Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Instant Checkmate's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 210 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 49 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:11/08/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
********************* ****************** ******************* **** . ****** ***** ***********************************. *************************** *************************** ***************************** ***************************** *************************. *********************** ************************* all invovled in a massive..id theft using army tactical radio satalite phone . using a phone company ************************** the new cingular wireless using whats called level 3 communications they have illegal access with the court systems major crimes invovling murder **** child moelstation kiddnappingBusiness Response
Date: 11/09/2022
Dear *******************************,
This response is in regards to the consumer complaint from ***************************, ID ********.
Instant Checkmate is an online people search engine that compiles reports from millions of public records, including information provided by state and local governments. Because each state has different policies that govern access to public records, it can be difficult to find certain public record documents on your own. Instant Checkmate streamlines the process, gathering the information in one easy search. When you run a new search, public records are pulled from multiple data sources, and when available, this information is then compiled and displayed in a single, easy-to-read report.We display public records, and, unfortunately, are unable to provide ********************** with assistance on his request regarding theft and fraud. We recommend **** reach out to his local law enforcement for further assistance.
Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service department at ************ with any further questions. We are available to assist you during regular business hours, from 7:00am - 7:00pm Pacific time (10:00am - 10:00pm Eastern time), Monday Friday.
Sincerely,
Instant Checkmate SupportInitial Complaint
Date:11/04/2022
Type:Order IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I am paying $59.16 every six months for this service. It is a very good service. Before a recent 50 year reunion from high school, I was able to find all but 2 classmates out of 310! I highly recommend this service.HOWEVER, I cannot find my own information on this service. I have called the company and they claim that I had opted out of the site. I did not opt out! I would not pay this money if I did not want my own information on it.Business Response
Date: 11/04/2022
Dear *******************************,
This response is in regards to the consumer complaint from ***********************, ID ********.
Instant Checkmates information is gathered from many public sources including local county courthouses, census bureaus, and other sources of public information. We do not create or add to the information we obtain. While we cannot remove specific records from a report, we do have the option to remove an entire background report from our site. The information obtained from a report is for personal use only.
In order to complete their request, we need additional information to verify the correct background report.
1. First Name, Last Name
2. Date Of Birth/Age
3. City, State, Zip Code
4. Possible Relatives
5. Additional Locations
Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service department at ************ with any further questions. We are available to assist you during regular business hours, from 7:00am - 7:00pm Pacific time (10:00am - 10:00pm Eastern time), Monday Friday.
Sincerely,
Instant Checkmate SupportInitial Complaint
Date:10/12/2022
Type:Sales and Advertising IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I made a one-time purchase of $5.99 on this website. However, not only did they charge me $5.99, they charged an extra $35 as a Recurring monthly m charge without my knowledge or consent. I opened a dispute via PayPal and it was closed with no resolution. I've contacted this company numerous times and get the same generic response back, as if they haven't read anything I tell them. If this isn't resolved soon I am opening a fraud investigation via my bank because this is absolutely ridiculous. They had no right to charge me for a service I did not receive nor request. This is an outright scam and people need to know about it. All I wanted was a refund for the $35 they took from me and they refuse to do anything about it.Business Response
Date: 10/18/2022
Dear ******************************* ,
This response is in regards to the consumer complaint from *******, ID ********.
When a user activates their account, they must provide an electronic signature authorizing Instant Checkmate to charge their card as described, including for the automatic renewal of their membership. Our Billing Terms are conspicuously explained on our registration page and in our Terms of Use. Customers are sent a confirmation email for any orders placed on the site.
Customers are able to cancel online from within their account, through our Customer Phone Support, or by sending an email to *********************************** After a thorough investigation, we have determined that no cancellation attempts were made through any of these channels and no emails were received from the email address listed within this complaint.
However, we were able to verify that ****************** account was cancelled via a chargeback dispute and disabled from future use. ************** will need to contact his financial institution or PayPal directly for further information on the resolution to his dispute.
Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service department at ************ with any further questions. We are available to assist you during regular business hours, from 7:00am - 7:00pm Pacific time (10:00am - 10:00pm Eastern time), Monday Friday.
Sincerely,
Instant Checkmate SupportInitial Complaint
Date:10/08/2022
Type:Product IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I have contacted the company several times asking them to discontinue ads asking me to purchase information for a ********************************** which I have told the company many times I am not interested in and to stop contacting me, please.I would ask the company to stop contacting about ********************************** which I receive several times a day and to remove me from their contact list, please. Thank you.Business Response
Date: 10/10/2022
Dear *******************************,
This response is in regards to the consumer complaint from *****************************, ID ********.
