I feel a bit ripped off on that end. The people search isn't too bad, but I am not happy with the reverse phone lookup and would love a refund. And honestly, even the people search seems to be constantly trying to upsell me so I'm not thrilled with what I got for my money. I don't plan on continuing my membership after this.
Hi Darrin,
We hate to hear you didn't find the information you were looking for in Instant Checkmate's phone reports. 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 July 2, 2016
You are never done with 1 payment, always more, more, money!! $20 something, then 19.99 something next, then 1.99 next, then 19.99 more. It just never stops asking for more!!!
Hi Linda,
We appreciate honest feedback — it allows us to do our job better! We apologize that your recent experience with Instant Checkmate was not positive, 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 July 2, 2016
Much of what I searched was fairly inaccurate. The dates of when people lived where were not correct in many instances. Phone numbers were off. My father's fax line was listed as a phone # for me and also for my sister, though neither of us ever resided in the home where the fax was. Also, the information you REALLY want is NOT in the general report. You have to pay at least $4.99 per report more to get at the good stuff. BUT - all in all, it was fun.
Hi Sandra,
We're glad to hear you are having fun with our service, and we appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent search results. 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. This is due to variables like clerical errors, slow processing times, and discrepancies between states over what is considered “public record.” 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 1-800-222-8985, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 1, 2016
You missed very large segments of my life (I'm 80 yrs old). What about before 1980? If this is your idea of an accurate background -- I've been defrauded.
Hi James,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985. Thank you for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 1, 2016
When looking up on this search, I too often get ‘cannot be found’ or 'the total wrong person’. Kind of frustrating; and time plus money wasted.
Hi Mae,
We're so 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 1-800-222-8985. Thank you again for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed July 1, 2016
Better than I originally expected... I find most of the details to be fairly accurate... However, phone number information is quite lacking in accuracy.
Hi Bill,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your honest feedback of Instant Checkmate. We are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible, including phone numbers in our Reverse Phone Lookup service. 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 June 30, 2016
Needs a bit of improvement. Many a search came up empty for people that I knew were in a particular area. So I had to locate them through a relative I thought was theirs. Then when I did find who I was looking for not ALL siblings were shown. Myself for instance, my sisters did not show up nor my father, and only my first wife did but not my current one.
Hi James,
We appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent search results. We're sorry that you were unable to find all of the siblings for the people you searched. 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. 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 1-800-222-8985, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 30, 2016
Cannot link First Name/Last Name and Phone Numbers. If I know First Name and Last Name and Phone Number - why can I not get a basic background check for one individual. Would appreciate a call.
Hi Ramki,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate honest feedback — it allows us to do our job better. We apologize for any confusion regarding how our service works. Someone from our member care team will contact you privately to provide assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 30, 2016
What a joke. Everything this website gave me I was already able to find for free through google search. I thought I only paid for one month, but got charged for two months. Two thumbs down.
Hi Katie,
We’re sorry to hear you didn’t find what you wanted. While our data providers are always updating their information, some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, which creates 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 June 29, 2016
Have been a member for approximately one year. Very, very disappointed the marriage and divorce records have been deleted. That was an amazing feature, which helped me when I found out my daughter, not only married a criminal but he had been 11 times. Now that is no longer available. Also, I had emailed a saved copy and I can't find or access it. I found one, on a different person (PDF) and when I tried to print off the saved copy, which I desperately needed, it wouldn't print and told me it was expired. My credit card doesn't seem to expire or to be charged monthly, but the PDF is not available to print??? When I run the same report, since you have drastically changed your site, I can't retrieve the same information. Not happy with that at all!
I went to save this most recent report I ran a few mins ago, asked me for my email address and it won't let me, as it tells me my email is not valid. THAT IS NOT TRUE! So what would be the purpose of saving a report, say from a few months ago, as when you need it, you can not access it, and it is blank!?! So it does not flow, and it is way too much work to use this site.
You need to bring back the marriage and divorce records that you do have, as I know all states do not post, and you need to let people access the identical report they saved to PDF. How frustrating do you think it is, to know you have a saved report, as in my case from last year, and then it says it can't be opened, as it doesn't exist. Need to run a new search, but in my case, the criminal has went into the different states, he has criminal activity, hacked the government, military and police systems, and deleted everything, to make him look clean. This needs to be changed on your end right now.
Hi Mary,
Thank you for your honest feedback regarding your recent experience with Instant Checkmate. We're sorry to hear you are unhappy with the marriage and divorce records not showing up in your reports and that you have had a frustrating experience with your pdf reports. 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 June 29, 2016
I have been a member of this site for a few years now and I am having problems signing on. I changed my password and that didn't help either. I pay your firm around twenty-three dollars a month and I think it is bad that I can't use the site when I need to without a lot of problems. Please respond, thank you!!!
Hi Willie,
We're sorry you had a hard time signing into your account. 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 1-800-222-8985. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 29, 2016
It takes way too long to register for the first time. You make it artificially take too long to go through the process. You need a "First Timer" route and a "Skip all the fluff" sign up process.
Hi Cliff,
Thank you for your feedback regarding our sign up process. During the initial search, we are able to give our users information on what they can expect from our services. With this information, they can then make an informed decision about whether or not they wish to sign up for our service. We sincerely appreciate your feedback. Please feel free to contact us again at 1-800-222-8985 if you have more feedback or questions.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 29, 2016
I was able to easily locate friends I had not seen for 40 years! The site is really great!
