There are countless services advertising “instant” background checks and records searches. You’ll also find large pre-employment screening companies that tout the size of their databases and the number of records they can return in seconds. These tools are inexpensive, widely available, and don’t require a private investigator license to purchase—so why would anyone pay a licensed private investigator to conduct a background investigation?

Before you spend $33.09 on a one-click report, it helps to understand what you’re actually buying—and what you’re not.