Experian IdentityWorks℠
3.2
Overall Score11 days ago
Experian IdentityWorks℠
Experian, which is the world's largest credit bureau, launched IdentityWorks in 2010 to provide identity protection services to consumers. IdentityWorks offers a suite of identity theft protection services that are divided into three distinct categories: detect, protect, and resolve.
The Good
- Affordable Plans
- Free Trial Period
- Enhanced Login Security
- Identity Theft Insurance
Affordable Plans
Priced at $9.99 per month for the Plus plan and $19.99 per month for the Premium plan, IdentityWorks' services are considered to be affordable for most consumers.
Free Trial Period
IdentityWorks offers a free 30-day trial for each of its provided plans. The company also has an annual option available that allows consumers to get two free months of service.
Enhanced Login Security
In addition to the standard email and password, IdentityWorks also requires users to input the last four digits of their social security number in order to log in, which provides an additional layer of security to their account.
Identity Theft Insurance
IdentityWorks provides its customers with up to $1 million in identity theft insurance with zero deductible. In the event of identity theft, this policy covers expenses such as fraudulent electronic funds transfers, lost wages, legal fees, and private investigator costs.
The Bad
- Limited Customer Support
- Lack of Recovery Services
- Additional Charge for Credit Reports
Limited Customer Support
IdentityWorks' support center is only open 12 hours per day on weekdays and 8 hours per day on weekends. This means that customers may not be able to get ahold of the company during an emergency.
Lack of Recovery Services
Not surprisingly, IdentityWorks offers great detection services—Experian is a credit bureau, after all. However, the company's resolution services are somewhat lacking when stacked up against competitors. IdentityWorks doesn't offer the limited power of attorney or follow-through options on surveillance alerts.
Additional Charge for Credit Reports
While many identity theft protection companies offer free credit reports, IdentityWorks charges a fee each time a customer would like a credit report.
The Bottom Line
Experian IdentityWorks is a credible organization backed by one of the largest credit bureaus in the world. The company offers a number of attractive features, including affordable identity protection services, a free trial period, and significant identity theft insurance.
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User Reviews
I have a subscription running out March 16th thru a data breach at a college. Coincidentally I was also caught up in the Target breach and they offered a year of free membership. I signed on for this end of Jan 2014 assuming Protect My ID would reconcile the 2 accounts so that I wasn't receiving the unnecessary double coverage. I continued to get warning emails that my account was expiring and asked why they didn't know about my new agreement from Target. I feel they are more interested in their bottom line than the actual consumer. If their systems cannot identify customers and avoid double coverage I have concerns about how they monitor credit. They have been reluctant to start my new service after the older one expires, great customer service. Would not pay for this service. Just my thoughts.
My information was stolen in a breach of hospital records last year and I was offered a free year of Protect My ID. I find it completely useless. There have been over 7 attempts to use my identity by thieves in less than a year and either I discovered the fraudulent activity or the vendor or credit card company contacted me about the activity. When I've called Protect My ID to ask about this or tell them about it, they've been tremendously unhelpful. I have this service until June for free, but am thinking about switching to Life Lock and canceling this worthless service. Even for free, it's not worth it!
Target offed a free year of this service because of their security leak. I signed up and thought why not. It is completely useless and has no real information on it. They are now sending me alerts every day for something garbage I think in hopes I upgrade or pay for something else that they are selling. The site is set up to make you feel like that important info you need in in that "other" box you must pay for now. The whole thing is a NON SERVICE pile of spamming garbage and is annoying and useless.
My ProtectMyID account locked up a week ago. Still not fixed. I continue to get alerts but cannot login to my account until web page is fixed. IS THAT PROTECTION REALLY? And for $15+ dollars a month. Don't get this product!!!!
See my previous comments. I forgot to score ProtectMyID. They certainly don't rate a 10!
I was using ProtectMyID until I received an alert and could not access my page on-line to find out what the alert was about. I called their customer service and they initiated a trouble ticket. A week later they called to tell me due to security reasons my account was cancelled and that they would pro-rate a refund. No further explanation was given. What poor service! I also use LifeLock and have never had an issue with them. My advice is to avoid ProtectMyID and use LifeLock.