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Identity Guard

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6.0

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: March 19th, 2021

Identity Guard is based in Virginia and has been in business since 1995.

Owned and operated by Intersections, Inc., Identity Guard is focused on providing credit monitoring and identity protection services to individuals as well as families.

Identity Guard offers the following two plan options that involve credit monitoring services: 

  • Total Plan — Includes standard identity and credit protection
  • Ultra Plan — Includes premium identity and credit protection 

Those who sign up for the company’s Ultra plan will be able to receive the highest quality credit monitoring services including three-bureau credit monitoring, three-bureau annual credit reports, and one-bureau monthly credit scores. 

Along with credit monitoring services, Identity Guard provides consumers with an anti-phishing mobile app, safe browsing tools, dark web monitoring services, address monitoring services, and more. 

Read on to learn more about Identity Guard’s credit monitoring services and plan options. 

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The Good

  • Triple Bureau Credit Monitoring
  • Anti-Phishing Mobile App
  • Identity Theft Protection Tools

Triple Bureau Credit Monitoring

Unlike some of the other companies in the industry, Identity Guard offers credit monitoring services for all three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and Transunion.

As mentioned above, Identity Guard offers three different plan options, two of which provide credit monitoring services. The two plans that  offer credit monitoring services include the following: 

  • Total Plan — This plan costs $16.67 per month for individuals and includes standard identity protection services as well as standard credit protection. In terms of credit monitoring, this plan provides customers with one-bureau monthly credit scores and three-bureau credit monitoring services. 

  • Ultra Plan — This plan costs $25 per month for individuals and includes premium identity protection services and premium credit protection services. In regards to credit monitoring, this plan offers one-bureau monthly credit scores, three-bureau credit monitoring services, and three-bureau annual credit reports. 

Those who have an Identity Guard Total or Ultra account will be able to receive notifications if there are changes made to their credit profiles including public records, new inquiries, and more.

According to the company’s website, customers will be able to “receive inquiry notifications in near real-time from Experian and Transunion.”

Anti-Phishing Mobile App

Identity Guard provides a helpful anti-phishing mobile app to help its customers view credit monitoring information and receive alerts on-the-go with the use of a smartphone or tablet.

Identity Theft Protection Tools

Identity Guard offers a robust suite of identity theft protection tools as a part of its plans.

Although we are most interested in how well the company monitors credit, it is convenient to have these tools available if consumers are especially concerned about having their identities stolen.

Identity Guard goes a step further than most and offers other tools, including password managers and antivirus software, as part of its packages.

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The Bad

  • High Industry Price Range
  • No Partial Refunds

High Industry Price Range

Identity Guard charges individuals anywhere from $16.67 to $25 per month and charges families $25 to $33.33 per month for its services that include credit monitoring.

These prices can be relatively expensive in comparison to what other companies charge for credit monitoring services.

No Partial Refunds

Identity Guard does not offer refunds from any unused portion of a subscription.  

This applies primarily to those selecting an annual membership and wanting to receive a prorated refund for the remainder of the term of the pre-paid subscription.  

For those who feel that this may potentially describe their future situation, we strongly recommend going the monthly subscription term route or looking into other credit monitoring companies.

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The Bottom Line

Identity Guard offers an anti-phishing mobile app and a variety of identity theft protection tools in addition to its tri-bureau credit monitoring services.

The company, unfortunately, does not provide partial refunds or credit reporting of any type.

Identity Guard's services are also relatively expensive considering what's included in comparison to other companies in the credit monitoring industry.

Those interested in Identity Guard’s credit monitoring services can visit the company’s website and can read customer reviews to learn more. 

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Star Rating

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3.2

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99 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

29%

4 grade

28%

3 grade

6%

2 grade

4%

1 grade

32%

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Erika Harlingen, TX

OK, I am a real person who normally does not review businesses or products, but I do get online and read reviews on just about everything before I make a purchase so I hope this helps. I was one of those unlucky people that had their identity stolen years back. My credit score was atrocious, and I was right in the middle of a background investigation for a federal job. (That is a big NO NO by the way) I have nothing but good things to say about Identity guard. I have been able to dispute all the negative factors on my credit and managed to clear them up. Disputing items on your credit is a LONG AND TEDIOUS PROCESS, but so worth the trouble in the long run.IG gets another 10 from me when it comes to customer service. Every time I have called for information on alerts or with any other inquiries, they have been wonderful. Maybe I have just been lucky, but I have always had the pleasure of speaking to very courteous, PATIENT people. They have always answered my questions and I truly felt like they were there to help me. I can honestly say that I have never hung up the phone with my questions unanswered AND THAT ALONE IS AWESOME!

