Intelius Free Trial: What You're Really Getting (And Better Alternatives)

The Truth About the Intelius "Free" Trial

If you're searching for an Intelius free trial, here's the reality check you need: Intelius doesn't offer a truly free trial. What they do offer is a low-cost introductory period-typically $0.95 to $1.99-that automatically converts into a monthly subscription unless you cancel.

This might seem like a minor distinction, but it's caused significant confusion (and frustration) for thousands of users who assumed they were getting something completely free. Let's break down exactly what Intelius offers, what it costs, and explore alternatives that might work better for your background check needs.

Understanding Intelius Trial Pricing Structure

Intelius runs different trial offers depending on which search type you're performing. Here's what you might encounter:

• 5-Day Trial: $0.95 to $1.99 for people search, auto-renews at $24.86 to $35.30 per month
• 7-Day Trial: $0.95 for address lookup, auto-renews at approximately $29.78 to $34.95 per month
• Premier Trial: $7.95 for 7 days, includes monthly background report voucher

The specific trial you see depends on what you search for first on their website. Phone lookups, address searches, and people searches each funnel into different pricing tiers.

What's Included During the Trial Period

During the trial, you typically get access to unlimited standard reports including people search reports (names, ages, addresses, relatives), phone reports (owner information, phone type), and address reports (residents, property details, neighborhood information).

However, standalone background checks with criminal records, court documents, and comprehensive historical data cost extra-typically $39.95 to $49.95 per report even during the trial period.

The Full Pricing Breakdown After Your Trial Ends

Once your trial concludes, you'll be automatically enrolled in one of Intelius's monthly subscription plans. Understanding these costs upfront can help you decide if the service is worth it:

• People Search Membership: $24.86 per month (or $21.13 per month when billed bi-monthly at $42.25)
• Address Lookup + People Search: $34.95 per month with unlimited address and person reports
• Reverse Phone Lookup + People Search: $35.30 per month with unlimited phone, person, and address reports
• Downloadable Reports: Additional $3.99 per report if you want to save PDFs
• Identity Protection Add-on: $9.95 per month for credit monitoring and identity theft protection

These prices reflect current pricing structures, but Intelius frequently adjusts its offers based on your entry point and search behavior on the site.

The Subscription Trap: What You Need to Know

The biggest complaint about Intelius comes from users who didn't realize the trial automatically converts to a paid subscription. Here's what catches people off guard:

• Auto-renewal is automatic: Your credit card will be charged the full monthly rate once the trial ends unless you explicitly cancel
• Cancellation fees may apply: Some users report a $7.95 fee to opt out of the trial early
• Customer service friction: Many users report difficulties when trying to cancel their subscriptions

If you do decide to try Intelius, set a calendar reminder to cancel before your trial ends. Some users recommend using a prepaid Visa card to limit exposure-once the card balance depletes, no further billing can occur.

Common Complaints from Real Users

User reviews across multiple platforms reveal consistent patterns of frustration. Many customers report being charged even after attempting to cancel, while others mention that the information provided was outdated or incomplete. The Better Business Bureau receives regular complaints about unexpected charges and difficulty reaching customer service during cancellation windows.

One particularly concerning pattern: users who wait until the final day of their trial to cancel sometimes find that the $7.95 cancellation fee actually exceeds the trial cost, creating a no-win scenario. This pricing structure feels less like a trial and more like a carefully designed conversion funnel.

What Intelius Is Actually Good For

Despite the pricing complexity, Intelius does serve legitimate purposes. The platform aggregates data from over 20 billion public records and has operated for more than two decades. They hold an A rating from the Better Business Bureau and are recognized by the Internet Society Online Trust Alliance.

Intelius works well for:

• Reconnecting with lost contacts or old friends
• Verifying someone's identity before a personal meeting
• Researching neighbors or people in your community
• Finding updated contact information for personal outreach
• Genealogy research and family tree building
• Pre-date safety checks for online dating situations

Important Limitations for Business Use

Here's a critical point for B2B professionals: Intelius is not FCRA-compliant. This means you legally cannot use it for employment screening, tenant screening, credit decisions, or insurance underwriting. The Fair Credit Reporting Act has specific requirements for these use cases, and Intelius explicitly states they don't meet them.

