Is Intelius Legit? An Honest Deep Dive Into This Background Check Service

The Short Answer: Yes, Intelius Is Legitimate - But There's More to the Story

If you're searching "is Intelius legit," you're asking the right question. Intelius is indeed a legitimate company - it's BBB accredited with an A+ rating and has been operating since , making it one of the longest-running background check services online. It's owned by PeopleConnect, which also operates TruthFinder, Instant Checkmate, and US Search.

However, "legitimate" and "worth your money" are two very different things. While Intelius isn't a scam in the traditional sense, thousands of users have reported frustrating experiences that you should understand before handing over your credit card.

What Intelius Actually Does

Intelius is a people search and background check platform that aggregates public records from government databases, court records, and commercial data providers. When you run a search, you can potentially access:

• Current and past addresses
• Phone numbers and email addresses
• Criminal records (state and federal)
• Marriage and divorce records
• Bankruptcy filings and liens
• Known relatives and associates
• Social media profiles
• Education and employment history

The service pulls from federal, state, and county databases to compile comprehensive reports. Intelius has a robust technology platform that gathers over 20 billion public records from a large network of publicly and commercially-available sources. For reconnecting with lost relatives, vetting someone you met online, or doing preliminary research on new neighbors, it can be useful. However, it's important to note that Intelius is not an FCRA-compliant service, meaning you cannot legally use it for employment screening, tenant screening, or credit decisions.

Who Owns Intelius? Understanding the Parent Company

Understanding Intelius's corporate structure helps explain many of the billing and operational patterns users report. On July 1, , Intelius was acquired by private equity firm H.I.G. Capital, which subsequently consolidated multiple people search platforms under one umbrella.

In August , PeopleConnect Holdings Inc. bought the social media business Classmates.com for $30 million. Today, PeopleConnect operates four primary people search websites, all using similar backend technology and customer service infrastructure.

This consolidation explains why you'll see similar complaints across all these platforms - they're essentially variants of the same service with different branding. If you've had issues with one PeopleConnect property, you'll likely experience similar problems with others.

The Real Problems Users Face (Based on Actual Reviews)

After analyzing hundreds of reviews across Trustpilot, BBB, ConsumerAffairs, and other platforms, clear patterns emerge. Here's what actually frustrates users:

1. Subscription Billing Traps

The majority of customer complaints about Intelius seem to revolve around billing problems. Although the company clearly states on its billing page that customers will be charged on a monthly basis if they do not cancel after the initial trial, many report not being aware of this before purchase.

Intelius operates on a subscription model, and many users report being unexpectedly enrolled in recurring charges after what they thought was a one-time purchase. Their pricing typically starts around $21-25 per month for basic people search, with the bi-monthly plan offering slight savings. The information about automatic renewal is technically disclosed, but it's buried in fine print that most people miss.

Some users discover they've been charged for three consecutive months amounting to over $100, creating a severe financial burden, especially for students and those on fixed incomes.

2. Difficulty Canceling

Users consistently report challenges when trying to cancel their subscriptions. While Intelius does offer online cancellation through their account settings, many reviewers describe the process as confusing or say they continued being charged after attempting to cancel. Pro tip: if you do sign up, screenshot your cancellation confirmation and set a calendar reminder a few days before any renewal date.

Interestingly, some users report that cancellation was surprisingly easy when they called, and the service was canceled immediately. However, this experience isn't universal, and the inconsistency itself is concerning.

3. Data Accuracy Concerns

This is where background check services in general struggle. Multiple reviewers note that information was outdated - with some reports showing data over 13 years old and nothing current. No background check service is 100% accurate because they rely on public records that may not be current. But when you're paying $20+ per month, you expect reasonably fresh data.

Some users searched for individuals who are known felons, yet nothing was mentioned about it in the Intelius report. This raises serious questions about the completeness of criminal record searches.

Intelius acknowledges that because their information comes from public records and commercially available sources, there can be limitations. Records may occasionally be reported inaccurately, entered incorrectly, or not updated as frequently as desired.