Hi Saundra,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find your long lost friends! 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 29, 2016
I was using this to find names for family research. It gave me some basic research information. It's easy to use. Although, I wish I could search with some other criteria. It also seems to give repetitive information, but I think that's better than cutting out too much information.
Hi Nikki,
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 family research. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 29, 2016
I did a lot of research on different sites before selecting Instant Checkmate. The persons I was looking into, I know for 1000% fact that they both have Domestic Violence records, which did not show up on your site. Also, I had a police officer show me a warrant that popped up on his system, for one of the individuals I was researching. A warrant for this person's arrest in the state of Texas, for Domestic Violence. Very dissatisfied with my experience! My husband and I are both disabled, on fixed incomes. I trusted your site, and even paid the additional $4.99. Makes me angry as I feel sites like yours just prey on people like myself!
Hi M,
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 that you were unable to find the domestic violence records you were looking for. We will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 28, 2016
I thought that you advertised police reports and I can't find one. I can't even find people that I know have a criminal history. I find more information from Google.
Hi Ashley,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 28, 2016
I called the company yesterday. They are refunding me 4 months of charges but will not take responsibility nor seemed to care. They listened to my explanation of experience from 2-3 yrs. ago and the fact I did not sign up, but refused to refund the charges for full refund. I am beyond furious. I believe this is an example of too many businesses today. Here is a company that checks backgrounds on others for crime and I feel taken advantage of by THEM.
Hi Denise,
We're so 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 21, 2016
Just bought the membership. Nothing extra. All the information provided there I had already obtained from a simple Google search. TOTAL rip off. I haven't seen one extra piece of information that's new to me. Pathetic. $27 down the drain. Highly not recommended. Now I am going home to bang my head against the wall.
Hi Yusuf,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 15, 2016
Signed up for the 5-day trial and when the 5 days were up, on the fifth day called to cancel. Kept getting dropped (calling to cancel) and after many hours trying got a hold of someone to cancel. They stated that everything would be cancelled after I gave them my information and would not be charged; few days later check my checking and they charged me anyway, and now I have a draft overprotection charge. Thanks for the cancellation. Shady company, plus information was wrong on their website about certain people.
Hi Drew,
We're sorry to hear you had a bad experience with your trial membership. We have contacted you privately to work out a resolution. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed June 14, 2016
Paid for the month service, I heard there was a $1 trial offer. But they conveniently didn't have that option when paying. Was trying to find out the info on my exhibition of speed because I'm applying for a job. So I paid, and got my record but there was nothing to see in the criminal section. So out of curiosity I searched a few more people that I know have offenses - nothing on them either. A couple people didn't even have any record to show. I tried talking to them and it seemed to me like they just had a fancy way of saying they aren't responsible because they said their reports aren't 100% accurate. The reports should have a misdemeanor/felony on the report when they say they check for it. Big old scam and waste of money. Paid $22.86 to see my phone number, email, Facebook info, and sex offenders in my area. Had to spend more money to use a different website.
Hi Amber,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed May 30, 2016
So, you visit this site and right away it wants you to enter someone's name. No doubt info is found and a report generated. BUT you end up waiting 10 minutes from the home page to find out how much your report (memberships) is going to cost. This info is not available on the bottom of the home page or deeply hidden in the choices. Be upfront and save people the time and trouble.
Hi Frank,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate your feedback, and we apologize for any confusion you encountered regarding our membership plans and/or billing policies. In order to complete the enrollment process, each user is required to check a box to agree to Instant Checkmate’s Terms and Conditions. Instant Checkmate’s Terms of Use, like the Billing Details and Frequently Asked Questions also prominently displayed on the website, fully and conspicuously explain Instant Checkmate’s billing terms.
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 1-800-222-8985 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: May 20, 2016
Thanks for taking the time to respond and confirming my conversation with your team member, it seems that your department is running very well. Customer service is crucial in any company and I feel a larger indicator of the overall business, my experience to that end has been stellar... from hold time to service.
Original Review: May 19, 2016
Customer service handled my request with empathy and professionalism. (We will see if I receive my courtesy refund.) I would not recommend the service. What I found after 4 searches of individuals I know intimately including myself was: misinformation - with the most egregious being the failure to disclose a serious criminal charge that is public info along with stating that an individual I know to have an extensive criminal record had none. At this point I could not count on the site to provide me with the service it promised. Some people may use it for dates or check out babysitters which is why I felt compelled to write a review even after a pleasant experience with customer service.
Hi Erik,
Thank you for reaching out. While we’re happy that our member care team was able to help you out, we’re sorry to hear you were unhappy with our services. 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. This is 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.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed April 30, 2016
I just joined this site and did a 1 month service and the site is total BS. You DO NOT get any more information than you would get if just did Google, that is of course unless you pay additional money to get additional information. I did like 7 family member searches to see if anything is provided that you wouldn't get off of Google and NO such luck. Actually some of the information was actually incorrect like current address and phone numbers. Instant Checkmate is a total waste of money. Do not waste your money or time.
Hi Gary,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed April 29, 2016
Rip-off!!! They'll keep billing your credit card every month, but not send you any mail or email so you'll forget about it. Buyer beware.
Hi Aaron,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate your feedback, and we apologize for any confusion you encountered regarding our membership plans and/or billing policies. In order to complete the enrollment process, each user is required to check a box to agree to Instant Checkmate’s Terms and Conditions.