If you're in sales, recruiting, or running business development, you need tools designed for professional contexts-not consumer people-search platforms.

Understanding FCRA Compliance: Why It Matters for Business

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law passed in that regulates how consumer information can be collected, used, and shared. For anyone conducting background checks for employment, housing, credit, or insurance purposes, FCRA compliance isn't optional-it's mandatory.

What Makes a Background Check FCRA-Compliant

FCRA-compliant background check services must meet several strict requirements. They must provide clear disclosure to the person being screened, obtain written consent, ensure data accuracy, allow individuals to dispute inaccurate information, and follow specific adverse action procedures if a background check leads to a negative hiring decision.

Consumer people-search services like Intelius, BeenVerified, TruthFinder, and Instant Checkmate are explicitly not FCRA-compliant. They state this clearly in their terms of service, protecting themselves from liability when users misuse the information for employment or tenant screening purposes.

The Risks of Using Non-Compliant Services for Business

Using non-FCRA-compliant services for employment screening can expose your business to significant legal liability. Lawsuits based on FCRA violations have increased sharply since , with many cases filed as class actions. Violations can result in actual damages, statutory damages ranging from $100 to $1,000 per violation, and attorney's fees.

Beyond legal risks, non-compliant background checks often lack the accuracy and verification standards required for business decisions. Criminal records may be outdated, mismatched, or incomplete. Without proper adverse action procedures, you may inadvertently discriminate against qualified candidates.

Background Check Statistics Every Employer Should Know

Understanding the broader context of background screening helps explain why proper tools matter. Recent industry data reveals compelling trends about how employers use background checks and what they discover.

How Common Are Employment Background Checks

Background screening has become nearly universal among U.S. employers. Approximately 95% of organizations conduct some form of employment background screening, with 77% maintaining documented background screening policies. Criminal background checks are the most common type at 94%, though employers also frequently verify employment history, education credentials, and driving records.

The timing of these checks matters too. About 74% of employers conduct background checks after extending a conditional job offer, while 16% screen after an interview but before making an offer. This timing helps protect candidates from discrimination while still allowing employers to make informed decisions.

What Background Checks Actually Find

The data on what background checks reveal is sobering. Approximately 46% of reference and credential verifications uncover discrepancies between what applicants claim and what screening reveals. About 6% of criminal history checks find a criminal record within the previous seven years.

One in three American adults-roughly 70 million people-have some form of criminal record. This doesn't mean these individuals can't be hired, but it does highlight why employers want visibility into potential risks. The key is using this information appropriately and in compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines.

The Cost of Bad Hires

Why do employers invest so heavily in background screening? The cost of a bad hire provides the answer. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, each resignation can cost a company up to one-third of the worker's annual salary. This includes both hard costs like recruiting and temp workers, and soft costs like reduced productivity.

Employee theft alone costs American businesses nearly $50 billion annually. The top five industries for workplace theft include banking ($100,000 median loss), government ($150,000 median loss), manufacturing ($177,000 median loss), healthcare ($100,000 median loss), and energy ($100,000 median loss). Proper screening helps mitigate these risks before they materialize.

Better Alternatives for B2B Background Research

For business professionals who need to verify contacts, research prospects, or perform due diligence, there are better approaches than consumer background check sites like Intelius.

Professional Contact Verification

Before running a background check, start with basic contact verification. Our free Background Checker provides comprehensive reports with trust scores-without the subscription traps. You get the essential information B2B professionals actually need: verification of identity, professional history markers, and reliability indicators.

If you're trying to verify email addresses before outreach, our Email Verifier instantly confirms whether an email is valid, risky, or invalid. This is often the first step in any professional verification process.

