Frequently Asked Questions
SafeGuard is committed to providing industry leading support to its customers. Below are answers to commonly asked questions.
What does it cost to sign up?
answerSafeGuard Background Screening is a transaction based service, which means that you only pay for the services you use. Although there are no registration fees or monthly minimums, in certain circumstances an onsite inspection fee of approximately $105.00 may be required to meet FCRA guidelines for those who desire access to Credit Bureau Reports. Our sales consultants can discuss this in more detail.
TopAre there charges in addition to the services listed?
answerThere are a couple of situations where the price indicated may incur additional charges. All charges are listed in our system for you to check before you order.
a).If an applicant has a positive result on a database Search. When you order an instant database criminal search, the information from that search comes from a database that is updated at different intervals. For this reason, any hit found must be verified as required by the FCRA laws
by an actual county court search. Any hit will automatically include an actual court search to verify that the hit belongs to the subject of your search. The court searches will be billed at a per county search rate. This means that if there is a hit on your applicant, the search could cost
more that the package rate. You would be charged the package rate for the initial search and each additional county search required at the ala carte rate included in your schedule of fees.
b).Surcharges, sometimes called "court fees", or "jurisdictional fees".
In some State there are fees to perform motor vehicle record checks and some courthouses charge a fee to conduct county felony and misdemeanor criminal searches. These fees are implied to cover their own internal expenses and are outside of SafeGuard's control. SafeGuard does not mark up any of these fees; they are passed directly to you. Roughly 33% of all counties have surcharges and the counties within each state vary (i.e. some
will charge, some will not) however, almost every state imposes some sort of fee for a motor
vehicle record check.
How much are Surcharges?
answerFees can range from as little as $1 up to $65 (in the state of New York for example). If there is a surcharge, the average cost is about $5 per order. All charges are listed in our system for you to check before you order.
TopHow do I sign up?
answerJust select the “Sign Up” link on the top of every page on our site and complete online registration, or speak to one of our highly trained customer representatives by calling 1-877-700-7345, option #1.
TopHow long does it take to get our company set up?
answerUsually the same business day. Special trial offers may provide access sooner.
TopWho is eligible to use the SafeGuard service?
answerBona fide businesses who seek to use the information strictly for pre-employment & employment background screening, and Landlords who wish to screen potential tenants/applicants. Individuals are eligible to conduct public records searches.
TopWhat is the turn around time for reports?
answerTurn around time varies from "instantly available" up to 72 hours, depending upon the type of reports requested. Certain International investigations may take up to 15 days for results.
TopHow does the billing/invoicing work?
answerAt the beginning of every month you will receive a statement outlining activity for the previous month. SafeGuard Background Screening will bill your credit card automatically prior to sending your statement. For high volume customers who qualify, invoicing is available. SafeGuard Background Screening accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
TopHow do I initiate searches?
answerOnce set up on our system, you login via the web, enter your applicant's information, and initiate your searches. You may receive your completed reports via the web, e-mail, or fax.SafeGuard Background Screening can also integrate directly with your applicant tracking system allowing your internal users to automatically conduct background checks seamlessly. SafeGuard also provides an Online Career Center and Applicant Tracking System that is pre-integrated with our background screening service.
TopAre there forms I need to have signed?
answerYes. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires authorization from an applicant to run a background check. For Motor Vehicle Records and Workers Compensation Activity searches, some states and jurisdictions may require a specific form.
TopIs there anything I need to provide to the applicant?
answerThe Fair Credit Reporting Act require that you notify the applicant that you have initiated a background check and if you deny employment as as result of the background check, a letter informing the applicant of that fact. The applicant will need to be informed of their rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act also. This information is included with your completed investigation reports and other authorization forms that are made available from SafeGuard free of charge.
TopDoes SafeGuard Background Screening provide training?
answerYes. Free training is provided as long as you are a customer of SafeGuard. We will train as many of your employees who will be set up with an authorized user account as needed. We provide the training via the internet in real-time.
TopCan I run reports and check the status of my account online?
answerYes.
TopWhen is the SafeGuard Background Screening system available for use?
answer24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
TopCan I review and pay my invoices online?
answerYes.
TopCan I manage, add, remove, and edit users by myself?
answerYes. Each customer is setup with an "Administrator" who can manage a variety of functions, including user management, invoice and payment management, and much more.
TopWhy can't I see the address history on the Social SSN Trace and Address History Report?
answer
The address history portion of this report is available only by viewing the report online. The validation component can be viewed on the final report that is e-mailed or downloaded by you.
The information in The SSN Trace and Address History Service is intended for research purposes only and is not meant to be utilized as the basis for a hiring decision in and of itself. The SSN Trace and Address History Service is not an actual part of the FCRA process. Instead, the SSN Trace and Address History Service is a research tool designed to assist in locating relevant jurisdictions to conduct criminal research and is conducted as a precursor to an FCRA background check process.
Since the presence (or absence) of an address itself provides no foundation to deny (or extend) employment or make any FCRA decision; therefore an address itself is not the foundation for a dispute process. If the FCRA investigation uncovers information that is to be used in taking adverse (such as finding and verifying a criminal record in a particular jurisdiction), then it is the criminal record (not the address) that is foundation for the FCRA decision, and it is the criminal record (not the address) that is subject to consumer dispute.
The SSN Trace and Address History service is not considered a 'consumer report,' as that term is defined in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq.) ('FCRA'). FCRA and Non-FCRA reports should be separated because consumers have certain rights with respect to consumer reports (including a dispute process) that do not apply to such non-FCRA reports.
