Our series on identity theft protection apps will assess the features, cost options, competition, and overall employment value of each app. However, these are not in-depth practical reviews, as it is virtually impossible to rate identity theft protection apps. This would require multiple months of testing, deliberate account hacking to see if the protection app works, transmitting personally identifiable information, running multiple credit checks, and the risk of exposing the examiner's personally identifiable information. .
A stern looking man stares at you. His pince-nez dangles in his hand, a frown on his countenance, and his hand is planted firmly on his hip. His expression makes the statement clear: "Why didn't you use the theft protection?" With this knowledge, your life is now in his hands, and your future will be dictated only by him.
While it sounds like a scolding from parents, it really is something of a mascot for the credit identity dealer, IdentityProtect.com. (The company refers to itself as such, rather than Identity Protect, in a persistent reminder that we're discussing online identity theft here.) Straight from the home page, the man in the air at the stern greets you with the pretense of making you want to Sign Up. for an account, but could make you laugh on his site. It also doesn't help that the IdentityProtect.com site relies heavily on stock images: a guy gives a thumbs up holding a smartphone with a product logo on it. We were also unable to find information on the number of subscribers, nor on the number of credit problems resolved, nor on the number of years of activity of this company.
Despite these flaws, the product itself is pretty solid. It has ancillary features that are not as common with other applications with an attractive cost model for budget-conscious users.
Packages and rates
IdentityProtect.com makes it easy to cost plans in one, unlike Norton LifeLock and many other identity theft protection apps that have multiple tiers. Previously, IdentityProtect.com offered 2 levels of plans: a Basic plan for €12.95 per month that included a credit bureau and €100,000 identity theft insurance, and the Ultimate plan for €19.95 per month that included €1 million protection and alarms for 3 credit cards. Offices
However, the cost of the current IdentityProtect.com plan has increased significantly. The single option has a monthly cost of €39.50 per month, with no discount offered for the annual payment. We found mention of a basic plan, but we couldn't find any purchase plans other than Ultimate.
Keep in mind that the considerably better known Norton LifeLock plan costs €XNUMX-XNUMX/month, more than €XNUMX less for the Ultimate Plus plan, and also offers an annual discount. Also compare that to the most affordable phishing product we found, which is Complete ID via Costco subscription, but it's only $XNUMX for executive members (or $XNUMX a month for business members). ). So regardless of our cost, that makes IdentityProtect.com's offering pretty low value.
IdentityProtect.com also previously offered business plans that ranged in cost from €39 per month for ten employees to €149 per month for a company with one hundred employees. In truth, it's a bit strange to offer these plans due to the fact that identity theft protection is a personal matter, akin to health insurance or a retirement plan. Although this was a way for employers to offer the app as another benefit, it also seemed like an ancillary payment alternative with no real benefit. Supposedly, there weren't too many takers, since we couldn't find the business plan anywhere on the company's website today.
Interface
Identity theft protection apps typically use a dashboard interface, with tabs at the top of the screen to navigate through identity theft issues. IdentityProtect.com follows the exact same formula with a somewhat jaded interface and no inspiration for creative thinking when it comes to dealing with credit issues or if you have a hacked checking account. We can deliver that is clear, clean, and compelling, with a professional polish, but keep in mind that you don't give the wizards or dashboard interface of one of our top picks in identity theft protection, Norton LifeLock.
Features
At a quick glance, IdentityProtect.com superficially offers all the features you would expect. You can easily view your credit alarms, checking account changes, and track your credit score. With the Ultimate Membership plan, you have access to 3 credit reporting agencies. Pretty standard stuff. One shortcoming is that the product's site doesn't say if you can call and fix the issues, plus that there are "identity theft restoration specialists" but doesn't say how they're involved. There are also references to a credit fraud inquiry, social security monitoring report, and discounted costs with our partner brands, without further ado, which leaves this a bit too reportable to our knowledge, especially at this point of cost. higher. .
However, there are a few extras beyond what we've found with other apps. One falls under Internet/Dark Web surveillance monitoring, which we found in more detail to stand for "policing the Internet to find unauthorized information about ".
The support is also barely noticeable. It took us a few clicks, but we found a direct support number and an email. It's open seven days a week, but not twenty-four hours, and really only six hours every Sunday. There is also no support portal, chat and the usual questions only have 3 questions.
Competition
It seems that IdentityProtect.com is, at best, a mediocre product, with average features and high costs. It is a higher cost than certain applications like Norton LifeLock and even more expensive compared to Complete ID or IdentityForce. There is no longer a basic plan for IdentityProtect.com, which would make it more affordable. The app doesn't even offer a direct line to call to fix credit issues by speaking to a certified scholar, which makes everything pretty predictable.
final verdict
That said, it's the ancillary features like Dark Web Protection that can make IdentityProtect.com more appealing to someone. For those who need to see alerts about a fraudulent bank account, or who will greatly benefit from reducing their mail or postal mail, IdentityProtect.com may be the ideal solution. Unfortunately, it's an expensive product, but it has a lot of standard features that most of us need, and the interface is decent but ordinary. It's not enough for the app to include more information about identity theft on its site to educate current and potential customers of the service. The app should also make it more obvious if there's a scholar you can call to fix credit issues.
We've also pinpointed the best identity theft protection