If Universal Background Screening ran your background check and something on it was wrong, you’re not alone. Universal has been recognized more than once as one of the top firms in its industry — HRO Today named it the #1 Enterprise Background Screening Firm in both 2019 and 2023 — but recognition like that doesn’t mean every report is accurate.
If a Universal Background Screening error cost you a job, a promotion, or your current position, you may have real legal options under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The rest of this page walks through what that looks like in practice.
Dealing with a Universal Background Screening error right now? Reach out for a free consultation — the sooner we talk, the more we can do.
Certain mistakes keep turning up in these reports. A common one: two people share a name or birth date, and a criminal record ends up attached to the wrong one. Other times, a case that was expunged or sealed still shows up as if it were never cleared — and in New York specifically, certain conviction records are now required to be automatically sealed under the state’s Clean Slate Act, so a report showing one of these records isn’t just outdated, it may not be legally allowed to appear at all. A single offense can get reported more than once, making one case look like several. And every so often, the severity gets it wrong entirely — a misdemeanor reported as a felony, or a dismissed charge reported as a conviction.
It doesn’t take much — one wrong entry can be the whole reason an offer disappears, and there’s nothing you did to cause it. If that’s where you’re at right now, keep reading.
Here’s the process for fixing a LexisNexis error, step by step — you won’t have to navigate it alone:
If a Universal Background Screening error already cost you a job or income, reach out now — the sooner we’re involved, the more we can do.
Whether you’re just starting to look into this or you already tried disputing it and got nowhere, here’s what we bring:
We’ve also helped people with the same kinds of problems from other screening companies, including First Advantage, Sterling, Checkr, Accurate Background, HireRight, and LexisNexis.
Universal Background Screening is based in Phoenix, Arizona, and has grown through a couple of acquisitions of its own. In 2019, it was acquired by SNH Capital Partners, a private equity firm, and merged with another background screening company SNH already owned, PeopleFacts — the combined company kept operating under the Universal name. In 2020, Universal acquired OPENonline, an Ohio-based screening company, folding it into the same brand.
Universal is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) and has been named HRO Today’s #1 Enterprise Background Screening Firm more than once. That track record doesn’t mean mistakes don’t happen — it just means a lot of employers rely on Universal to get it right, and sometimes it doesn’t.
A Universal Background Screening error shouldn’t cost you a job you already earned. At Sherman & Ticchio, we help people across New York and New Jersey fix inaccurate background checks and take legal action when a screening company won’t fix a real mistake.
Reach out for a free consultation, and let us help protect your job and your record. Don’t let this hold you back — contact Sherman & Ticchio now.
Who Do I Actually Contact to Dispute a Universal Background Screening Report?
Call Universal at 877-263-8033 to request your report and start a dispute, or reach out to us and we’ll walk you through the process.
Does an OPENonline Report Fall Under Universal Now?
Yes. Universal acquired OPENonline in 2020, so any reports or disputes tied to OPENonline now go through Universal.
What Are Your Options If a Universal Background Screening Error Cost You a Job?
Often, legal action is on the table — especially if the error already cost you something real and Universal didn’t follow the law. Contact us for a free consultation to find out where your case stands.