4. Hidden Upsells and Add-On Fees

Even with a paid subscription, users report being prompted to pay extra for features like downloadable reports (around $3.99), criminal record add-ons, and identity protection services. What seems like a straightforward monthly fee can quickly escalate.

To download reports, there's an additional one-time fee of $3.99, which frustrates users who assume unlimited access means truly unlimited features.

5. Privacy Concerns and Data Removal Issues

Some users complain that Intelius refuses to take down personal information featured across various sites including PeopleConnect, Classmates, TruthFinder, US Search, and Instant Checkmate. This leaves individuals vulnerable to stalkers and predators.

While Intelius does provide opt-out mechanisms through their suppression tool, some users report that these tools don't work properly - they only receive error messages, and email support doesn't respond.

However, Intelius's official responses indicate that they can suppress entire background reports from appearing on their sites when properly validated. The disconnect between user experience and company policy suggests implementation problems rather than outright refusal.

What Intelius Gets Right

Despite the complaints, Intelius does have genuine strengths worth acknowledging:

• Report Quality: Intelius's reports have an extremely intuitive layout and are simple to read and reference. They can include detailed criminal and traffic history, tax liens, bankruptcies, court rulings, education and employment history, possible marital records, known aliases and relatives, and associated phone numbers and email addresses
• Search Flexibility: You can search by name, phone number, email, or address - helpful when you only have partial information
• Customer Support: Many reviewers report that they were somewhat happy with their experience overall, appreciating the helpfulness, friendliness, and efficiency of customer service representatives. Consumers highlight the agents' knowledge and their ability to resolve issues promptly
• Mobile Access: The platform works on mobile devices through both browser and dedicated apps
• Database Size: Intelius distinguishes itself through database size and report organization, with an interface that simplifies complex searches

Intelius BBB Rating and Accreditation Details

Understanding Intelius's relationship with the Better Business Bureau provides important context. BBB accreditation was granted on July 7, , meaning the company operated for nearly 18 years before seeking accreditation.

The BBB has received an average customer review rating of 1.46/5 stars based on 140 customer reviews, showing a stark contrast between the official A+ rating (which measures business practices and responsiveness to complaints) and actual customer satisfaction.

Intelius has received 383 total complaints filed with the BBB in the last 3 years, with 156 complaints closed in the last 12 months. This volume is substantial for a service of this type.

The BBB rating primarily reflects that Intelius responds to complaints and attempts resolution, not that customers are satisfied with the service. This distinction is crucial - a company can maintain high BBB standing by addressing issues after they occur, even if those issues are systemic and preventable.

How Intelius Pricing Actually Works

Understanding the pricing structure can save you from surprise charges. Here's the current breakdown based on recent data:

• People Search Plan: $25.11 per month for monthly payments, while bi-monthly payments reduce the price to $21.34
• Reverse Phone Lookup + People Search: $0.95 for a five-day trial, then $35.30 monthly with unlimited phone, person, and address reports
• Address Lookup + People Search: $0.95 for a seven-day trial, then $34.95 monthly with unlimited addresses and personal reports
• Downloadable Reports: Additional $3.99 per report for detailed downloadable report files
• Identity Protection Add-On: Approximately $9.95 per month for enhanced monitoring services

All plans auto-renew unless you explicitly cancel. The trial offers (often $0.95) typically run for 5-7 days before being charged the full subscription price. These trials are particularly risky - they automatically convert to full-price subscriptions if you don't cancel in time.

Your account will automatically renew every 30 days unless you cancel it. To cancel, contact customer service or do it online.

The Trial Period Trap

The low-cost trial period deserves special attention because it's where many users get caught. Users visit the website to check specific information with the understanding that only $0.95 would be deducted, but later discover they were stealthily enrolled in a monthly subscription plan charging $34.95 without knowledge or consent.

While Intelius maintains that all terms are disclosed before payment, the reality is that many users miss this information during the sign-up process. The disconnect isn't always about deception - it's often about information architecture that prioritizes conversion over clarity.

Intelius Legal History: What You Should Know

Intelius hasn't always had clean sailing, and understanding its legal history provides valuable context for current practices.