Instant Checkmate’s Terms of Use, like the Billing Details and Frequently Asked Questions also prominently displayed on the website, fully and conspicuously explain Instant Checkmate’s billing terms. Specifically, the Terms of Use describe:
The use of this website is subject to the following terms of use:
2) Billing and Servicesa) Standard Membership Plans
Instant Checkmate offers two standard Membership Plans for Background Reports. All Membership Plans are billed up front for the entire term selected.
Standard Background Report Membership Plan with a 3-Month Term: For a standard 3-month Membership Plan, the debit or credit card or other payment account you provide will be billed $54.71 immediately upon purchase and $54.71 every 3 months thereafter, unless and until you cancel.
Standard Background Report Membership Plan with a 1-Month Term: For a standard 1-month Membership Plan, the debit or credit card or other payment account you provide will be billed $22.86 immediately upon purchase and $22.86 every month thereafter, unless and until you cancel.
Instant Checkmate offers two standard Membership Plans for Email Reports. All Membership Plans are billed up front for the entire term selected.
If you have any questions regarding the foregoing, please do not hesitate to contact Customer Support at 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: May 3, 2016
I was contacted by the company and they are refunding my money. Thank you for taking care of this problem. I really would suggest that you let people know when you are charging their cards.
Original Review: April 27, 2016
I signed up for a one-time use and have found monthly charges to my credit card. Called to cancel and told no dice. I wasn't even able to find the damn person that I was looking for. Total rip. Going to contact BBB and call credit card company about a chargeback.
Hi Patty,
We apologize for your frustrating experience with Instant Checkmate. 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 1-800-222-8985. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed April 27, 2016
I used to be very pleased with your service. I paid for and used the phone service as well with great results. Then one day I was told that I didn't have the phone service so I called, and at first the individual on the phone told me they couldn't find me payment. I went online to my card and told them the date, they found it and then informed me they were having system issues.
You changed the website and I have not had very good results. For example, when searching a name, you used to type in the first name, tab over to initial of middle name and tab again to the last name. Now after typing in the first name, hitting tab changes the first name you just typed into the first name that was typed in previous to this search. The next tab moves you on but with the wrong first name. You used to time out and have to log back in due to inactivity but now you are up and never log out. It is as if you are on a free site and not the one I am paying for. I am very close to cancelling my account. I cancelled the phone search and had every intention of adding it again but my experience since the change has been so bad, I have not spent the additional money for it. Not very happy right now.
Hi Bruce,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate honest feedback — it allows us to do our job better. We hate to hear you are unhappy with the new site. Our developers are working hard to continuously make improvements to the site, so your feedback is very valuable to us. We sincerely apologize for your frustrating experience. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: April 15, 2016
The customer service from InstantCheck Mate have resolved the issue after they investigated the facts, all money fully refunded.
Original Review: April 10, 2016
I used the service in October 2014 and chose the once only option. I did not realize but I was continuously billed US$22.86 every month since then. My bank had to contact me as they flagged the payments as possibly fraudulent. I have since been to https://www.instantcheckmate.com/cancel/ and tried to cancel but once I entered my information and hit "Cancel My Subscription" the only thing that happened was the page renewed. No confirmation on the page, no email confirmation, nothing. I now need to see my bank about the US$411.48 that was charged without consent.
Hi Grant,
We’re really sorry to hear you were frustrated by our billing system. We have the system in place because we want to make it easy for all our members to get unlimited access to our reports for one low monthly fee. Please accept our apologies for your troubles. 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 April 4, 2016
In October 2015 I used the online service and selected the one time only charge. They continued to charge my account for the following 5 mos until my CC flagged it as potential fraud activity. Although I selected the one time only selection during my transaction, and although after spending 30 mins on the phone with them they finally refunded the charges (however not the interest).
If there was a "0" on the rating scale this company would certainly receive that. I would not recommend anyone using their services as it appears this company actually does not have a one time only service although it certainly appears during the online process. Conveniently they have my name spelled wrong and the email address was also incorrect. I hope other consumers choose to go to the local courthouse and make a request for a formal criminal background check instead of using this service as they obviously are generating revenue in very unethical practices by continuing to charge individuals for a monthly membership.
Hi Audra,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 26, 2016
After you pay $95.17 for 6 mo membership, they tack on fees for just about everything. $19 to upgrade to premium service (for $95 I should be getting premium service) then you pay $2 for each additional name listed in the report for each report on each person, each time. I cancelled on their website within 30 hrs because it's a waste. Shortly after I received confirmation of cancellation and confirmation that auto renewal was taken off along with my CC info.
In March 2016 I saw charges from Instant Checkmate for $95.17. I called Capital One to dispute the fees that I already cancelled just hours after I signed up but unfortunately I didn't hold onto a 6-month-old email confirmation that no renew would be charged. I sucked it up and ate the first charges but refused to pay for something I hadn't used in 6 mo.
For a company that does background checks I find it hard to believe they couldn't look back to see when the last time my account was accessed but they said they don't have the capability. I spoke to customer service rep with Instant Checkmate (Ardel **) and he said a refund had been processed on 3/9/16. When Capital One tried to verify this w/ supervisor they refused to give out any info. I've seen asked for investigation why Ardel gave out such info. I've also contacted and put a formal complaint w/ the BBB for Instant Checkmate. You can tell even on this site whenever they get a bad review, 20 reviews appear within hours about how great the service is. (FAKE REVIEWS WRITTEN BY EMPLOYEES AT Instant Checkmate) DON'T USE THIS SERVICE!!! Take 5 min and search on any search engine and you can find the same info.