9 years ago

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Verified Customer

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Andrew

It's been pretty good. Some website issues, but with the latest update it has gotten a lot better. Kind of expensive. Doesn't really explain your scores very well or how to improve them or what counts against you.

4 years ago

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Reply from Identity Guard

Hi Andrew, we're happy to hear that you're finding the new website easy to use! Thank you for your feedback, and if you have questions about the information in your user dashboard, please don't hesitate to give our Customer Service team a call at 1-855-443-7748.

Apr. 16th, 2020

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Jeff L Centreville, VA

I have been a member of Identity Guard for many years. I have found their service to be both informative and timely. When inquiries or new accounts are being reported by any of the three major credit bureaus, I get notification quickly. I find the formatting of my credit report to be easy to read. As far as the scores that Identity Guard provides, I found them to be very close (I "bought" my scores from annualcreditreport.com at the same time) to what the bureaus provide. As far as customer service, I can only speak for myself........but it is such a pleasure to speak with a representative in the US. Unlike so many other companies that are "outsourcing" their customer service departments. I have great trust in Identity Guard, because of my longstanding service with them. I would give them very high marks!!

8 years ago

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Catharine Hay San Lorenzo, CA

I have been lucky and haven't had any issues with Identity Guard and I have had their service for about 3 years. When I called them a couple of years ago to cancel my service because I was trying to save some money, they reduced my monthly payment by about $3.00. When I received a letter from a bank declining my application for a retail credit card and citing a credit score that was about 200 points lower than the one given in my Identity Guard account, they spent time explaining to me in detail the possible reasons for this.

8 years ago

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Jay Cummings Independence, IA

I started with IDG about 6-8 years ago while owning my own business and using personal info to obtain commercial loans. I was also using my credit card to purchase raw materials and the card would get poached about once every 1.5 years. (BTW Citbank was great) Initially the log in was kinda cumbersome. I sold my biz and let IDG expire. A few years later I wached a show on ID theft and thought an ounce of prevention would be reasonable. The log on appeared more user friendly and they were able to pick up where I left off. Thus far totally happy with them. Also suggest folks use their passbook on their iPhones. This submits a charge to your card the second it is run. Great way to keep an eye on stuff.

9 years ago

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Carl F Matthews, NC

Identity Guard is the first and only product my wife I have ever used to protect our identities. The ability to get messages and check information is critical to us. Identity Guard was able to inform me when someone else's name was being associated with my SSN. This allowed me to take proactive action to protect my identity. Thank you Identity Guard.

9 years ago

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Stacy D. Jones-Haynes Chicago, IL

I love Identity Guard and couldn't my life without it! It keeps me informed EVERY AND ANYTIME someone checks my credit!! I have never felt safer and recommend them to all of my friends and family!! Whenever I've called and had a question the customer service representative explained the inquiry to me thoroughly and was very attentive to my needs. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK IDENTITY GUARD!!

9 years ago

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Verified Customer

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Dawn

They emailed me just asking if I had used a credit company, the kind for checking a credit score.I haven't had any problems, they took care of it.

4 years ago

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Jordan Blahnik Billings, MT

I have been very satisfied will my Identity Guard service. I know my credit reputation in secure with them. I had an issue with a false negative report and I called Identity Guard customer service. The agent advised me on how to have it corrected and even mailed me a packet with the proper forms to use. The website is easy to use and I am kept well informed of all activity with my accounts. I would like to thank the people at Identity guard for making my life much simpler. I will be a customer for years to come.

9 years ago

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Benjamin Rodriguez

I was a victim of identity theft and since joining Identity Guard I receive an alert whenever there is any activity in any of my accounts. I know feel protected and whenever I need to contact them by telephone the attention is awesome. Highly recommend Identity Guard.

9 years ago

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Rmaurer New Orleans, LA

I was s member that came over from Chase. My personal experience with you is outstanding. However, I have been disappointed with new member options for spouse and the Costco membership for family. You are never really upfront with what your memberships include. A bit confusing, bordering on deceptive. conclusion: "older memberships great; newer membership questionable value.

