Intelius is one of the oldest background check companies still in operation today. Founded in 2003 in the wake of the dot-com bubble, the service broke ground for people who wanted to learn more about their neighbors online. However, just because someone has been in business for a long time doesn’t mean they offer the best service.
To see if Intelius provided the kind of experience and data I look for, I checked if it had data on a famous person I knew had quite a lengthy record: Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. He famously had legal problems and tax issues, so I was curious to see if Intelius could surface that data.
Search Results Page
Helpfully, the particular report I was searching for appeared right at the top, even though there are multiple people named “Robert Downey.” That was a promising start.
Report Page
After choosing a person, you have to select one of three report levels. Each gives you different kinds of data.
Level 1 — People Search Report:
- Full name, address, age & DOB
- Aliases, phone number, relatives
- Address history
Level 2 — People Search Plus adds:
- Social network profiles
- Email address search
Level 3 — Background Report Plus adds:
- State criminal & traffic check
- Bankruptcies, liens, judgments
- Aliases, lawsuits, marriage & divorce
Because I wanted as much data as possible on Robert Downey Jr., I went with the highest “Background Report” level.
The report page is neatly organized with a tidy summary at the top, and you can click any section to get more comprehensive data. However, the data it actually offers is lackluster.
Some data is detailed and interesting — the address and phone numbers were solid, and it correctly listed his wives Deborah Falconer and Susan Downey as relatives. It even confirmed his attendance at Santa Monica High School and Perry House School.
Criminal & Traffic Records
But things start to get shaky when looking at court records. Shockingly, Intelius claims that Robert Downey Jr. — who famously had multiple run-ins with the law — has no criminal & traffic records at all in California.
Intelius does list two civil court judgements: liens stemming from his personal tax issues. However, there is an option to upgrade the report to search all 50 states for an additional $19.99. I paid for that access, but didn’t see any additional information. It simply said there was no criminal & traffic records data available for all 50 states. Overall, the criminal & traffic records for Intelius were a bust.
Social Profiles
Intelius also drops the ball on social profiles. It wasn’t able to find any, despite the fact that Robert Downey Jr. has very active Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.
Additional Features
Phone Number Search
In addition to searching by name, you can search for people by their phone number. However, it works a bit oddly — it connects the phone number to a name, then searches for all background check reports with that name. It might be useful for someone with an uncommon name, but otherwise it’s tough to narrow down the exact person a particular number belongs to.
Email Address Search
There is also an option to search people by email address, though in my experience the sources for email addresses are fairly limited.
One strange quirk: the Intelius dashboard tells me that reports are only viewable for 45 days after purchase. If I want to keep them longer, it advises me to print them out. It’s unclear why I can’t just keep records indefinitely, and why I should have to resort to such a low-tech method to hold onto reports I paid for.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Reverse Phone Lookup + People Search MOST POPULAR | $0.95 5-day trial* (then $35.30/mo) | Unlimited phone, person & address reports |
| People Search | $21.35/mo* bi-monthly ($42.69 total) | Unlimited person & address reports |
The most popular plan includes both reverse phone lookup and people search for just $0.95 for a 5-day trial, then $35.30/month. If you only need people search, the bi-monthly plan works out to $21.35/month. If all that sounds complex and needlessly confusing — it is. Trying to figure out which option you actually need feels like doing your taxes.
Our Verdict: Pros & Cons
Bottom Line
On the positive side, the most basic data I was looking for was there. If you need fundamental information — birth date, address, phone number, and easy-to-find court records — you’ll find it. But a surprising amount of data just wasn’t available. I couldn’t find any criminal & traffic records or social media profiles I was looking for.
The pricing system is confusing and more complex than it needs to be. And the 45-day limit on reports gives users little incentive to renew their monthly subscription.
Overall, newer platforms like Instant Checkmate and TruthFinder provide a better experience, better data, and more comprehensive reports. Intelius may have been one of the first to offer online background checks, but through the years they’ve allowed competitors to outpace them.
Looking for a better option? Our #1 pick, Instant Checkmate, returns far more comprehensive reports — including criminal & traffic records and social profiles — at a competitive price.
Try Our #1 Pick Instead →