American DataBank Background Check
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- American DataBank Background Check
American DataBank digs deep to give your employer or school a report on you. Do this if there’s a report error.
American DataBank prepares background checks on job candidates and students. It checks references, verifies prior employment, searches criminal databases, does drug screening, and a host of other background check services. Here’s what you need to know about American DataBank, the mistakes they make, and what to do about them.
In an effort to mitigate the risks of hiring or enrolling someone unqualified, dangerous, untrustworthy, unreliable, incompetent, or otherwise unsuitable for a job, many companies and schools are making employee and student background checks a regular part of the hiring process. Background checks provide an extra layer of insurance to ensure the people a company hires or a school enrolls do not pose any liability risk for any threats to current employees, the company’s reputation, clients, or assets.
American DataBank is one of the background check companies to which organizations turn for a host of risk mitigation services. Depending on the employer’s needs, an American DataBank background check can include employment verification, education verification, criminal background check, credit check, reference check, immunization check, workers comp checks, professional license verification, and drug screening services, both on-site and off-site. This is a great way for employers to streamline background checks. However, in our role as consumer lawyers, we see with too great a frequency the problems that mistakes and inaccuracies on background checks can have on a job candidate or student’s candidacy, reputation, income, and mental health.
This comprehensive guide to American DataBank includes what to do if you find or have lost employment or educational opportunities due to a mistake in an American DataBank background check.
About American DataBank Company
American DataBank is a private company. It was founded in 1998 and while smaller than many background screening companies, has more than 3,000 clients. It is headquartered in Colorado.
How Does American DataBank Conduct Background Checks?
American DataBank reviews thousands of public records and other databases, retrieves relevant information on a job candidate or student candidate, and compiles a report on that candidate based on the information it gleaned from the databases. Included are criminal databases, workers' compensation record databases, motor vehicle databases, and credit reports. American DataBank also contacts references, former employers, and educational institutions individually for information it can’t locate in databases.
How Long Does a Background Check from American DataBank Take?
The time it takes for a credential background check varies. The simplest background check can take just a few days. However, one where American DataBank needs to verify multiple employers and check multiple jurisdictions for criminal history will take longer. The question is not how long does American DataBank take but rather how long it takes for other entities to reply to American DataBank. If American DataBank needs to confirm international candidates with international work histories and multiple educational institutions, the process can take more than a week.
Also, American DataBank drug screening services are ongoing.
What Information Does American DataBank Provide in Their Background Checks?
An American DataBank background check report covers various areas, including criminal records, workers' compensation cases, Social Security Number verification, credit information, employment and educational records, professional licenses, arrests and warrants, and reference checks.
American DataBank Criminal Background Check
This check searches for and collects a job candidate’s criminal history from state, county, and federal databases. If necessary, American DataBank can do international criminal searches. American DataBank is subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), so it can only reveal certain crimes for seven years. However, some severe felonies can remain on your credential background check for longer. Additionally, American DataBank provides reports on warrants and arrests.
Any mistakes in a criminal background check can be devastating. To dispute the criminal background check done by American DataBank, contact us.
American DataBank Background Check for Employment
American DataBank verifies the job candidate’s professional references, employment history, educational background, and any professional licenses they may hold. American DataBank can also check if the job candidate has filed any workers compensation claims, do drug screening, and immunization verifications.
What Are the Consumers' Rights When Verifying Their Background Check?
The FCRA gives consumers rights regarding background checks and imposes specific responsibilities and restrictions on companies like American DataBank. These rights include the right to receive notice of the background check, to consent to allow the employer to run the background check, to review the background check report, to know which specific information in the report lead to an adverse decision (if any), and the right to dispute inaccuracies in the report.
Which Companies Use American DataBank for Background Checks?
Any company with employees or any school with students can use American DataBank for background checks. Their client list includes many companies, though their background check services suggest they have a niche in the healthcare field. American DataBank hospital info report, for example, provides a candidate’s hospital affiliations.
American DataBank FIU, for example, is a portal for Florida International University students to upload their education and immunization information, which American DataBank checks.
What Do Companies Use American DataBank Background Checks For?
Companies use American DataBank background checks to mitigate risks when hiring someone. The risks could be related to past drug use, criminal background, finances, fraudulent references, a candidate’s lack of experience, or anything else the employer company deems significant.
Can Errors Occur in Background Checks from American DataBank?
Yes. Even though the FCRA requires companies like American DataBank to use reasonable care to prepare and provide accurate background check reports, their reports still contain errors, outdated information, duplicate information, and outright wrong information. Wrong information in an American DataBank drug screen background report can cause devastating and long-lasting reputational damage.
What Causes Errors in Background Checks?
Background check errors happen for many reasons including misspelled names, human error, outdated information, incorrect data entry, clerical errors, or reliance on obsolete databases. No matter what caused the error and how big or small it is, it will cause significant problems for the job candidate.
Main Types of Errors
The most common errors include mistaken criminal records, erroneously reported arrest records, mistaken identity, and inaccurate employment verifications or education history.
How Often Do Errors Occur in Background Checks from American DataBank?
While no specific data is available regarding American DataBank, data indicates that up to one in three people experience some sort of error in their consumer reports, including background checks. When it is your future and your career on the line, just one error is too many.
What Are the Consequences of Having Errors in Your Background Check Report?
