Published: October 06, 2014




My final post in the series is about a special group of alternative reporting agencies that deal with a very specific topic: employment history. When you apply for a position at a large company, you can be assured that your potential employer will want to check you out. Some employers will be satisfied by checking your credit history and arrest records; while others will want to get a comprehensive report about you. As you have guessed by now, there are agencies for that, too.

Accurate Background

Accurate Background is one of the largest employment screening agencies. Here are some of the services they offer.

• Criminal Searches
• National SSN/Address Locator
• Sex Offender Registry Services •
• Fingerprinting
• Employment Verifications
• Education Verifications
• Professional License Verifications
• Professional References
• Credit Reports
• Civil Searches
• Motor Vehicle Reports

If you believe you have been unfairly denied a job due to the inaccuracies contained in your file, here is the link to dispute them:

Accurate Background Dispute Page

American DataBank

American DataBank provides similar and extensive services, like background checks, drug screening, FBI fingerprinting, education verification, etc. But they also take it a little further, offering a Personality Testing. I have never heard about that kind of testing being used in employee screening, but it has been a while since my last employment application.

American DataBank website is probably among the most consumer-unfriendly websites of its sort, since I have not found any mentioning of how to request the copy of your report other than a generic FCRA page. If you believe that your American DataBank report contains inaccuracies, contact them at the number listed at the bottom of the page.

HireRight

This site on the other hand, is quite straightforward in terms of disputes. All the information is right there in the open, and you can request a free copy every 12 months. HireRight is a huge company that provides global reporting in over 200 countries.

InfoCubic

This company with a funny-sounding name (what were they thinking, LOL) offers a similar range of services, and they are very upfront about their pricing, too. If you have ever wondered how much employers pay to screen you, then InfoCubic has the answer. The background check for a blue-collar worker will cost $19, a recent graduate--$39, and a seasoned white-collar specialist--$59. Some of their published testimonies are just too funny, like this one:

Thanks in advance for your help and all of your time, efforts, and speedy turnarounds. Please pass this on to your team as well.

I have no idea how you can thank anyone for "speedy turnarounds" "in advance". But maybe that is because I am strange and different. In any case, that has no bearings on the quality of their background checks of a potential employee. Their dispute page is not to find, although their instructions on filing a dispute seem to be crystal clear. Just fill the form online and email it--nothing easier!

So here you have it folks. Of course, it would take too much space to mention every company that provides alternative credit reports, but they operate pretty much in the same way. Remember: when you believe that any credit report has led to the denial of any kind for you, you have the rights under FCRA. Use them to your advantage and dispute all inaccuracies you can find.

This is a post by Andy Shuman, a credit and travel expert who blogs at www.Lazytravelers.net. He writes and blogs during and between trips that he enjoys free of charge mostly due to creative use of credit card offers. He believes that credit cards are much more than just a convenient way to pay for a purchase, and that the benefits of responsible credit habits can go far beyond getting the best rates for loans and mortgages.

Andy is the author of bestselling books from Lazy Traveler Handbook Series available on Amazon. When he's not traveling, he lives with his beautiful wife and daughter in Brooklyn, NY.

Questions? Suggestions? Keep them coming!