Quirky App Of The Day: DateCheck
by Kathryn Zane
April 19, 2011
Ever find that special someone? Ever wonder about the possibilities of a future together? Ever worry about their past track record with the police? Yes, those who date and want a background check on a possible significant other can access this information through DateCheck.
DateCheck accesses public records such as: criminal history, judgements, bankruptcies, or even personal information, and delivers the information to your fingertips. Hey, I'm all for being safe when it comes to dating. Ever have a pushy friend who just insists that a guy is perfect for you? You better believe I'd be looking up all his info before I step foot into that lounge.
I'm more interested in poking a little bit of fun at the option that scans for property ownership. That just screams superficiality. This option shows the square footage of the home, how many bedrooms and bathrooms it has, and even the taxes paid on it. People who are dating don't need to know that info, and when he finally invites you back to his place, you'll see it with your own eyes.
I started tinkering with the app. I looked up my husband's phone number, and apparently, he's 53 and the address is five years old. Who knew? His birth month and date wasn't anywhere near being correct, and his property ownership information was wrong. When I searched by his name, the "real him" wasn't even an option, and the address that showed up with his name during the reverse number search wasn't on the list.
When I searched for my name, it pulled up a five year old address as well, and claimed that there were five other people living at this address. This included my grandfather who never lived with us when I was growing up, let alone when I moved out and got my own place. The people listed never really lived outside of their home state, let alone in another corner of the country when I used to live at that address. When searching by my phone number, I became a 59 year old woman. None of my property ownership came up either.
The compatibility feature was just a horoscope reading. I wasn't expecting anything wonderfully scientific, but I was expecting a little more than my daily horoscope. They also didn't provide any interests for either of us, or our social networking information. This is actually a relief, since I'd like a smidgeon of privacy in my life. I know that's next to impossible today, but I can dream.
From a technical standpoint, just about every other screen transition the app would suddenly stop. It happened during searches, switching tabs, or sometimes just opening the app.
All in all, this app is great for putting in your identifying information and viewing the messed up results it returns. It didn't have anything correct or current, but it's free so you wouldn't be wasting money if you decided to just try it out for kicks and giggles.
DateCheck is available on the App Store for the awesome price of FREE!