There are a number of companies on the Internet offering background checks for a seemingly reasonable fee. I am not going to name names, recommend or trash anyone. If you choose to use one of these companies to check out the nanny or the new boyfriend, there are a few things you should be aware of.
The first thing to consider is the quality of the information you get back. Timeliness and accuracy are important here. How fresh is the data (how often do they update the database) and how accurate is the data? You might be surprised at how often the information is just wrong! What are their data sources? Some of these companies get data from a number of public record databases and just regurgitate it back to you. This is information you could have found (probably for free!) if you had the time and inclination. Not every company does this, just be aware some do.
To alleviate some of the problems, there are two important things to keep in mind. First, the more information you use to initiate the background check, the more accurate it may be. Information such as full name, current and previous address, date of birth and SSN. More is better! Second, where possible, verify the information. You cannot take the report you get back at face value!
The next thing we want to consider deals with a couple of specific areas. First up, criminal records. Just because the report you get says "No Records Found" does not necessarily mean the person doesn't have any criminal convictions. The criminal justice system is overburdened and slow. Sometimes it takes months for criminal records to end up in computer databases. The only way to get around this is to do an actual hand search at the appropriate court.
Next we'll look at DMV and credit reports. As a private citizen checking out your daughters new boyfriend, you will probably have to do without this information. In most states, to access DMV records, you will need a "permissible use" and a signed release from the person you're looking into. Most likely, not going to happen. Credit reports? Long story short, also not going to happen. Period. So unless you're a professional (private investigator, collection agency, etc) this is information you're not ever going to see.
Reports from these companies can be useful if you approach them with caution. Start with as much information as you can, then take the information which is most important to you and attempt to VERIFY it! These are not companies used by professional investigators. The companies they use are generally not available to the public. If investigators use them at all, it's as a starting point. And yes, professional investigators verify their information no matter where it comes from.