In September , a class action lawsuit was filed alleging that Intelius automatically enrolled California consumers into programs of its partner, Adaptive Marketing, without permission. The complaint showed evidence of how defendants allegedly automatically charged credit cards for memberships and intentionally frustrated victims' abilities to dispute charges.

In October , Intelius was accused of violating Washington's Consumer Protection Act. The Washington Attorney General sued Intelius after the company received thousands of consumer complaints regarding post-transaction marketing practices and allegedly deceptive credit card charges. A $1.3 million settlement was reached in August .

After legal battles, Intelius agreed to two settlements resulting in a combined $10.5 million settlement for Class Plaintiffs.

These legal issues occurred over a decade ago, and the company has since changed ownership and revised its practices. However, the fact that similar complaints about billing and subscription enrollment persist suggests that structural issues remain, even if legal compliance has improved.

How Intelius Compares to Competitors

To understand Intelius's value proposition, it's helpful to compare it against major competitors like BeenVerified, TruthFinder, and Spokeo.

Intelius vs. BeenVerified

BeenVerified works with a single membership: $26.89 per month for unrestricted access to all available content, making it slightly more expensive than Intelius's basic plan but potentially simpler to understand.

BeenVerified provides thoughtful explanations when data isn't available. While Intelius might simply say "no records available for education," BeenVerified explains what they searched and why records might not appear.

BeenVerified found records that competitors missed, including professional licenses and corporate records, suggesting potentially broader data sourcing.

As one of four services under the PeopleConnect umbrella, Intelius is one of the better options. Initial search results are more accurate than sister platforms, and customer service seems more responsive. However, many users experience disappointment with results after paying.

Pricing Comparison Across Major Services

Intelius's subscription prices are lower than those of major competitors Instant Checkmate and BeenVerified, which gives it a competitive advantage if you need ongoing access.

However, BeenVerified offers unlimited access for a lower monthly price than one-time purchases with Intelius, making it potentially more cost-effective for users who need multiple searches.

Accuracy and Report Quality

Professional investigators have weighed in on these services. After running searches, BeenVerified was the clear favorite among competitors. However, when searching for a known criminal, his name wasn't even in the database - highlighting a common issue: individuals can opt out of these services.

This opt-out capability, which exists across all major platforms, creates a fundamental limitation: the people you most need information about may be the ones who've removed themselves from these databases.

Customer Service: The Good and The Frustrating

Customer service experiences with Intelius vary dramatically depending on the issue and how you contact them.

When Customer Service Works

Some users report receiving calls from customer service to discuss their reviews. In these cases, representatives not only refunded disputed charges but the entire fee, which users described as honest behavior.

Users who successfully contacted customer service found representatives very nice, professional, and helpful. When verification emails didn't arrive, phone support resolved the issue and users received their reports successfully.

When Customer Service Fails

However, positive experiences aren't universal. Common complaints include being ripped off, difficulty getting ahold of customer service, and feeling that the company is stealing money.

Some users report there's no email support and phone numbers are difficult to find except for media inquiries. Asking technical questions is very difficult, which creates barriers to resolving problems.

The inconsistency in customer service quality suggests that individual representatives vary significantly in their authority to resolve issues and their willingness to do so.

Understanding What Intelius Can and Cannot Do

Setting realistic expectations is crucial before using any background check service.

What Intelius Can Do Well

• Aggregate public records from multiple sources into one report
• Provide address history and contact information (when available)
• Offer reverse phone lookup and reverse address lookup
• Search by multiple criteria (name, email, phone, address)
• Provide preliminary background information for personal decisions

What Intelius Cannot Do

• Guarantee accuracy: Records may occasionally be reported inaccurately, entered incorrectly, or not updated frequently
• Access all criminal records: Not all jurisdictions report to the databases Intelius uses
• Provide real-time information: There's always a lag between when records are created and when they appear in commercial databases
• Bypass privacy laws: FCRA restrictions mean you can't use these reports for employment, tenant screening, or credit decisions
• Find people who've opted out: Individuals can request removal from these databases

Better Approaches for Background Research

Before paying for any background check service, consider what you actually need:

For Verifying Contact Information

If you just need to confirm someone's email or phone number is valid, you don't need a full background check service. Galadon's free Email Verifier can instantly tell you if an email address is valid, risky, or invalid - useful for vetting contacts before reaching out.