Finding Contact Information First

Many people turn to Intelius because they're trying to find someone's contact details. If that's your goal, there are more direct solutions:

• Email Finder tools: Find professional email addresses from a name and company-more useful for B2B than residential addresses
• LinkedIn-based searches: Professional context gives you business-relevant information
• Mobile number finders: Our Mobile Number Finder locates cell phone numbers from email or LinkedIn profiles

These approaches give you actionable contact data for business purposes, rather than residential history and family connections.

Technology Stack Research for Sales Intelligence

If you're in B2B sales or marketing, knowing what technologies a prospect uses can be more valuable than residential address history. Our Tech Stack Scraper identifies the tools and platforms companies use, helping you tailor your pitch and identify better-qualified prospects.

This type of business intelligence simply isn't available through consumer background check services. You need purpose-built tools that understand B2B contexts and provide actionable insights for sales and marketing professionals.

Comparing Top Background Check Services: The Full Landscape

To understand where Intelius fits in the broader market, it helps to compare it against other major players. Each service has distinct strengths, weaknesses, and ideal use cases.

Intelius vs. BeenVerified

BeenVerified and Intelius are both owned by PeopleConnect and offer similar services, but with notable differences. BeenVerified provides more search options, including property lookups, vehicle information searches, and VIN checks that Intelius doesn't offer as standalone features.

BeenVerified's pricing structure includes a 7-day trial (not free, but at low cost), with monthly plans around $26.89 or $17.48 per month when billed quarterly. Reports tend to be faster with BeenVerified, taking 2-3 minutes versus the 5-10 minutes Intelius often requires.

However, both services share the same fundamental limitations: they're not FCRA-compliant, information accuracy varies, and both use auto-renewal subscription models that frustrate users who forget to cancel.

Intelius vs. TruthFinder

TruthFinder, another PeopleConnect property, positions itself as more comprehensive than Intelius, with an emphasis on depth over speed. TruthFinder reports take longer to generate but often include more detailed criminal and court records, including traffic cases, sex offender status, civil judgments, bankruptcies, and liens.

TruthFinder also offers dark web monitoring, alerting users if their personal information appears in data breaches or on dark web marketplaces. This feature isn't available with Intelius, making TruthFinder more appealing for personal privacy protection.

Pricing for TruthFinder runs around $28.78 monthly or $23.02 per month for three-month subscriptions. Like Intelius, TruthFinder isn't FCRA-compliant and can't be used for employment or tenant screening.

Intelius vs. Instant Checkmate

Instant Checkmate, yet another PeopleConnect service, sits somewhere between Intelius and TruthFinder in terms of depth and pricing. The service emphasizes criminal background information and public records, with a user interface designed to highlight potential red flags.

User reviews suggest Instant Checkmate often has more up-to-date information than Intelius, but at a slightly higher price point. The service uses the same subscription model and faces similar complaints about auto-renewal and cancellation difficulties.

FCRA-Compliant Alternatives for Employment Screening

If you need background checks for employment purposes, you must use FCRA-compliant services. The major players in this space include:

• GoodHire (now part of Checkr): Offers customizable packages for small and medium businesses with fast turnaround times and full FCRA compliance
• Checkr: Known for modern platforms, automated workflows, and integration with applicant tracking systems
• Sterling: One of the largest background screening companies, accounting for significant industry market share
• First Advantage: Another major player with comprehensive screening options and strong compliance protocols

These services cost more than consumer background check sites-typically $30 to $100+ per report depending on the depth of screening-but they provide legally defensible results you can actually use for employment decisions.

When Consumer Background Checks Make Sense

Let's be fair to Intelius-there are situations where consumer background check services are appropriate:

• Personal safety: Checking out someone before a date or meeting
• Finding lost relatives: Genealogy research and reconnecting with family
• Verifying personal transactions: Private sales of vehicles or high-value items
• Neighborhood awareness: Understanding who lives in your area
• Online dating due diligence: Verifying basic details about someone you met on a dating app
• Reverse phone lookup: Identifying unknown callers or text messages

For these personal use cases, paying for a short trial period can be worthwhile-just remember to cancel before it converts to a full subscription.