9 years ago

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William H Norrell Okeechobee, FL

I have been with Identity Guard for several years and they always notify me of any request related to my personal information. If anything changes, they let me know. If someone is checking my credit, they let me know. The service has been GREAT for me and I sleep better at night knowing that I am with Identity Guard.

9 years ago

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Rena Snyder

Love it. Love it. Love it. It's so nice to have this service. To check my credit scores, get alerts, get my credit report, etc., is so easy and convenient. The monthly subscription is a small price to pay for the variety of services provided..

9 years ago

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steve petresky Pennsville, NJ

We were contacted by Identity Guard immediately when suspected unauthorized use of our credit card was detected. No unauthorized charges occurred but we had to get new cards which is a hastle but they prevented a large problem. Very happy with their services.

9 years ago

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John Eremic Monroeville, PA

I have been using Identity Guard for several years. I can't think of anything to complain about. I get periodic reports in a timely manner and the coverage is comprehensive. I did not rate them a 10 because the true test is what happens if you are a victim of identity fraud. Fortunately, I have not had to test their service in that regard yet. I was just notified that our personal information had been hacked at a cruise booking service that we used about 10 years ago - so we'll see.

9 years ago

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Louis Grove, OK

So far, my wife and I have had only courteous, helpful representatives, every time we phoned in about something. So far, all issues have been resolved to our satisfaction. So far.......... I did not think to check with each credit reporting agency to make sure my scores were the same as on IDG. Will probably do that in the near future.

9 years ago

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Ed C. Silver Spring, MD

I have been with ID Guard for over a year and I am not that thrilled. I had 9 (NINE) fraudulant charges on my credit card. These charges were all the way across the country, (in places I have never been or charged to) and they were made on the same days I was making charges on my side of the country. This should have been an obvious red flag, yet they didn't catch it or notify me. Also, the three credit scores they give you are not acurate. A financial institution was checking my credit for a pre-approval on a house loan and they found my REAL credit scores were significantly different than what ID Guard reports. In my case my scores from ID Guard were good and my real scores were even better, but who knows if this is always the case. I am not feeling confident about their services, which is why I am researching other services now.

9 years ago

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Michael J Gervolino Las Vegas, NV

There is not much financial activity in my life. Last year you reported a credit check, which was helpful to me. In January of this year I withdrew a large amount of money from two checking accounts, the numbers are available to you, but there was no notification of this action from you. Therefore, I was concerned about the protection service. Also,

9 years ago

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Fred A Stearns Opelika, AL

ID Guard is the best about monitoring my credit and notifying me if everything is ok. My credit scores are always available and also all three to me at any time. Excellent service!!!! I would highly recommend it.

9 years ago

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Belinda Thomas Rogersville, MO

I think everything is fine. I was referred when Chase stopped offering this to their customers because they had used this company. The only issue is that under Chase I could get a printed report sent to me in the mail if I requested it. I did this once a year to keep a history of my closing accounts (not everyone has a printer).

9 years ago

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Adena L. Wilson Boise, ID

I called your toll free number for assistance, and a young man who answered was very professional and knowledgeable, and resolved my issue, which was my own misunderstanding of how to read my report and navigate your website.

9 years ago

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Julius Davis Conyers, GA

I really like having someone monitor all accounts concerning my identification. I like being able to sign into Identity Guard and see my credit scores and able to print a credit report.

9 years ago

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Benes Trus Bethesda, MD

It is nice to know that someone is watching out for my credit in these times when everyone else seems to be having problems. Alerts are timely, and so far (knock on wood) there has not been a problem. If there is a future problem, I'm certain identity guard will catch it. BT

9 years ago

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Phillip T Austin, TX

I have been with you guys for a few years now. There's no need for anyone to search for another company for credit and identity theft protection. You get an A+ in my book. Keep up the excellent work Identity Guard.

9 years ago

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Terry Janis Tiffin, OH

I feel very safe and confident with Identity Guard watching over my credit cards and accounts. I am comforted receiving monthly e-mails that say everything is fine. And if they aren't, I hear about it in a timely manner.

9 years ago

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William E. Burkett Amherst, MA

I have no prior experience with any Identity Guard competitor. Therefore, I have nothing to compare my Identity Guard experience with. However, I will grade my Identity Guard experience an 8, since I have not had any problems in when interactive with Identity Guard representatives.