For Finding Contact Details

Need to find someone's professional contact information? Our Mobile Number Finder can help you locate cell phone numbers from an email or LinkedIn profile - often more actionable than the outdated numbers buried in public records databases.

For email addresses specifically, try our Email Finder tool, which searches professional databases rather than relying on potentially outdated public records.

For B2B Research and Prospecting

If your background research is professional in nature - vetting potential business partners, researching companies, or building prospect lists - tools like RocketReach or Lusha may serve you better than consumer-focused services like Intelius.

For companies specifically, our Tech Stack Scraper can identify websites using specific technologies, helping you build targeted prospect lists based on actual technology usage rather than demographic guesses.

For Comprehensive Background Checks

If you genuinely need background check functionality, try Galadon's free Background Checker first. It provides comprehensive background reports with trust scores, and you can get started without committing to a subscription that's hard to escape.

For Business Intelligence and Market Research

If you're researching business opportunities or need to understand market positioning, check out our B2B Targeting Generator for AI-powered target market analysis, or explore our Startup Idea Generator for business intelligence insights.

Red Flags: When to Avoid Intelius Entirely

Don't use Intelius (or any similar service) if:

• You're screening tenants or employees: It's not FCRA-compliant, and using it for these purposes is illegal. You need a proper consumer reporting agency for these use cases
• You need guaranteed accuracy: All public records services have accuracy limitations. For legal matters, hire a licensed private investigator or use FCRA-compliant services
• You only need one search: The subscription model makes one-off searches expensive. The supposed "one-time" options often convert to subscriptions
• You're uncomfortable with auto-renewal: Their billing practices require vigilant management and consistent monitoring of your credit card statements
• You need real-time criminal data: Reports may contain information over 13 years old with nothing current, making them unreliable for time-sensitive decisions

How to Use Intelius Safely (If You Decide To)

If you still want to try Intelius, protect yourself:

1. Use a virtual credit card: Services like Privacy.com let you create single-use card numbers with spending limits, preventing unexpected charges beyond your initial authorization
2. Set immediate calendar reminders: Mark your trial end date and cancellation deadline with multiple alerts - don't rely on memory alone
3. Screenshot everything: Document your sign-up terms, pricing information, and any cancellation confirmations. These screenshots can be invaluable if disputes arise
4. Cancel proactively: Don't wait until the last day - give yourself a buffer of at least 48-72 hours before the renewal date
5. Check your statements: Monitor your bank account for unexpected charges in the weeks following sign-up, not just the first billing cycle
6. Read the fine print: Actually review what you're agreeing to, especially around auto-renewal terms and cancellation policies
7. Document your cancellation: Customers can cancel subscriptions by logging into their account and canceling through Membership Settings, calling the support line, or using live chat. Use the method that provides documentation

What Real Users Say: A Deep Dive Into Reviews

Looking beyond averages, what do individual users actually experience?

Positive Experiences

Some users do report satisfaction, particularly when:

• They successfully reconnected with lost relatives or friends
• They received helpful customer service that resolved billing issues quickly
• They found accurate, current information about their search subjects
• They understood the subscription model going in and managed it actively

Negative Experiences

There are 47 Intelius reviews on Trustpilot, with 89 percent of users rating the service with the lowest possible rating. Common complaints include:

"The search was $6.95 for the basic search. The information contained in the report was WAY out of date. There was no new information. The information contained in the report was 5-10 years old."

Intelius has a 1.6 star rating based on 94 customer reviews on PissedConsumer, with consumers mostly dissatisfied.

A significant number of reviewers stated issues with billing as their number one concern, noting they were automatically enrolled in a monthly billing program despite agreeing to what they thought was a discounted or free search.

