Transparency – A Hallmark of FCS
FCS is proud of the quality of the data and images we offer, and we are committed to providing transparency to clients about what they are getting when using our online system. How do we accomplish this?
We publish through dates (index dates) for each index that represent the date at which ALL filings are present, known as an “all in” approach. Some competitive data sources utilize a “first in” method where a single new document will advance an index’s through date.
We are open with clients about whether we obtain our data directly from the filing office or from a third party source. Some competitors identify these states with an asterisk, but provide no footnote to inform clients what it means. We clearly communicate what lien types are included in our online data. For example, if a state search will include tax liens and/or judgment liens in addition to the UCC records, we display this information on-screen prior to the user performing a search.
If FCS must generate a document image from electronic data due to XML filing transmission, we apply a watermark to the image so users will not mistake it for a scanned image of filed, hard copy document. In contrast, some competitors create mock documents with no indication it is not a scanned image.