The advent of the Internet as an important data gathering tool – now readily available at our desktops - has truly changed the way we can affect timely and cost efficient results – many times locating our subject or asset instantly. Due to recent technology advancements the data that can be retrieved is often accurate and “fresh”. It is often affordable and sometimes free.
It’s “All about the Data”:
by Buz Greenwood, CCRS
Utilizing the internet as a skip tracing tool is truly only as good as the information from which it originates. Due to cost and expense factors, some sites “promote” good accurate information, however, the data may only be updated every 6 months. You will usually find this in “free” sites that try to replicate “yellow page” listing sources.
Fee based sites that have “weathered the .com test of time are the best and most reliable sites available today. This is due in part to the advertising revenue or fee income that they charge to enter and utilize their system. Many of these companies buy frequently from the regional bell companies.
Data capture is another source of data that the more reliable sites utilize to fill their data warehouse. For example: It’s Saturday afternoon and you need to get your oil changed and stop by the home improvement store for the HVAC filter that is long overdue for a replacement. After these stops you call from your cell phone to have pizza delivered to your home. The following routine “errands” have provided for a basis of your “data profile” as well as your personal address/phone information when paying for your product or service. Many companies will sell this info to data warehouses that make your job as a skiptracer easier. Similar sources of data also are commonly sourced from the retail arena such as car parts stores, florists, large discount supply warehouses and surveys received in the mail. However, not all information is available in this manner. A law was passed in 1996 that prohibited cell phone companies and video stores from selling their “lists”.
Web Sites:
There are three different types of sites available for research:
Fee based (those sites where a usery or subscription fee and/or per transaction fee is charged)
Free accessibility (no charge for use)
Search engines
Following are several examples of reliable sites. Please understand that a site might be good today and either gone tomorrow or become stale due to funding/operational issues.
Fee Based:
www.accurint.com - Very accurate and reliable site. Most searches are accomplished for approx. $.25 with no searches exceeding $5.00. Data libraries back to 30 years with over 400 sources of data – over 20 billion records.
www.searchamerica.com - Accurate site encompassing over 225 million surnames, tel #’s, addresses, neighbors, s/s#’s, bankruptcy and fraud info. Fees approx. $.42/search.
Free Sites:
www.usps.com - United States Postal Service. Great site that is always accurate and up-to-date for address verification.
www.bigbook.com - Yelnow pages for commercial and business listings.
www.switchboard.com - Great free site to find people with an advanced search on an affinity affiliation. Ex.: AOPA, American Dental Assn, American League Baseball, National File Assn., etc.
www.555-1212.com - This site gathers several white page directories and provides a comprehensive “people search”.
www.reversephonedirectory.com - A useful site that provides the name associated with the # provided.
Search Engines:
www.theultimates.com - This is part of the YAHOO search engine base. Uses a unique search engine tool to cross reference 6 different phone number directories.
www.ask.com - One of the most popular comprehensive search engine sites today.
Allow the power of the internet to become the strongest and most powerful “tool” in your skiptracing toolchest !!! Depending on your debtor base some sites work better on certain parts of the country than others. By trial and error you will soon find the ones that are most reliable and cost effective for you.