Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/07/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My company purchased a background check from Clearchecks for $39.99 Immediately after receiving my invoice I received a second invoice for $98 They are saying it is a New York State fee for background checks. On principle, they should have requested a second authorization to place this charge. Buried in asterisks and website lookup tools, there is a notice that some counties may carry seperate fees. This should have been more conspicuously stated, and furthermore, the second charge should have required a second authorization. They are refusing to issue a refund or cancel their charge, they claim it is a 3rd party fee. I did not ask for this 3rd party fee. I asked only for a $39.99 report. I have not even received the $98 report and they refuse to cancel it. They should update their policies and issue a refund.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/15/2025

  We notify our customer numerous times of the potential for surcharges. We also have all sales and customer support communication channels publicly available to ask questions about disclosures, asterisks, etc. so there are no surprises to our customers and so they have a human support agent to ask unlimited questions.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/21/2025

   
  Complaint: 22780371
  
  I am rejecting this response because: They are not being transparent or truthful. 
  Nothing from my compliant has been resolved via their response. Their website is deceptive, their billing practices are dishonest, and their "phone support" is not supportive. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *********

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/28/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The complaint involves misleading, unethical and potentially illegal pricing practices. I have had this service as an employer for about year and a half and the billing, even it was higher than given, was still within a reasonable range that was not worth reporting. In May, I had to order 4 background checks and the cost of them was, on average, 3 times the expected price (Listed price $59, but you pay about $100 extra). I called them to understand, but they claim that the extra charges were disclosed somewhere within the process. The reality is the extra charge are forced within the process somewhere and they are charged consistently, which is NOT inline with the listed price for that kind of background check. Obviously, they have recently changed their price/charge mechanism, but they did it in an unethical, shady way that is very misleading. I looked at recent complaints and they are talking exactly about the same problem. The most common extra charge is over $90, which makes the total price almost triple the projected price listed. They need to refund the extra charges that they forcefully made customer pay. I believe they will be sued soon and they will have to pay much more if they do not rectify this situation as it has impacted many customers.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/29/2024

  Dec 2022 we updated our policy regarding the employment verification surcharge for Equifax's The Work Number database (TWN) to manage the increased 3rd party fee. Equifax has been steadily increasing the surcharge (access fee) for their TWN product in the last few years. Equifax has a monopoly in this industry, accounting for nearly 1/3 of all employment verifications in the **. Practically speaking, it is impossible to avoid using them when offering employment verifications. In order to continue to offer employment verification at all, ClearChecks cannot absorb this fee.
  
  On Oct 1st 2023, Equifax has again increased the price. The fee is now $91.56
  
  If TWN is required for an employment verification, we will pass to the customer this vendor data access fee of $91.56. Please note, not all employment verifications require this database. It is dependent on the employer and other available verification methods. This fee will cover all the employers being verified on this report, it is not duplicated when multiple employers are being verified. The best way to avoid this fee is to encourage your applicants NOT to bypass the first 2 steps we offer.
  
  ClearChecks follows a progression of multiple sources to obtain verification of employment:
  
  1) First we ask the applicant to provide payroll information to make an instant verification. The payroll provider is our preferred method of verifying employment because it is substantially faster than any other option.
  
  2) When payroll info is not available or not provided by the applicant, we ask then to upload paystubs. We will not be able to take these AFTER the applicant has submitted the form. They must upload them at this time.
  
  3) When neither payroll info nor paystubs are provided by the applicant then The Work Number (TWN), Equifax's database of 2.5+ million employers, must be checked. We search by name and SSN. Note:  Accessing the database is not a guarantee of a positive verification of this employment. Even if verification for this employment cannot be made via TWN, the surcharge to access the database could still be billed by Equifax in certain situations.
  
  4) Finally when the employment is not verified by TWN we attempt verification by making multiple valid attempts, during regular business hours, to make direct contact with the employer. The number we use is identified as the appropriate number to call to make a verification with this employer. Turn around times on this are dependent on the responsiveness of the employer to our calls.
  
  The payroll & pay stub methods are by far the fastest and most cost effective way to verify employment. We utilize these as options first to try and save you time and money. If your applicant chooses to bypass these options, we have no choice but to move on to attempting TWN.
  
  We understand the frustration of unexpected expenses. We try to make these surcharges as clear as possible during the checkout process as these fees are non-refundable. We attempt to inform our customers for the potential of this fee when selecting the search. There is a also a check box on your checkout screen acknowledging you have been informed of this fee. Finally, these fees are outlined in the **************** (************************************************************) that are agreed to upon placing an order.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/30/2024

   
  Complaint: 21768368
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have been using the service for less than 2 years and I have been expecting a certain average charge, which was coming a little higher, but still within a reasonable range. In May of 2024, I have ordered 4 background checks and the 4 came back around $150 total after all the unclear, kind of hidden charges, which the business now claims that the Equifax raised prices on about 2 years ago, which is not inline with the recent hike I noticed. It is obvious to me that they are trying to justify this misleading practice and blame it on a third party. Again, all the recent complaint against this business are about the misleading advertising and surprise, forced billing. 