The Verdict from Consumer Advocates

Based on the high number of negative reviews, repeated complaints about a faulty pricing structure, dissatisfied customers, and apparent lack of overall value, some review sites give Intelius a 1-star rating. While it may be more time-consuming, reviews suggest you'll save frustration and money by skipping Intelius altogether.

Privacy Implications: What Happens to Your Search History

When you use Intelius, you're not just accessing information - you're also creating data about your own interests and search patterns.

Your Searches Are Tracked

Like all online services, Intelius logs your searches, payment information, and usage patterns. While they state that subjects aren't notified of searches, your search history becomes part of their data infrastructure.

Data Retention and Sharing

Read the privacy policy carefully to understand how long your data is retained and whether it's shared with parent company PeopleConnect or other affiliated services. Given that PeopleConnect operates multiple platforms, there's potential for data to be shared across these properties.

Protecting Your Privacy While Searching

If privacy is a concern:

• Use a dedicated email address just for these searches
• Pay with a virtual credit card that doesn't directly link to your primary accounts
• Consider whether you really need this information or if free public records searches might suffice
• Understand that your search activity may be subpoenaed in legal proceedings

Alternatives to Intelius: A Comprehensive Overview

Depending on your specific needs, several alternatives might work better than Intelius:

For Professional Contact Finding

• RocketReach: Excellent for finding business email addresses and phone numbers with high accuracy
• Lusha: Strong for B2B contact information with direct dials and email addresses
• Findymail: Specialized in email finding with verification built-in

For Free Public Records

• County court websites directly (more accurate but requires knowing the jurisdiction)
• State-level criminal record repositories (official sources with current data)
• Federal court records through PACER (public access to court electronic records)
• Galadon's Background Checker for comprehensive reports without subscription traps

For Ongoing Business Intelligence

If you need regular access to business information rather than personal background checks, consider:

• Clay: For enriching lead data with multiple sources
• Galadon's Tech Stack Scraper: For technology-based targeting
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: For professional networking and business research

The Bigger Picture: Issues with the People Search Industry

The problems with Intelius reflect broader issues in the people search industry:

The Business Model Problem

People search services face a fundamental challenge: most users need only one or two searches, but subscription models are far more profitable than one-time purchases. This creates inherent tension between what customers want and what businesses need to survive.

Data Quality vs. Data Quantity

Companies compete on database size and coverage, but larger databases don't necessarily mean more accurate data. In fact, aggregating more sources can introduce more errors and outdated information.

The Opt-Out Paradox

These services must offer opt-out mechanisms for privacy reasons, but this means the most problematic individuals - those with criminal histories or something to hide - are most likely to remove themselves. This makes the services less useful for their primary use case: safety and due diligence.

Regulatory Gaps

The distinction between FCRA-compliant consumer reporting agencies and general people search services creates confusion. Users often don't understand which type of service they're using and what limitations apply.

The Bottom Line

Is Intelius legit? Technically, yes. Is it the best option for most people? Probably not.

The service has real utility for users who need ongoing access to public records searches and are willing to carefully manage their subscription. But for occasional use, the subscription model creates more problems than it solves.

For most background research needs - especially professional ones - starting with free tools makes more sense. Verify the information you already have with Galadon's Email Verifier, find current contact details with our Mobile Number Finder, and only pay for deep background checks when you've exhausted other options.

If you do use Intelius:

• Go in with your eyes open about the subscription model
• Use payment methods that give you control (virtual cards with limits)
• Set up alerts and reminders to manage renewals
• Document everything for your records
• Verify critical information through other sources

Whatever route you choose, go in with clear expectations. Intelius isn't a scam, but it also isn't the magical solution to finding information about anyone. Public records have limitations, and no service - regardless of price - can guarantee complete accuracy.

Start with what you can verify for free, then decide if paid services add genuine value to your specific situation. In many cases, a combination of free tools and targeted paid searches will serve you better than an ongoing subscription to a service you'll rarely use.

For professional users who need regular contact information and verification, Galadon offers a suite of free tools designed specifically for sales professionals, recruiters, and marketers. Our Email Verifier, Email Finder, and Mobile Number Finder provide the contact information you need without the billing headaches and accuracy concerns that plague traditional background check services.