Match the product to SELECTiON.COM before ordering
The Search America product described here is the national criminal-database service listed by SELECTiON.COM, also presented through its Fastrax Select system. This is an independent explanation of that identified commercial product. A similarly named business, website or charge is not automatically the same provider. Match the company and domain on the invitation, order or report before sending identification or a dispute.
For most non-fingerprint applicant checks, the provider’s Employee/Volunteer Hub describes a client-initiated process using an emailed, one-time link. If an employer says it ordered your check but you did not receive that invitation, verify with the employer and contact SELECTiON.COM support at 800-325-3609. Do not assume that a general web search is a substitute for the employer’s authorized order.
Read national database coverage as a lead, not a clearance
SELECTiON.COM describes Search America as a locator to combine with primary-source searches. Its sample report expressly treats the database as an auxiliary tool and disclaims complete or fully accurate coverage. “National” therefore does not mean every courthouse, every current disposition or an FBI-certified history. A no-match result can reflect the database’s coverage, update cycle or matching settings rather than the absence of all criminal history.
The published data-source list groups sources by state and category, including court, arrest, correctional, registry and warrant information. Those categories do not have interchangeable meanings: an arrest entry or historical warrant is not a conviction. Ask which sources and date ranges are included in your ordered package and how recently the relevant repository updated them. Treat a published source inventory as evidence of listed sources, not a promise that every record from each place is current.
The provider’s current product page advertises more than 5,800 sources, while its older Truth in Advertising document describes more than 1,500. These are dated marketing descriptions, not a completeness measurement. The practical question is whether the particular court and period you need are covered and independently verified, not which headline count is larger.
Find out what the purchased package actually includes
SELECTiON.COM describes County Criminal Record Search as the follow-up used to verify potential Search America matches and cover jurisdictions without usable digital records. County research may use a court’s online source, a courthouse terminal or a researcher or clerk. Federal criminal searches are a separate service. Before ordering, ask whether county verification, federal districts, aliases and relevant residence jurisdictions are included or charged separately.
The reviewed product pages direct prospective clients to request a quote; they do not establish one universal retail price or completion deadline for every Search America package. Obtain the total, any courthouse or additional-jurisdiction charges, expected delivery and what happens when court verification takes longer. If you are an applicant, ask the employer which product it ordered rather than buying another check that may not meet the same requirement.
For employment screening through a reporting company, the FTC explains that the employer must provide a standalone written disclosure and obtain written permission before ordering. A publicly accessible record does not eliminate the employer’s screening obligations. This informational page cannot authorize an employment, housing or other eligibility decision or establish that a proposed use is lawful.
Follow a possible match back to the record
Review the identifiers used for the match, the reporting source, county or state, case number, dates and recorded disposition. The sample shows matching filters and a recommended county/state follow-up. A broad filter or partial birth date should not be treated as definitive identification. Ask the provider which identifiers actually matched and whether it confirmed the underlying court record before reporting it as yours.
If a court case is the issue, compare the current disposition document with the database entry. A dismissal, amended charge or later order can matter even when an older entry is correctly attributed. Save the report version and date, the specific disputed item, and any official court document used to resolve it. Obtaining the official document supports correction; it does not by itself update the commercial provider’s file.
Get your report and dispute a specific error
The Employee/Volunteer Hub links a Dispute Notification Form. It also says an employer-ordered report is emailed to the consumer when an email address was included on the release, and that a copy can be requested through customer support. Support may require identity verification. Use the verified provider’s own instructions and secure submission route, and keep proof of the dispute rather than posting identifying documents publicly.
If an employer is considering an adverse decision based on the report, the FTC says it must first provide the report and a Summary of Rights. Tell the employer about a specific error, dispute it with the reporting company and ask that a corrected report be sent to the employer. The provider supplies information; the employer makes the employment decision. If the report came from a different company, direct the dispute to that actual issuer instead of assuming Search America produced it.