Hi David,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 23, 2016
Instant Checkmate was a complete ripped me off. They continually asked for more and more money to see the information I sought. The reports were incomplete and I have lost my money. Even when I paid for their Premium Access (another $4.99), I really got no more info. BAD.
Hi Brenda,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 23, 2016
Easy to use. Even though some things are fully accurate, it's enough for a start for research.
Hi Lori,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating. We really appreciate your feedback, and we’re so happy to hear that you find our site easy to use. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 20, 2016
I have almost daily used your telephone service to find out who is calling me and most are telemarketers. You have help me to NOT answer many of these intrusive calls!
Hi Linda,
We're so glad that our Reverse Phone Lookup service is able to help you find the information you are 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 20, 2016
Rep was very patient and helpful.
Hi Ellen,
We're so happy to hear that our member care team was able to 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 1-800-222-8985. Thank you for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 11, 2016
First order with your company went fine, and program was very useful. I'm on my 2nd time using, and it's been a disaster. I keep getting suspended under your potential violations of terms of service. I'm only researching former students I graduated with over 50 years ago, so I have to check several of your "potential" people as to who they actually are (in other words, did I graduated with them). Last suspend was after only looking at 3 of the possible 34 people provided by your program. This is not a way to run a program where you claim "unlimited access" to reports on people. Suspended after 3 looks? Come on please. Very disappointed, and I will not recommend this program at all. None of my searches are business related, and are strictly to locate former students for a potential upcoming reunion....
Hi Norris,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 7, 2016
I paid $22.86 for the monthly membership and performed a background check. The report I was sent was woefully incomplete. There was NO information provided that was helpful. Not one relative/family member connected to my person which is crazy. Of course for an ADDITIONAL $19.95 I could get more information. What a complete rip off.
Hi Christin,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: March 7, 2016
InstantCheckmate stepped up and did the right thing when they read my criticism. It makes a strong impression when a company truly cares about customer satisfaction, and Ashley from InstantCheckmate did it right. I thank you very much.
Original Review: March 3, 2016
Repeated ads eventually get you to give it a try. You start entering info, maybe on yourself, never once being told, that in order to justify generating a report you have to let the search finish, then pay. Once paid, you realize ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN THE REPORT is of any value. You could have obtained it ALL for FREE, with a little effort and patience. I quickly called and canceled to avoid any additional fees. All done in under 45 minutes and the rep didn't even say sorry you weren't happy let alone offer any amount of a refund.
Hi Jim,
Thank you for taking the time to update your response and star rating. We're very happy we were able to find a satisfactory resolution! Please do not hesitate to reach out to us again.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed March 1, 2016
We were disappointed in the lackluster amount of detail returned for the searches we performed. The info returned is barely sufficient to find out much, and didn't even appear to include any information about divorce records. That was specifically what we were looking for in the general/overview of the person we were searching.
We requested our money back less than 24 hours later and they did refund most of it to us, thankfully (minus some processing fees of some kind I assume, which we were fine with). Perhaps it isn't this way in every report, but unless you want to pay more for every detailed sub-report that they have included with the general/overview, don't expect the info to be very helpful. We just did the basic subscription. It seems you have to pay substantially more in order to get anything of value.
The company was very professional and courteous in their handling of our dissatisfaction with the product/service. I wish that there was more than one option to rate them because their customer service is quite good, but the actual search results for the amount of money spent seemed sub-par in my opinion. According to my own "scale" here's how I would rate them: Website Usability (ease of use and search) = 4/5 stars, Reports/Results = 1/5 stars, Cost (for quality of results returned) = 1/5 stars, Customer Service = 5/5 stars, Overall Satisfaction = 3/5 stars. We didn't pay for the higher subscription, so in this case maybe we got what we paid for, but we were unwilling to pay any higher. We do appreciate their commitment to customer satisfaction, which is why we're attempting to be fair in our review. Considering all factors, I would say the experience was decent.
Hi Russ,
We hate 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. We’re very sorry you are no longer a member of Instant Checkmate, but happy to know you got things straightened out with our member care team. If you have additional questions, our member care center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 28, 2016
They don't need to give you the info but it would be nice if they would disclose whether they do have info or not before you have to pay. I paid $27 for access to their "basic service" only to find out my grandfather's date of birth and that he is a Scorpio. They then say you need to pay another $18 to get extended access but don't tell you if there is actually any additional information. The lack of basic disclosure is really upsetting. I just threw money away. Really shady in my opinion.
Hi Lise,
Thank you for reaching out. We're sorry to hear you were unable to find the information in your grandfather's report that 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 Feb. 28, 2016
I have found that you cut back on the info you originally gave me with my subscription and that some of it is only now available if I upgrade. But yet you still charge me the same! I cry foul on that one and therefore am unsatisfied with your site.
Hi Danae,
Thank you for reaching out to us with your honest feedback. We hate to hear you no longer find our service as informative as you once did. Our developers are constantly working to make improvements to our site, so we really value our customers' feedback. We will continue to make improvements to our reports. We sincerely apologize for your frustrations and will contact you privately to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 26, 2016
When I need to find someone I use Instant Checkmate! Your system seems to supply me with the information I am looking for when I request it!
Hi David,
That's great news! We're so glad to hear that our service is helping you find the people and information you're looking for. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 25, 2016
This service has been very good in locating our members who have moved and did tell us.
Hi David,
We’re so happy to hear that our service has been helping you locate those who have moved away. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 25, 2016
Very disappointing. I know for a fact that 2 of the people I searched had arrest record and a mug shot you could find with Google. One of which is dating my sister. I even paid for a premium report and was given nothing. I called and cancelled my account after using my own name just to check and finding very little. Google is free and I found more information.