Pursuant to the Instant Checkmate privacy policy, by submitting an email address via our website, customers consent to receive emails from Instant Checkmate, our affiliates, and third parties concerning promotional offers unrelated to Instant Checkmate. Customers may opt out of receiving these email messages at any time by clicking on the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email.
After further review, I have verified that we received a request from ********************** requesting to unsubscribe from our email list and he has been unsubscribed as of August 15, 2022. We have resubmitted this request, but if ********************** is still receiving emails from Instant Checkmate, we ask that he forward them to ********************************** so that we can look further into any possible issues.
Additionally, if ********************** is receiving push notification/pop-**** he must disable these from within the actual device that the pop-up notifications are being sent to, as we are unable to disable these types of notifications ourselves.
In order to unsubscribe from push notifications, he will need to follow the instructions below using the exact browser and device that is receiving push notifications:
1. Go to https://www.instantcheckmate.com/unsubscribe
2. Click the Unsubscribe button and follow the directions to stop receiving push notifications from Instant Checkmate.
Do not hesitate to contact our customer service department at ************ with any further questions. We are available to assist you during regular business hours, from 7:00am - 7:00pm Pacific time (10:00am - 10:00pm Eastern time), Monday Friday.
Sincerely,
Instant Checkmate SupportInitial Complaint
Date:10/03/2022
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
This company has already been fined by the *** for $525,000.00. I am writing to confirm they are continuing to offer a deceptive / misleading product. They offer you a month long product - meaning one time. I was charged $36.95 and $5.99 very much under the impression this would be a one time charge and it absolutely was not. I was just monitoring for charges on my credit card that I didn't authorize and found a monthly subscription to this company that I absolutely did not agree to on the front end. They use words like month long - NOT MONTHLY. Even their receipt at the top in big bold letters states "Month" - not monthly - which I attached. The only way I found out was after I called their billing department and they say "oh yeah you agreed to our terms which state it's a subscription" - this is critical part of their product and should not be in tiny font at the bottom - if a product is going to be charged as "subscription" that should be made extremely clear to the customer. This is bait and switch and poor business. This company needs to be shut down!Business Response
Date: 10/10/2022
Dear *******************************,
This response is in regards to the consumer complaint from *******************************, ID ********.
When a user activates their account, they must provide an electronic signature authorizing Instant Checkmate to charge their card as described, including for the automatic renewal of their membership. Our Billing Terms are conspicuously explained on our registration page and in our Terms of Use. Customers are sent a confirmation email for any orders placed on the site.
Customers are able to cancel online from within their account, through our Customer Phone Support, or by sending an email to **********************************.
After further review, I have verified that ******************** cancelled her account online on October 3, 2022. As a courtesy, we have submitted a total refund amount of $128.82 back to ************************ financial institution for all recurring charges. Please allow them 3-5 business days to post the refund back to the account.
Do not hesitate to contact our customer service department at ************ with any further questions. We are available to assist you during regular business hours, from 7:00am - 7:00pm Pacific time (10:00am - 10:00pm Eastern time), Monday Friday.
Sincerely,
Instant Checkmate SupportInitial Complaint
Date:09/17/2022
Type:Product IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Tried the service today. Sept 17, 2022. I paid $29.04 for a membership, which I was led to believe included free reports, and then another $4.28 for the report. The only information I was looking for, was a marriage date. That's it. I already had name of spouse, addresses, phone numbers, employment (which the correct employment is NOT in the report). This company said it would get marriage details. When I finally got the report, the marriage date was blank. No information at all. So the ONE THING I WANTED, and was willing to pay for, I DID NOT GET. This report was not accurate and missing the info that I paid for. I don't know what the refund policy is, because they are not open for customer service on the weekends. But I Do Want A Full Refund. That's the resolution I want.Business Response
Date: 09/19/2022
Dear *******************************,
This response is in regards to the consumer complaint from ***********************, ID ********.
We gather our information from numerous public sources. This information is then uploaded to our database. When you purchase a background report from Instant Checkmate, we guarantee that we will search every database available to us. However, because we simply display records as they are provided to us, we cannot guarantee the content of the records that *** show up in a final report. Different states have different laws regarding marriage and divorce records, and so at times, this can also affect the availability of our data.
As a courtesy, we have refunded **************' account back to the payment option used to enroll, and no further charges will be incurred. Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service department at ************ with any further questions. We are available to assist you during regular business hours, from 7:00am - 7:00pm Pacific time (10:00am - 10:00pm Eastern time), Monday Friday.
Sincerely,
Instant Checkmate SupportCustomer Answer
Date: 09/20/2022
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
***********************
Initial Complaint
Date:09/01/2022
Type:Order IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
September 29 I paid $13.41 to access the record of an old friend. Instant Checkmate had sent an email stating this was available to view. It was not. They have no record for the person. Unethical and little different than a time consuming fraudulent scam, not only do I want my money refunded, they should be investigated.Business Response
Date: 09/06/2022
Dear *******************************,
This response is in regards to the consumer complaint from *********************, ID ********.
