To help you make an informed decision about partnering with us on your investigative due diligence projects, we've assembled a list of questions prospective clients frequently ask about our services and process.

What do I get from you?

When you partner with First Advantage on your investigative due diligence project, you gain the peace of mind and confidence of knowing that you're engaging one of the most comprehensive background investigation processes available.

Our team of highly-trained experts conducts step-by-step investigations that include:

• Credentials verifications
• Litigation searches and retrievals
• News searches
• Corporate and regulatory record reviews

With a client's permission, we also interview people who have worked with the subject in the past.

Our editorial department, comprised of former editors and journalists, compiles all the information into our easy-to-read BackTrack Report that's emailed directly to you.

Can we get a pared-down version of the BackTrack Report for a
lower price?

No. We have spent more than 16 years perfecting its due diligence investigation process to provide the full range and depth of information you need to make sound investment, lending or hiring decisions.

Many lower cost background investigation firms will try to convince you that their limited searches and data dump reports suffice.

What they don't reveal (or, even realize) is that they're overlooking critical research and failing to identify and isolate data on people who have the same name as your subject. This leaves you and your company mired in extraneous details and dangerously exposed.

With the delivery of your fully detailed BackTrack Report, we help alleviate many of the problems you face in having to wade through misinformation as part of your decision-making efforts, potentially saving you from the embarrassment of using incorrect information.

Why do you need to search for litigation in every jurisdiction?

A primary component of The BackTrack Report is a search of court records in every jurisdiction where a subject has lived and worked to help ensure that crucial information from their past isn't overlooked.

This is a well-tested and proven approach that's benefited our clients time and again.

In one instance, our investigation revealed that a subject residing in New Jersey had spent most of his life in Maryland. Our subsequent search of Maryland court records evinced that the subject had declared bankruptcy, been arrested several times and served multiple prison sentences.

So, when a lower cost firm insists they can safely limit their search to the area where the subject currently resides, they're really telling you they don't want to spend the time (or the money) to do the investigation right.

Why should we use you instead of cheaper vendors?

The adage “you get what you pay for” applies to your background investigations.

Your business and reputation are on the line each and every time you make a major investment, lending or hiring decision. These decisions are only as good as the quality of the information you have to base them on.

First Advantage is a recognized expert in the field of investigative due diligence. Lower cost vendors charge less than we do because the information they offer you is much less clear, comprehensive and accurate than the information we deliver.

Conducting proper investigative due diligence involves more than just typing a subject's name into a database and giving you a readout of the results. It takes time and the concerted efforts of highly-educated, trained personnel to execute our investigations and evaluate the results.

We acknowledge that conducting due diligence the right way is not cheap. But, failure to do so will almost always be very costly.

Why should we conduct background checks when we already know
the person?

There's a chance you do not know them as well as you think.

People often exaggerate past endeavors or conceal embarrassing and reputation-damaging details, such as lawsuits and arrests. Fraudsters will even exploit personal relationships to keep information from business associates and potential investors – information that's often readily available to those with the skill and training to uncover it.

Are you willing to bet the future of your business and career on the blanket assumption that you know absolutely everything about someone?

How long does it take from the start of the investigation to the
delivery of the BackTrack Report?

If we've investigated a subject before, we'll send you a copy of the existing BackTrack Report within 24 hours.

Within the next 10 business days, we'll send you a detailed update highlighting the results of our new research.

If we are conducting an investigation on a new subject, you'll have your full BackTrack Report in hand in five to six weeks.

What does it take to get started?

Send us a biography of the subject and we'll get right back to you with a price quote for our due diligence investigation.