Equifax Identity Theft Protection 4 Review
Equifax is the oldest of the three consumer credit reporting agencies (TransUnion and Experian) that offer credit risk assessment in the United States. Founded in 1899, Equifax continues to serve as a global leader in gathering and maintaining information on over 600 million consumer credit holders and more than 80 million businesses worldwide. In 1999, Equifax added credit fraud and identity theft protection products for consumers and greatly expanded its B2B business. Equifax generates 158 billion monthly credit score updates.
Equifax provides financial, consumer and commercial data and analytical solutions to individuals and businesses. The main products offer credit monitoring, possible fraud alerts and assistance in identity recovery.
We like the fact that account holders get their credit information monitored direct from the source along with ongoing access to their Equifax Credit Score.
We also like that Equifax has been accredited with the BBB since 1952 and holds an A+ rating. While there have been several complaints over the years, Equifax’s response and resolution to those complaints were considered in the BBB’s rating of the company.
Federal law allows consumers to get a free credit report from each credit reporting company each year. We don’t like that they make this out to be a benefit of service to provide a free yearly credit report with their plans.
While there are several plan options for credit monitoring of financial information, there is an element of personal information monitoring missing in the programs offered. If you are looking for a complete, comprehensive suite of identity theft protection, restoration and recovery, you might be disappointed in the offerings. However, if you are looking for financial monitoring and alerts, getting protection right from the source might be a good idea.
Equifax is a solid company with a good reputation (aside from some unfavorable customer reviews) and a stellar BBB score. The majority of Equifax’s consumer product includes monitoring of SSNs, credit card numbers and other financial information; however, there does not seem to be a solid recovery and and restoration process outside of access to an identity theft specialist for fraud assistance. This would be a good product for those looking for more financial/credit card fraud prevention protection.
With credit monitoring and identity protection services available to consumers and businesses, Equifax has features that allow you to take charge of your credit—credit monitoring, credit alerts, access to credit reports and identity theft assistance.
Account holder features include daily monitoring of credit files from all 3 credit bureaus, unlimited access to Equifax credit report and score, credit and financial alerts, identity reports and assistance should account holders become victims of identity theft.
Equifax assists small businesses with their business risk assessment needs by offering a Business Assure suite. This service helps businesses verify legal identity of potential clients, partners, suppliers and vendors and helps assess their current credit standings. With the Business Risk Monitor service, small businesses can monitor credit activity like lost revenue and service interruptions of business partners, business customers and suppliers.
Here is a breakdown of each plan and service Equifax offers:
Account holders have access to knowledgeable customer service agents seven days a week.
Cancellation Policy: Members can cancel at any time by calling 866-243-8181. No partial month refunds.
Customer Service: 1-866-493-9788 or 1-800-685-1111
Equifax is headquartered in Atlanta, GA and has been in business since 1899.
Equifax operates in the U.S. and 18 other countries from Argentina and Brazil to Spain and Russia.
1550 Peachtree Street
Mail Drop 65
Atlanta, GA 30309
Equifax is a publicly traded company listed on the NYSE as EFX.