While an inaccurate report is rare, this can occur from time to time. We gather our information from numerous public sources. This information is then uploaded to our database. When you purchase a background report from Instant Checkmate, we guarantee that we will search every database available to us. However, because we simply display records as they are provided to us, we cannot guarantee the content of the records that *** show ** in a final report.
I can confirm that Mr. ****** subscription has now been cancelled, and as a courtesy, we have refunded his account back to the payment option used to enroll, and no further charges will be incurred. Additionally, we will reach out to ************** directly to provide him with the reports he was trying to access. Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service department at ************ with any further questions. We are available to assist you during regular business hours, from 6:00am - 7:00pm Pacific time (9:00am - 10:00pm Eastern time), Monday Friday.
Sincerely,
Instant Checkmate SupportCustomer Answer
Date: 09/06/2022
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
*********************
Initial Complaint
Date:08/26/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
This company promised to provide me true and accurate results on my searches. I paid for 2 different subscriptions through them and my searches returned with no data found and/or inaccurate data on the people I searched for. Addresses that were not correct were listed as well as jobs, phone numbers and associates. I have requested a refund and have not been given a response!!Business Response
Date: 08/29/2022
Dear *******************************,
This response is in regards to the consumer complaint from *****************************, ID ********.
While an inaccurate report is rare, this can occur from time to time. We gather our information from numerous public sources. This information is then uploaded to our database. When you purchase a background report from Instant Checkmate, we guarantee that we will search every database available to us. However, because we simply display records as they are provided to us, we cannot guarantee the content of the records that *** show ** in a final report.
We have refunded ****************** account back to the payment option used to enroll, and no further charges will be incurred. Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service department at ************ with any further questions. We are available to assist you during regular business hours, from 6:00am - 7:00pm Pacific time (9:00am - 10:00pm Eastern time), Monday Friday.
Sincerely,
Instant Checkmate SupportInitial Complaint
Date:08/14/2022
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
https://www.instantcheckmate.com/people/***********************/This website lists contributes to providing patients having the home address to vulnerable family members and poses a threat to safety. I have contacted them and the profiles still remain online. https://www.instantcheckmate.com/people/***********************/Business Response
Date: 08/15/2022
Dear *******************************,
This response is in regards to the consumer complaint from ***********************, ID ********.
Instant Checkmates information is gathered from many public sources including local county courthouses, census bureaus, and other sources of public information. We do not create or add to the information we obtain. While we cannot remove specific records from a report, we do have the option to remove an entire background report from our site. The information obtained from a report is for personal use only.
We are unable to locate a report for ****************. The link that was provided no longer leads to her information. However, we want to ensure that we have removed the information to her satisfaction. If **************** continues to see her information on our website, we ask that she please provide us with additional links or screenshots of what she is seeing. Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service department at ************ with any further questions. We are available to assist you during regular business hours, from 6:00am - 7:00pm Pacific time (9:00am - 10:00pm Eastern time), Monday Friday.
Sincerely,
Instant Checkmate SupportInitial Complaint
Date:08/13/2022
Type:Product IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
On 8/12/2022 I desired the military records on my deceased father who spent 40 years in the army, air force and reserves finishing as a colonel. An internet search indicated that this information could be provided by: Instant Checkmate, **************** http:****************************************************************** I signed up to receive them via the following transactions using PayPal:Transaction ******************* Invoice ***********$28.70 Transaction ******************* Invoice ***********$4.23 The report that I received had ZERO information on my fathers military record. So, I feel that the company was fraudulent in promising but not providing the records. I have requested as best I could a refund but I am not sure that I was successful in this effort. Any help that you can provide would be greatly appreciated.Business Response
Date: 08/15/2022
Dear *******************************,
This response is in regards to the consumer complaint from *************************, ID ********.
While an inaccurate report is rare, this can occur from time to time. We gather our information from numerous public sources. This information is then uploaded to our database. When you purchase a background report from Instant Checkmate, we guarantee that we will search every database available to us. However, because we simply display records as they are provided to us, we cannot guarantee the content of the records that *** show ** in a final report.
We have refunded ****************** account back to the payment option used to enroll, and no further charges will be incurred. Please do not hesitate to contact our customer service department at ************ with any further questions. We are available to assist you during regular business hours, from 6:00am - 7:00pm Pacific time (9:00am - 10:00pm Eastern time), Monday Friday.
Sincerely,
Instant Checkmate SupportCustomer Answer
Date: 08/15/2022
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
*************************
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