Experian Background Checks
Prior to joining Consumer Attorneys, Katie was with Gulfcoast Legal Services, a non-profit legal aid organization serving Pinellas, Manatee and Sarasota counties in FL.
Even though Experian is well known, the company often makes a lot of mistakes causing consumers to miss rental opportunities and job prospects due to background screening errors. When this happens, you have a legal right to contact lawyers for consumer protection and file a lawsuit when needed. Continue reading to learn more about Experian background checks and what to do if you find errors!
What is an Experian Background Check?
An Experian background check is an extensive report on an individual’s past, commonly used by employers, landlords, and other entities as a measure of assessing potential candidates. Experian, a leading CRA, primarily deals with consumer credit reports in the United States.
When you grant permission for a background check with Experian, the company searches through records obtained from various sources to confirm your identity and review your credit history for any negative information or inconsistencies. The exact information contained in the report, will heavily depend on what a prospective landlord, or employer would like to review before welcoming someone into their community. Therefore, the background check information can vary depending on the industry and the employer, but there’s still some general information that is usually searched for during the Experian background check process.
Experian background checks typically include reviewing the following.
- Credit report
- Criminal history
- Education history
- Employment history
- Driving records
- Civil court records
The depth of the screening depends on what the requesting party is looking for. For instance, an employer might request an in-depth employment background check that could take longer, while a landlord might request an identity check, credit check, and arrest records.
What do Experian Background Screening Checks Look for?
Experian background screening checks typically look for the information below.
Type of Search
- Identity: Confirms the person’s actual name, other names used, social security number, addresses used, and other relevant information. Flags potential fraud risks.
- Education: Verifies the type of school the candidate attended, whether it is a primary, secondary, high school, college, or university, and the certification earned. Checks for false claims.
- Employment History: Affirms past employers, positions occupied, dates of employment, salary, and reasons for leaving.
- Criminal Records: Searches the Department of Corrections, Clerks of Court, and Sex Offender Registry for arrest, conviction, incarceration, and registration records.
- Sex Offender Registry: Searches national and state-level databases to identify registered sex offenders.
- Worldwide Search: Looks for terrorist watchlists, most wanted lists, sanctioned lists, and other security threat lists. This is of significant value for government, airline, and financial jobs.
- State DMV: Verifies driving privileges, accident history, traffic violations, and any suspension of license records held by the individual. This is critical for driving-related jobs.
The type of records verified varies with what the company orders or, in the case of employment, what is relevant to the position or rental property.
How Long Do Experian Background Checks Take?
It typically takes 1-3 business days to generate most Experian background check reports. However, customized ones involving research in different jurisdictions may take between 5-7 business days. For tenant screening checks, results are returned usually within minutes after an applicant completes the application.
Please note that sometimes an applicant will be given a temporary employment offer with the condition of undergoing a full background check. Thus, any adverse information discovered later could still lead to dismissal from employment, even if the employee had not committed a transgression immediately before receiving the notice.
What Companies Does Experian Work With?
Experian performs employment and tenant background screenings for tens of thousands of companies globally across major industries. Experian works with large Fortune 500 companies as well as small and mid-size companies.
Employers appreciate the name recognition and perceived reliability that working with Experian adds to their business. Below are some of the industries that utilize Experian background checks to screen candidates.
- Staffing & Recruiting
- Retail & Hospitality
- Transportation & Logistics
- Healthcare Facilities
- Property Management
- Financial Services
- Government Sector
- Academic Institutions
What if I Fail an Experian Background Check?
If a negative mark appears in your Experian employment or tenant screening background check, there are options for you including disputing the errors, and explaining why the information is incorrect.
You should read through your full background check report to find out what led to your failure. Experian is obligated to provide you with this information upon request.
If the information is accurate, you can explain why certain situations, such as a criminal conviction or an eviction, occurred in a particular context. Additionally, providing information about ongoing rehabilitation processes and actions can be useful.
If there is an inaccuracy, you should be able to rectify it through Experian’s dispute procedure. Provide evidence such as court documents indicating that the charges were dismissed or employer records that counter the dates provided. The dispute letter should be written with specificity and notating why each error is incorrect. It is recommended to forward your dispute letter via certified mail. When you dispute via certified mail, it often requires you to waive less rights than what disputing online requires you to waive.
Honesty is the Best Policy
Even though it may not be common to allow the employee or tenant to explain, most employers and landlords will permit you to discuss the results and possibly negotiate, especially if they were less serious offenses. However, some may not tolerate certain criminal charges that are considered violent or serious offenses.
Overall, being proactive, transparent, and cooperative can help increase the odds that a negative Experian background check will not always result in losing a job or rental opportunity. However, it is important to remember that the outcome still depends on the policies of each company.