9 years ago

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Kelli johnson Phoenix, AZ

I seem to only receive uninsidental issues. Very inconvenient when you have to go out of your way just to find out I paid my car off or my house loan etc. Da! They don't have around the clock customer service. The app can not tell me what county records issue I might have, causing another phone call. Whoops there is no one to talk to because it's a weekend so I need to wait and stress all weekend till I can figure out what's going on. It's Monday and I called to find out my property taxes were paid. Da! Customer service is always very polite and seem to be good at what they do. Got to be a way to no whether or not an issue is critical or not. Give me some better information in the alerts.

10 years ago

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allessandra Greenville, NC

It took me two hours and multiple phone calls, with wait times of 5-10 minutes each, to set up my account. The website would not accept my credit card, although I called the credit card company and everything was in good standing. Once I finished enrolling I went to another website and made a purchase within 5 mins, just to make sure my card worked. I switched cards and used my husband's card and enrolled my family. I was told by a rep that there wasn't a family plan and that I would have to enter each person individually and pay for each one separately each month. A more knowledgeable rep finally told me that there is a family plan. Once enrolled, I was informed that although the family plan is for 2 adults and children, I, as the second adult, would not be able to enroll for about 48 hours and I would have to await an email. The people were nice but it was way too much hassle and was very frustrating. I expect the reps to be more knowledgeable.

8 years ago

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Lmd Michelle

I applied on line and everything went smoothly - but the information advertised was not what I could see. They only provided Equifax not Trans Union. I called today to cancel membership and the lady could not "find" my membership..despite the fact that I had my number and all my personal details available. I was logged in as a member and viewing my profile and she was telling me I didn't exist and the phone number wasn't correct as she did not have any record of it! this despite the fact that I was looking at their own website - which had the exact same information I was giving her! Not sure what will happen but cancelled account on line and will be watching my bank accounts. Seems very shady.

9 years ago

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Kim Columbus, OH

The service provided by this company has plummeted this summer. It was a good product until about June - I have had at least 6 issues with either log in error and or the functions not working. for example, I get an alert and can't log into the system or I only get an email after days of them getting an alert that I have a changed to my credit profile. Or text messages aren't being sent any longer. These problems have been occurring both before and after a major upgrade to the site. Tech support at the toll free hotline has been dismal. I am currently searching for a new service, as this is too unreliable.

9 years ago

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Wylene Forney, TX

I needed to reactivate my membership after 2 months of lapse in service. One week and 4 phone calls later, I called in asking what the status was because I was still unable to get any updates on my report and monitoring services. (With each phone call I was told to wait 24-48 hours for the system to update.) The very last representative (her name was Kelli) cut me off when I was telling her my problem. She told me there was no need to go any further. I was only trying to explain to her my situation so I could give her the background on it and get it resolved. Not once did she apologize or offer any form of acknowledgement to my problem. I was treated very disrespectfully. The experience with this rude, unprofessional associate made my finally take my business elsewhere.

9 years ago

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dorian lawler Riverview, FL

I researched identiy protection companies and chose Identity Guard. I am writing this review because I don't want anyone else to have the nightmare experience I have had. I logged into my account on 7/27 to upgrade from a quarterly report to a monthly report. I was unable to find how to upgrade my account on line so I called the customer service dept. The support tech told me in order to upgrade my acct, I had to cancel my existing account and re-enroll to the upgraded version. In doing that it wiped out my account. I didn't have time to re-enter all my information so they said they could re-activate my account so I trusted my account was re-activated. Two weeks later, I find my account was never reactivated. I went all this time thinking I had identity protection. I had been accessing my IG account frequently to ensure it was okay. However, when I tried to cancel my membership online, it did not allow me to do so...there were no message(s) reflecting a change in status on my account on my IG home page either. So I called customer service and was told my account had not been reactivated. The person I spoke to today said they had tried to call me 3 times and left a msg once via phone. However, after looking at my phone and messages, I had not received any calls/msg from them. They even had my email and did not attempt to communicate the message to me. I don't want anyone to experience the frustration I have experienced with this company! If I can't trust to receive communication about the status of my account, how can they be trusted to protect my identity? I would encourage you to research other companies that provide similar service.

9 years ago

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Michelle Spokane, WA

I have had IG for a year now. Great monitoring, they have caught things that were not mine. I have always had great customer service with this company.

9 years ago

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Johan Kirkland, WA

Pros: Great resource of information. Accurate. Good price.Cons: Couple times in the past few years been bugs in the credit reports not displaying on the site which required me to call in to clear up. Calling any phone support is never a joy.