How to Use Intelius Without Getting Burned

If you've decided Intelius is right for your needs, here's how to use it strategically:

Step 1: Plan Your Searches in Advance

Don't sign up until you have all the searches you need to run ready to go. The trial gives you unlimited standard reports for 5-7 days-use that window efficiently. Make a list of everyone you want to search for and gather the information you'll need (names, approximate ages, locations) before starting your trial.

Step 2: Choose Your Entry Point Carefully

Different search types lead to different trial offers. Address lookups often get you the longer 7-day trial at $0.95, while phone lookups may offer only 5 days at higher post-trial rates. If you have flexibility in what information you start with, experiment to see which search type triggers the most favorable trial terms.

Step 3: Use a Prepaid Card

Purchase a prepaid Visa card with a small balance ($10-25). This creates a built-in spending limit and prevents unexpected charges if you forget to cancel. Register the card with a ZIP code before use to improve transaction success rates. Once the card balance depletes, no further charges can occur without your explicit action.

Step 4: Set Multiple Reminders

Create calendar alerts for 24 hours before your trial ends, and another for 48 hours before. Don't rely on a single reminder. Consider setting reminders on both your phone and computer, and if you use a task management app, add it there too. Redundancy is your friend when avoiding surprise charges.

Step 5: Cancel Immediately After Completing Searches

Once you've run all your searches, cancel right away. You'll retain access for the remainder of your trial period without risk of auto-renewal. Don't wait until the last day-unexpected circumstances could prevent you from canceling in time.

Step 6: Document Everything

Take screenshots of your trial terms, cancellation confirmations, and any customer service interactions. If you do get charged unexpectedly, this documentation will be essential for disputing the charge with your credit card company or filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

The Real Cost of "Free" Trials

Here's the math that catches people: a $0.95 trial that converts to a $29.78 monthly subscription costs you $358.31 annually if you forget to cancel. That's significant money for a service you may not actively use.

Compare this to genuinely free tools that don't require credit cards or auto-renew. Our Background Checker provides trust scores and comprehensive reports without any subscription commitment. You use it when you need it, and you don't pay when you don't.

The Psychology of Trial-to-Subscription Models

Trial-to-subscription pricing isn't unique to Intelius-it's a common business model across many industries. Companies know that a significant percentage of users will forget to cancel or will find enough value to continue paying. The friction involved in cancellation (phone calls, customer service interactions, cancellation fees) further increases retention.

For consumers, this model creates a fundamental asymmetry: signing up takes 60 seconds, but canceling can require 10-15 minutes and a phone call. This isn't accidental-it's designed to maximize subscriber lifetime value even among users who only wanted a one-time search.

Data Accuracy and Reliability Issues

One crucial aspect often overlooked in discussions of background check services is data quality. Even when pricing and terms are acceptable, the information itself may not be reliable.

How Background Check Services Compile Data

Consumer background check services aggregate information from multiple sources: public records databases, court records, property records, voter registration files, social media, and commercial data brokers. This data comes from thousands of different sources, each with varying update frequencies and accuracy standards.

The result is a patchwork of information that may be outdated, incomplete, or incorrectly matched to the wrong person. Common issues include: addresses from years ago still listed as current, criminal records matched to the wrong person with a similar name, employment history that's out of date or missing, and phone numbers that have been reassigned to different people.

The Name-Matching Problem

One of the most serious accuracy issues involves name matching. If you search for "John Smith" in Chicago, you might get records from multiple John Smiths merged together. Background check services try to use additional identifiers (age, middle initial, address history) to differentiate between people, but mistakes happen frequently.

This is why FCRA-compliant services for employment screening require multi-step verification and allow candidates to review and dispute information. Consumer services like Intelius lack these safeguards, making them inappropriate for high-stakes decisions.

