You get a name. Or a phone number. Maybe just an email address that feels a bit… off. You Google it. Nothing useful shows up, and you might run into Spokeo.
Spokeo is one of those people search websites, and one of the most well-known ones. In this article, we’ll talk about what Spokeo actually is, what it does, and whether it’s worth your time (and money).
Introduction
Spokeo is a popular online people search service owned by Spokeo, Inc. It’s been around since 2006. Like many of its counterparts, Spokeo pulls data from various online and offline sources to build a comprehensive database of people-related information.
You give Spokeo one piece of information, such as a name, phone number, address, email, or even a username, and it tries to connect the dots using public records and online data.
Spokeo is a legitimate and reliable service accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), although we saw a mixed rating.
On Trustpilot, Spokeo is rated 2.5 out of 5 stars, with many reviews complaining about the auto-renewal subscription.
Customer Affairs shows a similar sentiment, with many praising Spokeo’s accuracy while some express concerns about Spokeo’s billing practices.
On Sitejabber, Spokeo holds an average rating of 1.9 out of 5 stars based on numerous customer reviews.
However, we can see that People generally don’t hate the data, they hate forgetting to cancel.
Before we delve into this service, note that Spokeo is for personal use only. You’re not allowed to use it for hiring decisions, renting apartments, or credit checks. It’s illegal to use the data provided by Spokeo for any purpose prohibited by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
What Can You Actually Do with Spokeo?
Spokeo is a versatile people search tool offering various features, including background checks, reverse phone lookups, reverse address lookups, reverse username lookups, and reverse email lookups. Read on and find out what they are…
Spokeo Background Check
Spokeo lets you find and verify someone’s information by entering their full name and uncovering comprehensive background details on them.
The report we got during the test shows details like age, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, marital status, education level, relatives, criminal records, court records, and other public records on our subject.
This is especially useful if you want to make sure someone you met online is who they say they are.
Spokeo Reverse Phone Lookup
Ever received a call or text message from an unknown number? Spokeo’s reverse phone lookup helps you identify the owner of a phone number by providing details like their full name, age, addresses, associates, social media profiles, and more.
Spokeo Reverse Address Lookup
Whether you’re moving to a new neighborhood or just curious about who lives nearby, Spokeo can be a great option for your investigation.
Spokeo reverse address lookup can give you information such as the property’s estimated value, building statistics, names of current and past residents, property owners’ details, phone numbers, email addresses, and even social network profiles of the owners or tenants.
Spokeo Username Lookup
Looking to trace someone’s online presence? Spokeo lets you search for a username and find social media profiles and other online accounts linked to that specific username.
Spokeo Email Search
If all you have about someone is an email address and not much else, try Spokeo’s email search. This might provide you with details like online profiles associated with the email address, the possible owner’s full name, and contact details. This is great for verifying email contacts or uncovering spam sources.
Spokeo Pricing
Spokeo offers two payment tiers:
- 7-day trial membership: $0.95
- 1-month membership: $29.95/month
To subscribe to this service, simply visit the Spokeo website. Perform a search and click UNLOCK PROFILE to navigate to the checkout page and enter your payment details. Once you subscribe, you can unlock all search types and are limited to 100 reports per month.
One thing to watch out for is that you’ve agreed to an auto-renewal clause when purchasing, which says:
… I understand that unless I cancel during my free trial period I will be billed $29.95 monthly. I may cancel my account hassle-free online, or by contacting Customer Care.
This means you’ll be automatically enrolled for a membership that charges you $29.95 every month unless you cancel. So you want to unsubscribe before your trial ends to avoid unwanted charges.
To cancel your subscription, you’ll need to go to Spokeo and log in to your account. Next, click on this link to go to your account’s cancellation page and follow the instructions.
How to Use Spokeo
Using Spokeo is simple and straightforward. You can either use its web-based search tool or download its mobile app from the Google Play Store.
Just enter the information you have—such as a name, phone number, address, username, or email—into the search bar, and Spokeo will do the rest. It aggregates data from various sources and provides you with a detailed report.
How to Remove Personal Info from Spokeo
If you find your personal information on Spokeo and want it removed, the first step is to visit the Spokeo opt-out page.
Find your listing by searching your name, copy the URL of your listing, and fill in your email address. Click OPT OUT to submit the removal request. This ensures your data won’t be accessible through Spokeo in the future.
Spokeo Support
If you need assistance using Spokeo, you can visit the Spokeo online Help Center. You’ll find a knowledge base containing FAQs about this service there.
For timely responses, you can contact the Spokeo customer care team directly on this page, where you can send an email, start a live chat, or call the Spokeo support team.
Spokeo Alternatives
People search tools all pull from different sources. No single service has everything.
Popular alternatives include:
When it comes to people search, no single source is guaranteed to provide you with comprehensive and updated information. Each of these services scours information from different sources and offers unique features, so it’s worth exploring them to see which one best meets your needs.
Final Thoughts
Spokeo isn’t perfect, but it does what it claims to do. If you want to verify people you don’t fully trust yet, or you’d like to investigate unknown calls, emails, or usernames, give Spokeo a shot.
Just remember that people search tools like Spokeo are not 100% accurate. Spokeo is just one tool, not the final truth. And make sure you cancel the auto-renewals if you don’t intend to reuse them.
Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions.
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