Best UCC search companies for due diligence - which ones actually catch everything?

I've been using three different search companies and honestly the quality varies dramatically. Some only search exact matches which is useless when you're dealing with corporations that might have filed under slightly different names. What states are you searching? Some state systems are more reliable than others.

I had a similar issue last month where our search company completely missed a UCC-1 that was filed under the debtor's DBA name instead of their legal entity name. Cost us two weeks of delays when we discovered it during our own verification process. Now I always double-check their work with Certana.ai's document verification tool - you can upload your UCC searches and it'll cross-reference everything to make sure nothing was missed.

Been doing commercial lending for 15 years and I've seen search companies miss obvious filings because they don't understand the business context. You need someone who searches not just the exact debtor name but also looks for parent companies, subsidiaries, and common variations. Also make sure they're checking both individual and corporate debtor indexes if there are personal guarantees involved.

Whatever search company you use, make sure they provide detailed methodology reports. I always request copies of the actual search screens they used and verify they checked all reasonable name variations. Too many companies just run one search and call it done.

I've used probably a dozen different UCC search companies over the years and the quality is all over the place. Some are great for simple searches but fall apart when you need complex multi-state work. Others are expensive but worth it for complicated deals. Really depends on your specific needs and budget.

Just went through this exact situation last week. Ended up using two different search companies and comparing results. Found discrepancies between them which led me to discover they were using different search methodologies. One was only searching active filings, the other included recently terminated ones. Always specify exactly what you want searched.

The real problem with UCC search companies is they don't understand the business implications of what they're searching for. They treat it like a data entry job instead of understanding that missing a filing could cost someone millions. You need companies that employ actual paralegals or legal professionals, not just clerks.

Here's what I learned from a bad experience: always request that the search company provide screenshots of their actual searches, not just summary reports. Found out one company was only searching one variation of the debtor name despite being paid for comprehensive searches. Screenshots don't lie.

For multi-state searches I always factor in extra time for verification. Even the best search companies can miss things, especially when you're dealing with corporate entities that might have filed under different names or structures. Built in an extra week to my timeline just for search verification and it's saved me multiple times.

Update for anyone following this thread - ended up using two different search companies and cross-referencing with Certana.ai's verification tool. Found three filings that one company missed and one that both companies missed. The verification tool caught the discrepancies by comparing the search results against the actual state databases. Definitely worth the extra step for complex deals like this.

I've been burned by inadequate UCC searches too many times to count. One thing I always insist on now is getting a detailed search strategy upfront - which name variations they'll search, what date ranges they're covering, and whether they're checking both individual and corporate debtor indexes. Also learned to specifically ask them to search for any DBAs or trade names associated with the entity. The number of times filings are made under a company's "doing business as" name instead of their legal entity name is shocking. For your 6-state search, I'd also recommend asking each company how they handle cross-state entity relationships - some are better than others at identifying when a Delaware holding company has subsidiaries filing UCCs in other states.