Steve,

I will continue to bring it up until someone shows me an online vendor that holds themselves accountable in the same way that independent abstractors must. 

It isn't just the images that are not reliable - it is the indexes and any other information on the website as well, according to their disclaimers and terms of service agreements.

You can SAY the images are are the same. You can say the indexes are the same. But your web -based source doesn't agree and they will be the first to point to their disclaimer if YOU are called into court to testify that you based your report on an accurate and responsible source.

No, certified copies are not available from the website Steve. You said it yourself. You have to go to the courthouse.

I did not say there was a proliferation of SSN's Steve. The SSN's were always there -  but mass desimination of millions of records to anyone - anywhere in the world - is only possible by  the reckless mass transmission of those records  via the web or other electronic means.

No, I do not provide certified copies with all of my reports. I provide plain copies from official sources that are acountable for protecting and preserving the records they keep. A responsibility that they cannot deny with a disclaimer buried on the back pages of some website.

According to the web site disclaimers you have to go to the courthouse to find accurate and official records. Anything else is less than your client and E&O carrier expect of you.  Unless, of course, they have agreed to  the same level of accuracy and accountability from you that you so willingly  accept  from your web-based source.