Background Check Service Recommendations

[gonzodude]

My question involves a background check in the State of: California

I have had a few things in my past that may show on a background check:
1) a misdemeanor in 1999 for which I did probation and completed diversion successfully - the charges were dismissed in 2001
2) a 5150 charge in 2000
3) possibly an eviction

I'm looking for a good background check service to check myself for employment, and also possibly for a tenant screen. I have been researching quite a bit and this whole thing is SO CONFUSING! So far, what I have found out is that most of the "professional" services only deal strictly with employers. (ie - HireRight, Accurint, Imperative Information Group, etc ... and countless others)

On the other hand, many of the online "instant" services available to the public are basically scams from what I have read, and have had a lot of complaints. Many of these don't even have real phone #'s or physical addresses to contact them. (ie - Intelius, efindoutthetruth, USSearch, Net Detective, Intelligator, onlineSlueths, etc ... and countless others)

What's worse, there are many fake "review" sites where people pretend to rate certain services. But these
so-called "review" sites are all fake, and the highest rated ones are nothing more than the ones that are paying out the most to spammers for web traffic. The people making the reviews have never even used any of the sites either. It is 100% fake.

My questions:
I am open to using either a service or a PI. I am also willing to conduct individual county criminal records searches myself if that would be less expensive. I DO ABSOLUTELY NEED the most accurate information possible - the same as what a prospective employer may be able to find out through one of their professional services. But I do not want to pay an arm and a leg! I simply cannot afford it. (I am unemployed, and the whole purpose of this is primarily to get employment)

Any recommendations?

[Mr. Knowitall]

If you can figure out what service is used by your prospective employer, that's the best one to use.

[gonzodude]

Yeah, I kind of figured that. The hard part is finding out which one(s) they're using ahead of time. I may not know until an employer actually conducts one. Even then I may not know which one they used - if they use "another" reason to turn me down and they don't disclose what came up in my background check.

I have been reading up on all the California background check and FCRA laws and I know that if they turn me down because of a background check, they are required to disclose why. But I also know that it would be quite easy for them to just make up another "reason" why they turned me down (ie - "unqualified for the position") so they don't have to worry about any potential lawsuits by disclosing.

In fact, I played an "HR" person and joined a few HR online forums for HR professionals, and I have read posts and articles that instruct HR professionals to do just that - to use another reason for turning down applicants besides "background info," just so they don't have to disclose any info they gained from the background check. Basically, they are skirting around the laws becuase they know the applicant will have a very difficult time to prove/disprove anything.

I was just trying to prepare myself ahead of time just in case they ask me about something in an interview. I think I am just going to find a local reputable PI firm and just pay them for an extensive search on myself. This way, I know that it will be done right, and they should be able to get whatever an employer can get. The cost is what I am concerned about though.

Anyways, thank you for the help knowitall.