   

  They need to refund all of these extra charges or at least discount it significantly, then after that we can decide if we want to use the service for a listed, close to accurate fees.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Maj Swaked

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/13/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I engaged the company to do a background check and selected the higher package of $69.99. They put on addon charges of $95, $91.96 and $6 that were not clearly outlined, explained or notified about. When I called to complain I was told it was laid out in their terms of service and it was additional charges associated with acquiring data necessary. I feel they are responsible for notifying client before any additional charges are incurred so the client is not blindsided by a bill above and beyond what was agreed to. I would like them to honor the $69.99 price originally paid

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/25/2024

  We notify our customers of every single possible additional charge at multiple stages of the order process. We go to great lengths to be extremely transparent. We cannot control what a customer chooses to read or click. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/28/2024

   
  Complaint: 21428111
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/10/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On January 31, 2024, I requested a background check for a potential employee choosing the $39.99 option from ClearChecks. I have used ClearChecks for this service since 2022 paying nearly the same for each service requested, and never had a problem. On February 2, 2024, I received an emailed receipt from ClearChecks that an additional payment of $120 was charged to my credit card for County surcharges because it was discovered that the potential employee had lived there. This was done without my knowledge (I had no idea where the potential employee had lived, and so had no idea what states ClearChecks would include) and without my prior authorization agreeing to pay surcharges wherever and whatever the amount. I agreed to pay $39.99 for a background check. What if a surcharge had been $300? Is it fair that ClearChecks could make the unilateral decision to "take" additional monies from me without my prior knowledge or consent? After receiving the $120 Receipt, I checked my ClearChecks account history and found numerous "surcharges" ranging from $5.00 to $14.99 for other background checks I have requested that I was never made aware of in the past. On February 4, 2024, I sent an email to ClearChecks questioning the $120 surcharge as well as the other surcharges I saw on my accounting history. They responded that "certain counties and states impose surcharges (access fees) when ordering criminal record search..." and that "NY has the highest surcharge fee in the county at $95." They indicated also that "a majority of ** [***********] counties are currently offline...are not permitting manual searches..." If that is the case, why have I been charged $5 for various *********** searches when they could not be done? ClearChecks has indicated that "these fees are non-refundable" and that they "try to make these surcharges as clear as possible..." which is not true. I find ClearChecks business practices misleading, inconsistent, and fraudulent.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/21/2024

  We understand the frustration of surcharges. These surcharges are imposed by the county courthouse. We notify our customers multiple before submitting an order of the potential for these surcharges. They are passthrough costs imposed by local governments. We offer a Basic report, which this individual did not select, that has no potential for county surcharges. We have a ***** number for all prospective customers to call to ask questions about anything prior to purchase. 

  Refund policy is clear in Terms regarding these surcharges. 

  Terms are conspicuous on our homepage to customers and non-customers and also through our ************ ************************************************************ & ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/21/2024

   
  Complaint: 21275784
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  It is NOT true that Clear Checks notifies consumers "multiple" times in advance that sur charges are applied.  Clear Checks NEVER notified me in advance that surcharges were applied.  The only way I found out was after the fact when I received an emailed statement from Clear Checks that $120 had ALREADY been charged to my credit card.  That prompted me to look at my account history on their site, and I saw other surcharges from $5.00 to $14.00 that had been charged to my account--again, without prior notice.  I have always requested their Standard background check or the next level up believing that was the total cost of their services as I requested them.  Clear Checks indicates on their website that any level of background check you choose comes with extras you can request.  I did not choose extras.  As I mentioned previously, what if the surcharge was $300 or $500?  Without advance warning of this, why is Clear Checks allowed to "take" any amount they wish from the customer without prior notice and authorization.  Clear Checks notes that their website shows small asterisks indicating additional information, and that it is their customer's responsibility to avail themselves of this knowledge.  I say this is not enough.  It is only a way for Clear Checks to legally cover themselves in disputes such as this.  In practice, I'm sure I'm not alone, when I say I was never notified in advance one time let alone "multiple" times as they state. I am an individual.  I am not a company, corporation, LLC, or organization. I request background checks on caregivers I hire to care for my loved ones.  Unexpected charges of $120 or more seriously impact my budget to be able to get background checks on these individuals.  I have used Clear Checks for nearly two years.  Why is it that I am just now complaining about these unauthorized surcharges?  I can only surmise that they went unnoticed because they were small amounts, and probably still would be unnoticed if I hadn't been hit with one for $120!