How Fresh Is the Data

Public records don't update in real-time. A criminal conviction might take weeks or months to appear in court databases, and even longer to propagate to commercial background check services. Property records, liens, and bankruptcies similarly lag behind reality.

Social media information can be more current, but it's also more prone to misattribution and privacy issues. Someone might have locked down their social profiles, or the service might link you to a profile belonging to someone else with the same name.

Privacy Concerns and Opt-Out Options

An important consideration many people overlook: if you can search for others on Intelius, others can search for you. Your information is likely already in their database.

What Information About You Is Available

Intelius and similar services typically have access to your current and former addresses, phone numbers (including cell phones), email addresses, possible relatives and associates, property records, court records and judgments, bankruptcies and liens, and in some cases, social media profiles.

This information comes from public records, so it's technically available to anyone willing to search for it. However, these services make it dramatically easier to compile a comprehensive profile on someone in minutes rather than weeks.

How to Remove Your Information

If you want to reduce your visibility on Intelius and similar services, you can submit opt-out requests. For Intelius, this process involves visiting the opt-out page, searching for your own listing, and submitting a removal request with verification.

However, understand that opting out of Intelius doesn't remove your information from the hundreds of other data broker sites. Services like DeleteMe and Privacy Bee automate the opt-out process across multiple sites, but they charge ongoing fees for continuous monitoring and removal.

The Privacy Trade-Off

There's an inherent tension between the legitimate uses of background check services and privacy concerns. While these tools help people protect themselves, they also enable stalking, harassment, and invasions of privacy. The same service that helps you vet a potential date could help someone with bad intentions track your movements.

Legislative efforts to regulate data brokers have gained momentum in recent years, particularly in California. However, the patchwork of state laws and the fundamental availability of public records make this a difficult problem to solve comprehensively.

Alternative Search Strategies for Finding People

Before paying for any background check service, consider these free or low-cost alternatives that might give you the information you need:

Social Media Searches

LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can provide substantial information about someone without any cost. LinkedIn is particularly valuable for professional context, showing employment history, education, skills, and mutual connections.

Facebook can reveal location, family relationships, interests, and recent activities. Instagram and Twitter offer insights into personality, lifestyle, and current activities. The key is using advanced search features and boolean operators to narrow results.

Google Search Techniques

A well-crafted Google search can uncover surprising amounts of information. Try searching for "[Name]" + "[City]" + "[Profession]" to narrow results. Use quotation marks around exact phrases and the minus sign to exclude irrelevant results.

Google Images can help confirm you have the right person, and the "Tools" option lets you filter by date to find recent information. Don't forget to check beyond the first page of results-relevant information often appears deeper in search results.

Public Records Searches

Many court records, property records, and business registrations are available directly from government websites at no cost. While these searches take more time than using a commercial service, they often provide more accurate and complete information.

County clerk websites typically offer court case searches, property records, and marriage/divorce records. Secretary of State websites provide business registrations and professional licenses. Federal court records are available through PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records), though there are small per-page fees.

People Search Sites with Free Previews

Some people search sites offer limited free previews before requiring payment. While you won't get full reports without paying, these previews can help confirm you have the right person before investing in a paid search.

Sites like Whitepages, Spokeo, and PeopleFinders offer basic information in free previews. By checking multiple free previews across different sites, you can sometimes piece together enough information without paying for a full report.

Building a B2B Research Stack That Actually Works

For sales professionals, recruiters, and marketers, the right combination of tools creates a powerful research capability without the drawbacks of consumer background check services.

Email Finding and Verification

Start with email discovery. Our Email Finder helps you locate professional email addresses using just a name and company. Once you have an email, verify it with our Email Verifier to ensure it's active before adding it to your outreach list.

This one-two combination prevents bounced emails, protects your sender reputation, and ensures your messages reach real decision-makers. It's far more relevant for B2B purposes than knowing someone's residential address from five years ago.

Phone Number Discovery

Direct dial phone numbers give you an edge in sales. Our Mobile Number Finder identifies cell phone numbers from emails or LinkedIn profiles, helping you reach prospects when email outreach isn't enough.