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 1-800-222-8985 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 24, 2016
When are your records updated? I looked myself up. My wife has been dead for over a year.
Hi Graham,
We're so 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 1-800-222-8985. Thank you again for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 21, 2016
I didn't check credit cards # as well as my PayPal account lately. So Feb. 18th I got a bill from PayPal & Bank of America, asking for a recurrent Monthly payment of $26.82 from Instant Checkmate, Inc. I never signed up for such monthly service from them!
Hi Heide,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 19, 2016
"Please wait while we pretend to load everything for 40 minutes so you'll be more enticed to throw your money at us, after already wasting your life away on our page." Instant Checkmate needs to have an episode about them featured in South Park. Someone that can call them out publicly, and showcase just how bad it is to prey on people's patience in a time of need. (Nobody casually searches for a background check.)
They're assuming everybody will be desperate enough to rip out their wallets after tapping on their screen for 40 minutes, wishing everything would load faster, when the truth is the information wasn't being downloaded, they were making you sit on a timer. Then they flash a bunch of "As seen on TV" banners in front of you, saying "look, it sucks you have to pay us, but you can trust us! Just look at all this stuff we have on our page." I challenge everyone over at Instant Checkmate to a naked boxing match so I can both humiliate and destroy you all. You greedy maggots are worse than corporate bankers.
Hi Joshua,
Thank you for taking the time to reach out to us with your feedback. We’re sorry to hear you had a bad experience with our site. The idea behind Instant Checkmate is that we wanted to provide a faster alternative in accessing public records than having to visit the local county clerk. While we access and compile the data for a background report, we provide our users with information on what they can expect from our service. Based on what they learn about our service and what we provide, they can then decide whether or not they wish to sign up for a membership. Again, we apologize for any frustrations you may have experienced. A member care manager will be in touch shortly to work out a resolution.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 17, 2016
I've been using this service for several years now and have found it to be an invaluable tool for locating friend and lost acquaintances from the past. I've just recently located several people that I haven't spoken to for over 50 years which I found to be amazing. I will say that some of the database information is incorrect and very old.
Hi Edward,
Thank you for reaching out to us with your honest feedback. We're so happy to hear that our service has been helping you to locate friends and lost acquaintances. We are constantly working with our data providers to get the best information possible to our customers. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 17, 2016
For the last 2 days I have had trouble signing it. Doing it twice each time. Reports have been unavailable to me, giving me an "error" message. I also have not been able to utilize the PDF button also with an "error" message. Today the report came up saying I viewed it when I had not. Just a bit frustrating!
Hi Joyce,
Thank you for reaching out. We sincerely apologize for your frustrating experience with Instant Checkmate. We hate to hear that you ran into technical issues with our site, 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 Feb. 12, 2016
Report wont load. Timed out several times and never loaded. Hopefully my card wasn't charged.
Hi Rebecca,
We're so 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 11, 2016
The site keeps saying that it's not reaching the server and almost 30 minutes later, I'm STILL NOT able to access one report. I'm not really sure what you guys are taking money for. Fix your server!!!
Hi Debbie,
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 1-800-222-8985. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 11, 2016
I signed up for Instant Checkmate today and paid for the unlimited PDF downloads. Every report that I tried to download to PDF pops up with an error message "unable to download at this time". I called the 1-800 number and they couldn't help. I tried this on two brand new computers - one Macbook purchased this year using Safari as a browser and one Lenovo Desktop PC purchased this year using Firefox as a browser. This is very disappointing as I needed these PDFs today.
Hi Mark,
Sorry again for the troubles you experienced with our PDF service. 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 1-800-222-8985. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Feb. 11, 2016
I called Instant Checkmate this morning to cancel my membership and discuss my disappointment. They were polite and helpful and credited my credit card for the amount I paid without any dispute.
Original Review: Feb. 11, 2016
This was a complete waste of money and a money grab. The info I received was NOT worth what I paid, contained less info about me that anyone can find anywhere, includes nonsense horoscope info, contains lots of inaccurate info about me, and keeps trying to get me to spend more money and buy premium. In fact, you can see very little unless you upgrade to premium. I can't believe I fell for this and wasted my time and money. Nothing about payment is mentioned up front. The process takes quite a while and messages pops up saying you could be surprised by the info or asking questions about what you expect to find. It's a psychological game to get you invested in time and energy so that it is hard to say no when you are asked to pay. Then you are asked to pay even more to get any real info. The receipt has no info on it, which makes it worse. I feel conned.
Hi Donna,
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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 11, 2016
I needed to pull up my own background report to check for accuracy, the site is misleading tricking you into thinking if you pay the one-month membership you will have unlimited access to reports etc. I just needed mine. After I entered my information, I clicked to view the terms and conditions and realized it was a monthly subscription. So when I went back to erase my credit card data, it processed the transaction. I immediately called the 1-800 number to cancel and request refund. No refund, and the report that they produced was like a not funny joke. They charged me for nothing and then tried to have me pay more for what I originally thought I would get in the first place. Disgusted.
Hi Kori,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 8, 2016
This does a great job of finding people when you lose touch.
Hi Rodney,
We’re so happy to hear that our service is helping you find people you've lost touch with. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 4, 2016
I am glad that I am using your service for searching people. I have found several people and their contact information through your service. It has already returned more than I paid for it.
Hi Mohammad,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find the people 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 1, 2016
I frequently find the results from my searches to be out of date and incomplete.
