Sterling, A First Advantage Company Reviews 

Randomly messaged me asking for internal contact details and company information. Nothing in the email looks or sounds remotely trustworthy; nothing in the email gives the recipient a method of verifying the legitimacy of the request.

I have never before been contacted by someone asking for a reference, but without naming the person. Instead this was "We are contacting you, on behalf of our client to verify the employment of one of your former employees" - dodgy as hell.

Looks like a phishing attempt - if they are legit, why don't they just call the company and find who they need to speak to? Or why don't they include the information they want to verify?

If this is real, it's just plain bad.

I am dissatisfied with the service; I connected my account to Uber Delivery and Sterling received all my personal details as well as proof of my right to work in the UK, yet they rejected my application.

I’ve been waiting for a response for three weeks; I was getting positive updates, but then suddenly they claimed they were missing a document—one they had actually already received from him—and now I’m completely stuck because I can’t start doing side work for Uber.

These guys are not trained professionals, their work is that of just a bunch of lemmings in an office doing the bare minimum.

Their customers support department may as well be considered “the customer hindrance department”. I was on the phone, careening towards an hour on the line after being transferred 5x before these batches of cookies decided to hang up on me.

Normally I would not care, but I’m on a deadline on a background check with my career dangling by a thread, and they metaphorically spit in the face of that fact.

Check the rating here, BBB, and beyond.. they are horrible. No amount of money nor hiring will help these folks, they should just close up shop and call it a day with how much of a lost cause they’ve become.

If they can’t support their customers they shouldn’t be in service, and it seems this statement is long overdue by the amount of negative comments supporting this.

I did my check and was done in less than 24 hours. Thank you

HORRIBLE! They wrongly could not find my DL, took longer than care.com frame time. Now, one blame another and My profile is closed. I suspect they are based in India. This company should be abolished alongside with all american companies that uses them. Seems like they mess up ALL THE TIME. They laugh when you call, asks for 48 hours then starts the BS all over again.

Joke of a company, don’t even tell you if they reject your background check. Been waiting over two weeks out of work only to get told I have to do my background check again as my finger was in the corner of the picture. You’d think having only one job would mean you couldn’t mess it up but this company managed it

Why do they need the same information time after time after time. Incompetent at best. I truly hope, I never have to deal with them again.

They require you to spoon-feed them your data the entire process. Might as well make the candidates do their own background review ATP.

All of the 1 star reviews are accurate. I have experienced every single issue mentioned. Repeated requests for the same information, semi-coherent communications, requests for the wrong information, delays, you name it.

Genuinely one of the most inept companies I've encountered, oh and processing EU data in India has some interesting GDPR/DP implications.

Have had to deal with them twice now. They are paid to perform the employment verification but each time they relied on me, the applicant, to provide information they could have obtained directly from the employer via a phone call. Both times it has taken them WEEKS to verify employment. The first time I dealt with them it was literally ONE job they had to verify and it still took them WEEKS. With the recent check they requested more information from me to verify my own employment. To officially verify the employment time they need to contact the actual employers whose numbers are PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.

Sterling's employment verification turnaround time has cost many people good jobs.

I wish I could give 0 stars. It's almost unbelievable how awful it is to work with Sterling. I have worked with a few different background companies and have never seen anything this bad. The process usually takes weeks and it takes 3-4 days for them to solve even a quick issue like updating a status. Then they back date the completion date to make it look like they verified a file quickly

i apply background verification for…
i apply background verification for right to work, i am British citizen, only thing i dont have passport yet, i submit my nationality certificate, p45, payslip, original national insurance letter from job center, driving licence, resident permit card still this company decline my right to work status. what els you need to proof i have right to work? useless company for background check

This is a nightmare. Started process on April 8, 2026. They cannot check or verify anything! They have requested paystubs for current job, paystubs from previous jobs, W-2 from 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 20215. Then requested TAX RETURNS for 2020 through 2025! Later asked for copies of my degrees, followed by names, email addresses, physical addresses, and phone numbers of contact person at each school that I attended back to high school - I graduated in 1986, I have no idea who to contact at this point. They asked for copies of my driver's license - twice, front and back, social security card, birth certificate - then marriage certificate 'because my name didn't match my driver's license.' On May 5, 2026, they announce that there is an error with my date of birth and are unable to complete a background check! I then had to reapply on their website. Their website would not allow me to access the application claiming that I already had an application in process. After talking with a person who claimed to be customer service, who hardly understood the English language, and arguments that I would not download specific browsers that I refuse to use, as they are not trustworthy, they finally said to close my current browser, clear cache, and reopen. (I did not). Amazingly, I was able to reapply on their website. Again, they have requested me to give them my driver's license, birth certificate, marriage license, and social security card again! Now they are stating that they will not be able to complete the request until on or about MAY 26, 2026! Best part, they are waiting on a return of background checks on aliases - one I have not had since I was 2 MONTHS old, another that I have not had since I was 4 YEARS, and another that I have not used since I divorced over 30 YEARS ago! What could I have done as a 2 MONTH old infant that would affect my background check??? I went and paid for a background check on my own on April 29 with another company, just out of curiosity. I got my background report yesterday, complete with criminal history, education, and work history. Best part, they only wanted a copy of my driver's license and my signed consent! no tax returns, paystubs, etc. Sterling and First Advantage are concerningly incompetent, have reprehensible communication skills, ignominious research teams - if any; and a lack of concern of care for those that are forced to use their services. At this point, I am considering looking for other employment options as anyone who uses these services are obviously not capable of seeing the ineffectiveness of Sterling and First Advantage. If you are ever asked to use this company for employment - LOOK FOR ANOTHER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY and RUN!

This company lacks investigative effort.
This company’s software prevents upload of jpeg files.
This company makes unreasonable requests, for example asking for W2’s and Income Tax information.
I would give this company negative stats, if allowed.

I did a background check through care.com. When it came to the Motor Vehicle one, it came back "unperformable". The wrong last name was used after I was asked to send a copy of my DL. I had to get my own Motor Vehicle abstract. Bad experience.
Update, they made things right for me. I now have the correct background check and I am back on care.com.

Pathetic service . I have never seen such website where they assume that you submit document which is never asked and once you make payment, they will fail your BGC for the document which was never asked . How can some organisation be so pathetic. Their should be option of negative rating for these kind of bin .

I am the person that will give Sterling answers to the verification on employees. Sterling hires people from other countries that speak very poor English. I value my time but it wasted while I have to listen to a message 10 times or more to try and understand it. Please, if you are a company requesting employment verification find an American based company or call yourself!

I completed my background information on Feb 9th, it is now Mar 9th and my report still isn't completed. The job for which I have applied has rescinded the offer and I have a clean background.

Got charged a $540.00 maintenance fee for what? We have not ever been charged that in the past and just paid for services rendered. Now they have disabled my account, and I have no access to previously paid for services.
On top of that, when you call the barely able to speak English, customer service they transfer you back and forth between departments until you hang up. Absolutely horrible service!!!!!