Having accurate phone numbers is particularly valuable for high-value prospects where a phone conversation can dramatically accelerate the sales process. Unlike residential landlines from background check services, these are business-relevant contact points.

Company and Technology Intelligence

Understanding a prospect's technology stack and company profile provides conversation starters and qualification insights. Our Tech Stack Scraper reveals what platforms and tools companies use, helping you tailor your pitch and identify integration opportunities.

For broader company research, our B2B Company Finder helps you discover companies matching your ideal customer profile, complete with firmographic data and decision-maker information.

Putting It All Together

The key to effective B2B research is using the right tool for each specific need. Need to verify a prospect's identity? Use professional verification tools. Need contact information? Use B2B-specific finders. Need background information? Use LinkedIn and company websites.

Consumer background check services like Intelius rarely fit into this workflow because they provide the wrong type of information in the wrong format. They're optimized for personal safety and reconnecting with old friends, not for professional prospecting and verification.

Galadon Gold: For Serious Sales Professionals

If you're using these tools regularly and want to accelerate your sales career, Galadon Gold provides the structure and community to maximize your results. For $497 per month, you get access to:

• 4 live group calls per week with experienced sales professionals who've closed millions in deals
• Proven cold email frameworks that get responses without landing in spam
• A community of 100+ active sales professionals sharing what's working right now
• Priority support and early access to new tools and features

While our free tools help you find and verify contacts, Galadon Gold helps you convert those contacts into conversations and deals. It's the difference between having a list of names and having a systematic approach to filling your pipeline.

Making the Right Choice for Your Needs

The decision between Intelius and alternatives depends on your specific situation:

Choose Intelius if:

• You need residential addresses and family connection data
• Your use case is personal, not professional
• You're comfortable managing subscriptions carefully
• You plan to run many searches in a short period
• You need information for personal safety or due diligence

Choose free B2B tools if:

• You need professional contact verification
• Your use case involves sales, recruiting, or business development
• You want to avoid subscription management entirely
• You need email verification, phone numbers, or professional backgrounds
• You value business-relevant context over residential history

Choose FCRA-compliant services if:

• You're making employment decisions
• You need information for tenant screening
• The background check impacts credit or insurance decisions
• You need legally defensible results with dispute procedures
• Accuracy and verification are critical requirements

Understanding the Broader Background Check Industry

To fully understand where Intelius fits, it helps to understand the background check industry's structure and economics.

Industry Size and Growth

The U.S. background check industry has grown to approximately $4.5 billion in annual revenue. This growth reflects increasing employer awareness of hiring risks, tighter regulations requiring verification, expansion into the gig economy, and technological advances making screening faster and cheaper.

The global background screening market is projected to reach $11.49 billion by , growing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.6%. This growth is driven by international expansion, increased regulatory requirements, and growing concerns about workplace safety and security.

Consumer Services vs. Employment Screening

The background check market splits into two distinct segments with different economics and requirements. Consumer services like Intelius, BeenVerified, and TruthFinder focus on individual users looking up friends, dates, or neighbors. They charge $20-40 per month for unlimited searches and rely on aggregated public records without verification.

Employment screening services like GoodHire, Checkr, and Sterling serve businesses conducting pre-employment checks. They charge $30-100+ per report with variable pricing based on depth, maintain FCRA compliance with strict procedures, and verify information at source rather than relying on aggregated databases.

These are fundamentally different business models serving different needs. The confusion arises when consumers try to use consumer services for employment purposes, or when businesses try to save money by using cheaper non-compliant options.

The Role of Data Brokers

Behind the scenes, both consumer and employment screening services rely on data brokers who compile and sell information. Companies like LexisNexis, Experian, and TransUnion maintain massive databases of public and commercially available information.

These data brokers aggregate information from thousands of sources: court records, property records, utility connections, magazine subscriptions, warranty registrations, and countless other data points. They then sell access to this information to background check services, marketing companies, and others.