Hi Mark,
We’re sorry to hear that some of the background reports you retrieved were incomplete. While our data providers are always updating their information, some state and local governments do not release their records to the public, which creates 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 Feb. 1, 2016
Cancelled my account today. I was told by the service agent that my premium account would be available until 2/11/16 but lo and behold, I can't access my premium account. I don't like to do business with a company that doesn't keep its word.
Hi Patricia,
We’re 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Feb. 1, 2016
I am a genealogist and I use Instant Checkmate nearly everyday to locate living descendants of persons I am researching.
Hi Charles,
We’re so happy to hear that our service is helping you find what you are 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 31, 2016
This is a very sleazy company that scams and swindles people legally because it's in their terms agreement. They charge a monthly fee for unlimited searches, then all the information you really need (and they know it) is what they call "premium" where you have to pay $20 more per person on top of that monthly fee... And guess what? The information you need isn't there... And what little information you get, if you want a pdf printout you get to pay $1.99 more. I called the 800 number and cancelled my account - now it remains to be seen if they really do cancel it or if they try to sneak in a few more charges along the way (believe me I'm paying attention). If you're one of the smart people to check here before trying this so-called "service"... Save your money. They can coat it with their terms agreement all they want - it's still nothing but a scam!
Hi Kerry,
We're sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Instant Checkmate. A manager from our member care team will contact you privately to resolve this issue.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 30, 2016
This is by far the site with the most accurate information that I have used. This site has kept me from making a questionable decision on more than one instance. Thank you for a quality service that is affordable and reliable. Sincerely a satisfied customer.
Hi Cecilia,
We’re so happy to hear that you find our service to be affordable and reliable. Thank you very much 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 30, 2016
To start with, I signed up with you when you were running a special for $1.98 a month. You'll get that from me for life because I will NEVER cancel you for such a small amount, even if I don't use it for months and months at a time. Occasionally, I'd like to access full reports but I don't like how you have it set up to automatically keep drawing out of my account unless I call and cancel. This makes you no different from the rest. I might as well pick one of the others since you don't have anything any different to offer, see what I mean? The prices you have set at this time seem to be fair but people will have a more positive attitude, and you will make more money annually if you give them the freedom of choice because of options rather than "This is the way we are going to trap you, take it or leave it."
I've wanted to use your Reports several times but absolutely refuse to do it your way because for one, I called you not too long ago just for some answers on how to use one of the features and the guy kept asking me if he should go ahead and cancel my membership now while he had me on the phone. I kept telling him I did not want to cancel it and never would cancel and that wasn't the reason I called to begin with. So now I'm afraid to add something to my account in fear that I might lose my $1.98 a month membership. I suggested to one of these phone lookup sites maybe a couple years back on how they should lower the price to something very low like your $1.98 a month and get "ALL" of the people rather than $30 a month and only some of the people.
For 1 or 2 dollars a month, people will forget about such a small amount and let it keep drawing because the service will be there when they need it and won't have to sign up again. There's 300 million people in the US. If you had half of them at a dollar a month, and that would be guaranteed income every month because who is going to cancel such a good service at such a good price, that's $150 million a month. Even a fourth of the people at a guaranteed one dollar a month. I haven't watched Netflix for several months but calculate how much it is to rent or watch a movie and I'm still coming out better just letting it sit there until I'm ready for it at $8.00 a month.
Same holds true for your site or anyone else that decides to go with ALL of the people rather than some of the people. So when you change your settings and give me the freedom of choice to pick whichever one I want for a flat fee and so many weeks without the automatic take it from me, then I will use that part of your service also. Unless of course you simply give full access to all of your services for a ridiculously low price that can't be refused, then I'll probably jump on that deal too. Americans just can't pass up a good deal, TRUE?
Hope this helps you to see things in a broader, more for the average person, kind of way that if marketed correctly, will make you a lot richer and your customers more content. That's what Netflix did and now look at them. Don't forget Amazon and Walmart either. Also don't forget, if you do it first, then everybody will be locked in on you, but if someone else beats you to it, then it's too late and you'll never have the chance again because who is going to take the time to go through all the re-registration again for less than a dollar a month, not me. I haven't checked yet but if you haven't got an Instant Checkmate app yet, well what are you waiting for?
Hi A,
Thank you for reaching out to us regarding your experience with our services. We are glad to hear you are happy with our Reverse Phone Lookup service, and we understand your frustrations regarding our subscription-based pricing for Instant Checkmate background reports. We do our best to keep our standard memberships at a low cost for our customers, but we do pay multiple data providers for the information that can be found in our reports. We have recently added the ability to cancel and reactivate the same account - previously, customers had to sign up with an entirely new account if they wanted to rejoin. We understand your frustrations, and we are working hard to incorporate valuable feedback from our customers. Please feel free to contact us with any additional feedback or questions. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24/7 to help. We can be reached directly at 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 29, 2016
Very rapid response.
Hi Thomas,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating! We really appreciate you taking the time to give your feedback about your experience with Instant Checkmate. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 28, 2016
I get more info by googling some than I do with you guys!
Hi Joshua,
We’re 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 Jan. 22, 2016
This service has given me a chance to find former Navy Buddies and others I've served with all over America. It's helped to find other lost Friends and Family I could not otherwise find. It has been a blessing compared to trying to use a phone book or any other look up service. It's worth the cost to me to use this.