9 years ago

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Deborah Price Florence, OR

When responding to the company request that we contact them. We did - found they had failed to properly & update change of address information for both members of the family. After 15 min. & 39 seconds of trying to get the address right - the staff person brought another staff person on the the line. At this point my husband had to leave for a meeting. With the original staffer still on & verifying tthat my husband had been 15 minutes trying to get the address correct (for the second time) - the new staff person would not complete the correction without speaking to only him. Absurd & not about our security.....not confidence building. Cancelling the service.

9 years ago

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Geraldine Tinley Park, IL

Service is excellent, when I have to call, everyone can handle the situation and they seem to know how to ha le my questions without giving me the run around

9 years ago

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Karen Mintz Mooresville, NC

I have been satisfied with the service I've received without problems and with problems (Ex:Identity Theft online) but the price is higher than what I received on my 1st quote ($7.99) and another company, Life Lock, has offered a much better deal for a much lower price.

9 years ago

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Karon Wood Mcminnville, TN

Keep me informed of any fraud that might happen. I did have someone get my information and they took care of it for me. I have had no problems and I like that I'm able to keep up with my credit score

9 years ago

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Wayne Standerfer Duncanville, TX

I have never had a problem with Identity Guard. Their reports are spot on and I have total confidence in their findings. Will continue to subscribe to their services.

9 years ago

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Donald Alder Colorado Springs, CO

Every time I have a question about my account I have received nothing but great help. It doesn't matter what I need everyone I talk to go out of there way to help.

9 years ago

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JASMINE MIKIITA Scranton, PA

So far I am happy with Identity Guard. You have found a couple of problems but it all turned out correct. You are checking out my computer to be safe and no one hacking into my computer

9 years ago

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Judith Kirschenman Roseville, CA

Although it was a minor problem, the person on the phone handled it very professionally and assured me everything was fine. She also helped me enter a new password.

9 years ago

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Leslie Medford, OR

I feel you do a fine job communicating necessary information from a distance, but = on a personal level I feel neglected. When I receive an occasional "alert" there are times I would like to be able to speak with someone but you funnel all phone calls to the same phone number i.e. inquiries, new service etc. I think there should be a different phone number for your members who receive alerts...this would feel more personal and less worrisome. Will you take the challenge and provide more personal service to your customers?

9 years ago

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MH Charles Town, WV

ID Guard provides a wonderful service at a reasonable price. My only complaint is they are not very quick to notify you of changes to your credit report. They send you monthly updates and I was used to getting an email the very same day of the change with my previous security provider.

9 years ago

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Janice Butzky Fort Worth, TX

I have been very pleased with the experience of using Identity Guard for information about my credit report, credit repair information, and the protection of my major credit cards. Very good service and reasonable cost.

9 years ago

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tini mapu Orem, UT

We use this in our office for our business. They are really great and available for you anytime. We have had them protecting our computers for years now. We don't have to worry about viruses and other bad things being spam.

6 years ago

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Verified Customer

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Peter C. Browning Charlotte, NC

Could not as for more. Great personal support when I had an issue

4 years ago

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Reply from Identity Guard

We're glad we could provide support during your time of need, Peter! Thanks for taking the time to leave Identity Guard a review.

Mar. 16th, 2020

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Sam Tortorice Orlando, FL

I received Identity Guard through a Home Depot data breech. The monitoring service is a joke. I purchased a new car in February without any notification that my credit was checked or that the car was financed. Now, I just purchased a new home for over $265 K and no notification. REALLY. This is not even a monitoring company. It may be that Home Depot just paid to be able to sign up to give their customer a false sense of security; but, either way, it's a joke. I cancelled even though it was free.

7 years ago

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Dave Miami, FL

I had been a member for nearly 4 years. It seemed that they were trustworthy and doing a great job, especially for the price. Then, I just wanted to change my primary credit card to pay my monthly fee. The website would not accept it. When my old card was charged, and I wanted to straighten it out by charging to my new card? I was told that I would have to wait 72 hours. COME ON!!! You want me to trust that you will get my credit and identity back after it is compromised, yet you cannot assist with the simplest of customer service requests!?!? MEMBERSHIP CANCELLED!!!

7 years ago

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C

Gave them a try. Been three days now and they just can't seem to get it together. Girlfriend even signed up and it took here credit card information, she got a call and it timed out, never created a user ID because that comes after the credit card information. So now she's got to through the process of calling like I did three times with no success. I'd choose another service and save yourself the hassle.

7 years ago