Understanding this supply chain helps explain why information often appears across multiple background check services-they're often drawing from the same underlying data brokers.

Legal and Regulatory Considerations

The background check industry operates within a complex regulatory framework that varies by state and use case.

Federal Regulations

The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs background checks used for employment, credit, insurance, and housing decisions. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission provides guidance on avoiding discrimination in hiring decisions based on background checks. The Americans with Disabilities Act restricts certain medical inquiries and background checks.

State and Local Laws

Many states have "ban the box" laws prohibiting employers from asking about criminal history on initial applications. Some states restrict how far back criminal background checks can go. California's Consumer Privacy Act gives residents rights over their personal information. State-specific regulations govern what information can be reported and how long negative information can remain on reports.

Compliance Challenges

Navigating this regulatory landscape is complex, particularly for employers operating in multiple states. This complexity is another reason why proper FCRA-compliant services cost more-they maintain expertise and procedures to ensure compliance across jurisdictions.

Consumer services like Intelius sidestep these compliance requirements by disclaiming use for regulated purposes. They can offer lower prices because they don't maintain the verification procedures and expertise required for FCRA compliance.

The Future of Background Checks and Personal Data

Several trends are reshaping the background check landscape and how personal information flows through the economy.

Increased Privacy Regulation

Following California's lead with CCPA, more states are enacting comprehensive privacy laws giving consumers rights to know what information companies hold, request deletion of personal information, and opt out of information sales. As these laws proliferate, data brokers and background check services will face increasing compliance costs and restrictions.

Artificial Intelligence and Automation

AI and machine learning are increasingly used to automate background check processes, flag anomalies, match records across databases, and assess risk factors. While these technologies promise faster and more comprehensive screening, they also raise concerns about algorithmic bias and fairness.

Real-Time Continuous Monitoring

The background check model is shifting from point-in-time searches to continuous monitoring. Rather than checking someone once at hire, some employers now monitor employees continuously for criminal records, social media activity, and other risk factors. This trend raises significant privacy concerns while offering employers ongoing risk visibility.

Fair Chance Hiring Movement

Simultaneously, there's growing recognition that criminal records shouldn't permanently bar people from employment. Fair chance hiring laws and practices aim to give people with criminal histories meaningful opportunities while still protecting employer interests.

This movement emphasizes individualized assessment considering the nature of the offense, time elapsed since conviction, the relevance to the job, and evidence of rehabilitation. Background check services are adapting by providing more context and supporting more nuanced decision-making.

Final Thoughts: Free Doesn't Always Mean Free

The phrase "free trial Intelius" brings thousands of searchers to this topic every month, and most discover that "free" comes with significant strings attached. Low-cost trial offers that auto-convert to monthly subscriptions are a common business model in the background check industry.

For B2B professionals, there's rarely a good reason to use consumer people-search tools. Purpose-built business tools provide more relevant data, avoid FCRA compliance issues, and often cost less (or nothing) for the verification tasks you actually need.

Whether you're verifying a prospect's identity, confirming contact information, or running due diligence on a potential partner, start with tools designed for business contexts. Save the consumer background check services for personal situations where residential history and family connections actually matter.

Key Takeaways

As you navigate the background check landscape, keep these principles in mind:

• No trial is truly free if it requires a credit card-that's a paid trial with auto-renewal
• Consumer background check services aren't for business use-they're not FCRA-compliant and can expose you to legal liability
• Data accuracy varies significantly across services and information may be outdated or mismatched
• The right tool depends on your use case-personal safety needs differ from employment screening needs differ from sales prospecting needs
• Free alternatives exist for many common use cases, especially in the B2B space
• Privacy is a two-way street-if you can search for others, others can search for you

By understanding the landscape, knowing your specific needs, and choosing appropriate tools, you can get the information you need without falling into subscription traps or legal pitfalls. Whether that means using Intelius strategically for personal research, leveraging free B2B tools for professional purposes, or investing in proper FCRA-compliant screening for employment-the key is matching the tool to the task.