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/13/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  07/12/2023 I paid ****** and Clearchecks did not give me background information on Nahshon Route. Instead it sent him an email to let him know I was performing a background check on him. It never warned me an email would be sent out. I have a background release signed from Nahshon Route for *******.I either need a full refund or the background check run with the attached form. Please email me at ********************** since he has fired me due to Clearchecks emailing him. He is the ** of *************** and Operations. He was hired by my boss *************************** but he is over HR. He fired me when he realized I ran a background check on him while my boss was out on maternity leave with his new baby. He will return Monday. I need the background check on Nahshon Route with the attached document or a refund. There should also be a warning that an email will be sent out to whoever the background check is being run on.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/13/2023

  We have no record of you purchasing a background check from ClearChecks (www.clearchecks.com). The attachment you sent with this complaint is referring to ******* (www.*******.com), not ClearChecks. We advise you contact them, not us. Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/05/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 7/2/2023 I ordered a background check through clear checks for myself and another employee of my PLLC established as an s corp which I needed on file to be a participating provider with federally funded insurance programs. The background check that I ordered totalled ******. After placing the order and initiating the background check as an employee there were additional charges for *****, **** and ***** that were immediately charged to my account - fees for county, education and employment back ground checks even though the background check that I requested i paid for stated it was to cover "clearhire professional with single employer verification - national, 7-year county and federal criminal, watchlists with degree and employment verification" They charged additional fees for every single thing that they had promised to complete with the original ****** I paid.They stole money from me and it needs to be rectified, they need to correct their business practices and be fined for doing this to people

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/01/2023

  All surcharges are conspicuously disclosed throughout the order process and in our Terms of Service. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/04/2023

   
  Complaint: 20278722
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  there is nothing conspicuous about your terms. Ive gone back and looked- the title of the package I bought clearly states unlimited access to the services I was then charged for.  The extra fees are Hidden under links that I was only able to find when one of your customer service people talked me through finding them. And why would I be searching for added fees on your website when the package is titled UNLIMITED. This is false advertising and consumers need to be protected from this THEFT. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/31/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am a new customer who ordered a report. They send you emails that you must agree to and digitally sign which can be confusing for a first-time user. I discovered I had two reports running (both for the same person) and tried to call customer support. Couldn't get through to a live person and was cut off. I tried live chat, spoke to ********** and informed him of the problem. He offered zero help and said once the reports are ordered nothing can be done. As of now no reports are completed and I have received nothing. They won't let me speak to a manager and won't do anything to resolve this issue. So far, they have billed me twice for a report for the same person ($39.95 twice) plus a $9.95 addon that I ordered and now I have another $39.95 charge pending on my CC statement. I am now reporting this problem to my CC company to dispute this issue because Clear Checks isn't even willing to work with me or let me speak to a supervisor. I will not dispute one $39.95 charge and one $9.95 charge for one person as that is what I agreed to for the one report I still need.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/23/2022

  This customer unfortunately made two distinct and independent transactions with ClearChecks. Each transaction creates separate invoices with separate background check applications. An individual would be and is required to complete the same background check application for two independent background checks to take place. In the event there are questions about the process, billing, etc. our customers have 4 methods of communication to resolve issues: ***********************, 2. *********************************** 3. in-account chat (which was utilized by the customer post both applications being completed and submitted electronically), 4. Physical mail. 

  Our customer elected to reach out to our support team only after they completed both independent, disperate background check applications. Further, had our customer not completed one of the applications, or both, the transactions are subject to 100%, no-questions asked refund per our policy in out Terms of Service: 

  "To the extent that ClearChecks has not received a Completed Consumer Application, the Customer, within 120 days of paying the Fees for the Screening Report, may request (i) a full refund of the Fees for that Screening Report to the original method of payment or in the form of account credits or (ii) to reassign the Fees for that Screening Report to an order for a new screening report."

  
  

  ClearChecks has a very clearly stated policy in our Terms of Service. https://www.clearchecks.com/terms-of-service 

  Incomplete Consumer Applications:

  ClearChecks will not begin preparing a Screening Report on a Consumer until: (i) the Customer has provided ********************** with contact information for the Consumer; (ii) ClearChecks has sent a Consumer application to the Consumer, (iii) the Consumer has submitted the completed application, including providing any necessary authorizations, to ClearChecks (Completed Consumer Application).

  To the extent that ClearChecks has not received a Completed Consumer Application, the Customer, within 120 days of paying the Fees for the Screening Report, may request (i) a full refund of the Fees for that Screening Report to the original method of payment or in the form of account credits or (ii) to reassign the Fees for that Screening Report to an order for a new screening report.
  

  Erroneous or Mistaken Consumer Applications:
  After ClearChecks has received and processed a Completed Consumer Application, ClearChecks will not issue a refund for the ordered Screening Report if the Customer requests the refund on the grounds that the Consumer erroneously or mistakenly completed the Consumer Application.

  Completed Screening Reports:
  

  ClearChecks will not refund Fees for any Completed Consumer Application Screening Report.