Hi Rhiannon,
Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your positive experience with Instant Checkmate. We're so glad to hear our service helped you find former Navy friends, friends, and family! We really appreciate your feedback. Please feel free to reach out if you ever have a question or need help with our website.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 22, 2016
I signed up for the instant checkmate for two months and I called and cancelled it but I still have a will left so I two to log in and it won't work. So I called the main office and she reset my password and it still won't work. So she tells tries it and it works for her but it still won't work for me. So she tells me, "Wait a couple hours and try again." So I did and still nothing. It's almost like she just told me that to get off the phone. I paid almost $27.00 for nothing. I couldn't use it at all do for both months. I pretty much threw the money away. Please do not use this site. It's a ripoff... Thanks for your time.
Hi Casey,
We're sorry to hear you experienced technical issues when trying to log into your account and that we could not get your issue resolved when you tried to contact our member care team. 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
Updated review: Jan. 22, 2016
Well, I had to come back on here because Instant Checkmate showed me some outstanding customer service and I felt good seeing a company address, a situation in not only a timely fashion but also displaying excellent customer services skills and making me 100 percent satisfied with the way things were resolved. So yeah I was wrong about them. They are actually very professional and I couldn't be more impressed with the company as a whole. Much thanks to Instant Checkmate and I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THEM TO ANYONE. I would take down my original review if I could because they couldn't be more different than what I thought was the case. Ok, thank you and I hope this clears up what was said in my first review. Many thanks to Instant Checkmate for their help.
Original Review: Jan. 21, 2016
I'm very careful when I agree to free trials and service runs and Instant Checkmate is the most dishonest and grimy company I've dealt with in all my experiences on the web. I clearly looked at fine print and saw unlimited searches for 1.99. Well now I have 20 different 1.99 charges and I didn't even find the information that I was looking for. I feel like I got swindled in the same fashion that a petty lowlife criminal would rip me off but this is supposed to be a legit company. WATCH OUT. THE COMPANY IS A SCAM AND THEY ONLY STOPPED CHARGING MY CARD BECAUSE THEY MAXED IT OUT AND PUT IT OVER ITS LIMIT.
Hi Cisko,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 21, 2016
I bought the one month $29.95 package and reviewed one person. When giving the information I found that it really doesn't do a complete police check unless you add an additional amount on. Then if you want to save it in a PDF format it costs you extra also. So basically, using this product, I found out nothing about the person I was reviewing that I couldn't get by googling them. Also, when I tried to get back on using the User ID and password, the password didn't work. When they sent me a new one to my email address and I clicked on the link, I got a 404 "something wrong with the system." This is a ripoff.
Hi Jeanne,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 21, 2016
Why is the sign on different now? You have to sign in twice! That is very annoying. Why do I have to upgrade to view numbers/names I already paid for in the past??? When researching, I get that pop up repeatedly for more information. I know that by now, there is no need for it to interrupt me over and over again! I do like the service to look up information. It is fast and there is plenty of useful information there. When looking up phone numbers only, I think it should return to the phone number look up screen so I don't have to switch it every time. To be consistent, if someone is looking up a phone number, if no results, return to phone number look up and same for name look up.
Hi Nita,
Thank you for reaching out - we really appreciate your feedback. Returning to phone search after looking up phone numbers is a feature we would like to implement in the future. In the meantime, we are constantly making improvements to our site to provide the best user experience possible for our customers. We’re also sorry to hear about your frustrations with our premium upgrade popup and having to upgrade previously upgraded reports. 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 Jan. 20, 2016
Back ground searches and phone look ups. Very informative site.
Hi Martin,
Thank you for your positive review and high rating! We're so glad to hear that you find our background and phone reports to be informative. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 19, 2016
The only problem is my archive is getting to the point where I can no longer manage. You need give us the option of deleting people and/or telephone numbers from our accounts.
Hi Alan,
Thank you very much for taking the team to reach out to us with your feedback. We created the archive feature on the dashboard so that customers would only need to manage their active reports. We are constantly making improvements based on customer feedback such as yours, so we really appreciate your input. If you have more feedback or any questions, our US-based member care team is standing by 24/7 to assist. We can be reached directly at 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 18, 2016
Any advice or directions or thoughts, insights are welcome. Do you know how to address this? Thank you.
Hi Beatrice,
We're sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Instant Checkmate. We hope we were able to get your 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 15, 2016
Obviously missing data. A couple of obvious basic data that should be included in the basic package: Married status, Spouse(s) name(s), Date of death, Obituary. Thanks.
Hi Joe,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate honest feedback — it allows us to do our job better. 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. Although our service has included marriage and divorce records in the past, they are not currently provided. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. A senior member of our member care team will contact you privately to provide further assistance.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 12, 2016
I love this service.
Hi Kevin,
We’re so happy to hear that you love our service! 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 11, 2016
I have tried to contact you several times about someone else's "criminal" record being on MY info page. Yet, you have not removed it. I have NEVER lived in North Carolina. NONE of the citations are mine. On the iPad it always reads error. On my computer I'm forced to input all the information twice when signing in. I like having SOME information -- much of it is obsolete, but you need someone to fix your website.
Hi Fran,
We're so glad to hear that our member care team could help explain how services work. 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 1-800-222-8985. Thank you again for your feedback!
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 10, 2016
I cannot renew my present account because my credit card information has changed and there is no way for me to update it. I called customer service twice and both people said I would have to create a new account. I don't want to lose my searches.
Hi James,
We're so 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 7, 2016
Instant Checkmate is startlingly accurate. I have found information on several ex girlfriends. Although some of them are now married, it is nice to know I can contact them if I want to.