Any error in your background check can lead to the employer rescinding a job offer when that employer gets a report that falsely says you have a criminal history, do not have references, have been arrested, failed a drug test, did not attend a school you claim you have attended, or some other inaccuracy. The cost of a lost opportunity or reputational damage is impossible to quantify, but it is significant.
You Can Contact American DataBank if You Need to Correct an Error in the Background Report
An employer must provide you with a copy of an American DataBank report if the employer makes an adverse hiring decision based on something in your American DataBank background check report. Additionally, the employer must tell you the information upon which they relied in making that decision. Additionally, you can get one free copy of your American DataBank report every year. You should review it regularly - especially if you anticipate looking for a new job.
If you spot a mistake in your American DataBank report, you should immediately contact them and file a dispute. If you have lost a job based on an American DataBank report or drug test, you can also dispute any discrepancies.
Write a letter identifying yourself, the problem in your background report, and how you want American DataBank to fix it. Include evidence that supports your claim. While filing a dispute over the phone or online is faster, we recommend filing a dispute by writing a dispute letter and sending it via certified U.S. mail. Disputing via certified mail preserves your right to sue American DataBank should legal action be necessary.
American DataBank has 30 days to resolve any issues, according to the FCRA. If American DataBank does not fix the problems, the attorneys at Consumer Attorneys can help you assert your claim and sue the company for the damages and distress it caused. See below for important details about filing a dispute.
American DataBank Contact Information
- Address: 110 16th Street, 8th Floor
- City: Denver
- State: Colorado
- Zip Code: 80202
- Phone: 1-800-200-0853
- Website: www.americandatabank.com
What to Do if You do not Receive Answers to Your Questions on the Background Report
If you do not receive answers from American DataBank or if American DataBank’s answers are unsatisfactory, contact ConsumerAttorneys. Every case is different. We will assess your case and the damages and develop a legal strategy.
You Can Sue American DataBank if Your Report Contains Errors
If American DataBank does not treat your dispute with the attention it deserves or if the damage to your job prospects, reputation, and career has already been done, then you can sue American DataBank. Talk to our attorneys first. Legal action is sometimes the best or only way to hold American DataBank accountable and get you the compensation you deserve.
Who Can You Contact to Solve the Problem With an Error in the Background Report from American DataBank
Contact Consumer Attorneys. The attorneys at Consumer Attorneys have decades of experience representing people who consumer reporting agencies and background check companies have wronged. We know the laws that govern background checks and how to hold the companies and the people responsible for negligently running background checks and violating people’s rights accountable for their actions.
Assistance in Disputing American DataBank Background Report
If you find any errors in your American DataBank background report, contact Consumer Attorneys. We will assess the dispute, assess your American DataBank report, and offer legal advice based on American DataBank’s actions and the FCRA.
Contact Us
Contact us if you find errors in your American DataBank background check report. Our firm protects consumers' rights and ensures companies like American DataBank follow the law and treat people fairly.
Contact us by:
- Visiting our website. Once there, you can chat with a live representative or fill out a form to be contacted.
- Emailing us at [email protected] to request a meeting with an attorney.
- Calling us at 1-877-615-1725.
We have represented thousands of consumers at odds with consumer reporting agencies, background check companies, and many others. Our goal is to hold these companies accountable when they make mistakes that hurt you, to get consumers the compensation they deserve, and to ensure things are as fair as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
For standard background checks, employers and educational institutions will engage American DataBank to prepare background checks on job candidates and students. American DataBank will perform criminal background checks by scouring federal, state, local, and, if necessary, international criminal databases. American DataBank will also run drug screening, employment verification, professional licensing verification, reference checks, immunization compliance, insurance compliance, and other credential verification services. In some instances, American DataBank will run credit checks, workers' compensation claim searches, and arrest and warrant searches. Mistakes in these reports can be cataclysmic for employees and students. If your American DataBank report has an error, contact Consumer Attorneys.
Complio is a division of American DataBank that provides verification and document management for schools of all education levels, from K-12 to graduate studies. Users can initiate and monitor their comprehensive background checks, immunization verification, compliance, insurance proof, document renewals, and drug screening. Complio specializes in services for specialized programs in the health care field where compliance and immunizations are key, like nursing. These programs often require special training, licenses, insurance, and HIPAA compliance affirmations. Because state and local health laws vary, Complio protocols also vary and are customizable per the specific needs of the employer or school.
American DataBank’s Complio platform allows schools, hospitals, healthcare institutions, and employers to collect, store, maintain, and monitor the documents they need for employees and students. Complio allows users to upload their own documents to Complio in conjunction with American DataBank background check and credential verification services.
Your employer arranges for your background check through American DataBank. You are entitled to receive a copy of the background check report once it is complete. If you can’t opt to automatically receive it, request a copy from your employer or the entity that requires it. Because American DataBank is a background check company and offers credit checks, it is subject to the provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The FCRA requires background check companies to provide people with a yearly free report. To request yours, visit the American DataBank website and follow the instructions. Review it for errors, and let us know if you find any.
Daniel Cohen is the Founder of Consumer Attorneys. Daniel manages the firm’s branding, marketing, client intake and business development efforts. Since 2017, he is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates and the National Consumer Law Center. Mr. Cohen is a nationally-recognized practitioner of consumer protection law. He has a we... Read more
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