Hi Todd,
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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 7, 2016
Very unpleasant experience with this service. It took me longer to sign-up and cancel than It took me to review a worthless report. The information on the report was easily attainable from free online resources. I was on the phone canceling 10 minutes after I signed up so my $26 mistake didn't turn into more wasted money. Of course, sign-up is online and you have to cancel over the phone. Additionally, the immediate premium upgrade offer is nothing more than a bait and switch.
Hi Mike,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 5, 2016
In several instances the information is not accurate, old, and not current.
Hi Stacy,
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 1-800-222-8985. Our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Updated review: Jan. 8, 2016
I was refunded two months of service charge for my dissatisfaction for standard review. The refund was chaos free. Every interaction via email and hassle free. I like their premium reporting but was not satisfied with standard reporting. They actually refunded all service charges and I got reports for free!
Original Review: Jan. 2, 2016
Frankly speaking standard report is not giving enough info. I did for myself and some incorrect info about my residence location in Detroit and some wrong phone number for my name also came. Not vital and not very accurate. Maybe premium report is more useful!
Hi Priya,
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 1-800-222-8985, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Jan. 2, 2016
The site is very helpful for locating people for a current book project, as well as genealogy.
Hi Hank,
We’re so happy to hear that our service is helping you find what you are 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 31, 2015
Great site! Very accurate and I will recommend this site to others. Finally tracked down some old college friends and roommate!!!
Hi Natasha,
That's great news! We're so glad to hear that our service helped you find your old college friends and roommate. Thank you so much for taking the time to provide your positive feedback. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 31, 2015
Helped me find info on past friends as well as new ones.
Hi John,
We’re so happy to hear that our service helped you find out information about your friends. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 27, 2015
Some stuff is good some is accurate. For what I need it for it is ok.
Hi Laure,
Thank you for your honest feedback. We're happy to hear that you are satisfied with our service. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 26, 2015
The extra charges are a bit much.
Hi Isabell,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate honest feedback — it allows us to do our job better. 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. Again, thank you for your feedback. If you have any other questions or concerns, our US-based member care team is standing by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach us at 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 22, 2015
Yeah I agree with one of the other customers. I was waiting for so long while the "Magical thinking wheels" were spinning! They even try to lure you in by asking possible criminal activity about this person & I literally received no information that I can use. It gave me some business address that I suppose this person may have possibly worked but really, that is pretty general. Way too much money & time to than go through having to pay more for a premium report. All the information that can be provided should be provided. Isn't that what you're already paying for the first time around. I actually consider this type of service some type of "racket" or "scheme" i.e. "enticing people promising higher returns".
I didn't purchase the "Premium Data" Report & I should not have had to. I would rather you tell me you needed more info from me first or that you had NOTHING, instead of trying to get more money out of me. I wasted 3 hours. Thanks! Very disappointing! & on top of it all, the receipt they email to you does not even have an order number. So I have to hunt for that too! This is ridiculous!
Hi Michelle,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 21, 2015
I can't find any women I looked for--no records of marriage? Name change? I also didn't find much info at all on men. This is a ripoff website and I'm going to spread the word. You promise a whole lot and deliver almost nothing.
Hi Connie,
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 Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 21, 2015
Looking for schoolmates for the reunion, I found several here. Great resource.
Hi Daniel
That's great news! We're so glad to hear that our service is helping you find former classmates for your upcoming reunion. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 21, 2015
I like the service. It's just when you have to reverse search the extra charge and you get a free from Google. I only signed up to get addresses for Christmas cards. This seems to be pretty detailed a lot of things. I don't need some things I need and want my money for. Trying to do a reverse search because I couldn't spell the name properly and he wanted a $1.95. Kinda thought that was weird.
Hi Joe,
Thank you very much for your honest feedback. We're glad to hear you like our service. Our Reverse Phone Lookup feature is its own separate service that we provide, which is why there is a small fee to use it. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this service, our US-based member care team is standing by 24/7 to help. We can be reached directly at 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 19, 2015
When I can find stuff, I like this. I cancelled my acct today effective at end of 6 months or June 16, 2016. But when I tried to use it tonight, you gave me premium for one search and it was outstanding... However, I am looking for a way to add the 19.95 for premium... and it is hard to discover. That was the problem before, you made it sound as if it was an extra 19.95 per search.
Updated: 12/27/2015: At first I was not happy because I did not understand that for an extra 19.99 we could get the premium information. I thought the extra information was 19.99 per search. However, I now understand and am very happy with the results I find on Instant Checkmate.
Hello,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate your feedback regarding our premium reports. We apologize that it was difficult for you to locate our premium upgrade feature. The premium upgrade fee is per report. You pay for only the premium reports that you want. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 18, 2015
Found my sister and my good friend going through background checks. Thank you very much! Well I think didn't call them yet but it looks so. Thank you again.
Hi Jun,
That's great news! We're so glad to hear that our service is helping you find your sister and friend. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 18, 2015
I needed a password reset. It went fine.
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 17, 2015
I have found the service to be a great help. The information is limited but enough to give me what I need most.
Hi Ben,
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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 17, 2015
I love it.
Hi Touyn,
We’re so happy to hear that you love our service. 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 1-800-222-8985.
Sincerely,Member Services
Instant Checkmate
Reviewed Dec. 16, 2015
I have tried to order numerous premium data reports however your system has yet to be up and running. What's with the system???
Hi John,
Thank you for reaching out. We appreciate honest feedback — it allows us to do our job better. We apologize that you experienced technical issues with your premium upgrade, 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
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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