PrivacyGuard specializes in securing and protecting your identity. They do this by constantly monitoring your private information behind the scenes, so you don’t have to. For a flat monthly fee, they will keep a watchful eye on everything from your credit reports to daily credit card monitoring.
I joined PrivacyGuard a little over a year ago and have been fairly pleased with my experience thus far. In this PrivacyGuard review, I will cover some of the things that I would have liked to know before signing up. It is my hope that this PrivacyGuard review will help other consumers make an informed decision when it comes to protecting their identities.
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PrivacyGuard Features
PrivacyGuard offers a numerous amount of services. In fact, too many to be listed here. This PrivacyGuard review will focus on their main features that stuck out for me against other id theft protection services. For more information about all the things they offer, head to their website.
Credit Reports and Scores
Monitoring your credit reports is one of the best ways to prevent identity theft. Spotting inaccuracies or large fluctuations in your report will help identify if something is majorly wrong. Your credit report shows a detailed history of your credit including, loans, credit cards, and other personal information.
Unlike other identity theft protection companies, PrivacyGuard looks at your credit report on a monthly basis. With PrivacyGuard you have instant access to your credit report whenever you need it through their website. If you notice something such as your score plummeting, you can stop fraudulent activity before it becomes a full-blown nightmare.
Daily Credit Monitoring
PrivacyGuard runs your credit files through all three national credit reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian) on a daily basis. This allows you to have the best identity theft protection possible. Someone’s identity is stolen every two seconds, so chances are likely it could happen to anyone at any time.
With this identity theft protection company, you will get alerts to any new credit cards that have been opened in your name. Once you confirm the fraudulent activity, PrivacyGuard will provide any resources necessary to correct the issue.
Daily monitoring will notify you of any derogatory information, accounts, public records, new inquiries, and change of address. If there is no new information from any of the three credit reporting agencies, you will be notified of that as well.
Identity Theft Protection
PrivacyGuard protects you from malicious activity, as well as assisting in the recovery of your stolen identity should that occur. By monitoring your private and financial information each and every day. PrivacyGuard helps prevent the unfortunate event of having your identity stolen.
Even with daily credit card monitoring and monthly credit reports, it can still happen to anyone. The reality is criminals are coming up with new ways to steal your information all the time. If your identity should ever get stolen while you are a PrivacyGuard customer, they will work to restore your good name as quickly as possible.
PrivacyGuard’s fraud recovery professionals have streamlined the process of recovery so you can get back to your life. They will help you contact creditors. In addition, they will assist in filing all paperwork included in the credit dispute process.
Why Choose Privacy Guard?
As far as identity theft protection services go, PrivacyGuard is pretty high on my list. Before signing up for PrivacyGuard, I did a vast search of identity protection reviews. So far, I have had a good experience and have no major complaints about the service. Here are a few reasons I chose PrivacyGuard, along with why I have kept using them.
Stellar Customer Service
Customer service has always been extremely important to me. When I researched PrivacyGuard reviews, I was happy to see that they have actually won awards for their customer service. The several occasions that I have needed to get a hold of a representative were extremely pleasant.
On the first occasion, I had been using PrivacyGuard for about a month. Previously, I received their daily notification that always said there had been zero changes to my credit history. This time, I got one saying a credit card was opened in my name. Naturally, I called the credit information hotline provided to figure out what I could do.
The PrivacyGuard representative on the other end calmly explained to me that it was simply a pre-approved credit card. I had no idea that was even something that could happen and had no clue what to do. She walked me through the process of canceling it in no time. I was also given information on how to prevent the same incident from happening again.
I have had several questions since then that were either answered easily with a quick search of the website or a simple phone call. The representatives are always happy to help with anything I have needed.
Education
PrivacyGuard is not only an id theft protection company for me, but it is also an educational resource. Their website has a plethora of information on anything related to identity theft protection. Not only do they help their customers prevent fraudulent activity from happening but they also give you the info you need to help protect yourself.
After reading their credit score education information and identity protection education, I know so much more about my financial situation. The information PrivacyGuard provides tells you everything from how to improve your credit score to what not to carry in your wallet in case it gets stolen. PrivacyGuard is truly a company that cares about their customers well-being
Drawbacks
Although I have not had any complaints with the company, I can certainly see that there could be some drawbacks. When searching for the top identity theft protection, you should be aware of all the pros as well as the cons. Some of these issues may not have much of an impact on your decision but should be at least mentioned.
Only Monitors Your Credit
PrivacyGuard only monitors your credit reports and credit card information. For the average person, this shouldn’t be too big of a deal. If you choose this company, you will not get reports on any investment information, 401k monitoring, or even banking transactions. PrivacyGuard does not monitor your medical records, leaving you unaware of someone fraudulently using your information for insurance.
Personally, I would like them to monitor my banking information and this was almost a deal breaker for me. When comparing PrivacyGuard to some of the other identity protection companies I was slightly disappointed that PrivacyGuard didn’t offer this service. With online banking these days it is fairly easy to keep track of everything on my own. It is still an extra step I have to think about.
Not Family Friendly
A lot of other identity theft services will now offer packages for minors. It’s a sad truth that this is something that is becoming more and more necessary for families. If your child is not protected from identity theft, they could be set up for failure the moment they hit adulthood. Unfortunately, PrivacyGuard does not offer this service as of yet.
You can combat this by requesting your child’s credit report on an annual basis. If that is an undertaking you are not willing to do, you may simply want to choose a different id theft protection company. Perhaps down the line PrivacyGuard will add this service.
Cost of PrivacyGuard
Unlike some identity theft protection companies, PrivacyGuard only offers one package. For some, this can be a benefit as it makes the entire process more simplistic. With other companies, you are forced into paying more for the whole package. On the other hand, with PrivacyGuard you need to pay for all the services provided whether you want them or not.
Currently, PrivacyGuard is offering a 14 day trial for only $1. If you decide to cancel your service after the 14 days, simply send them an email or call their customer support to prevent further charges.
For the 14 day trial, you receive everything that you would normally through the PrivacyGuard service. If you continue the service, you will incur $19.99 monthly fee. PrivacyGuard does not require a contract and can be canceled at anytime. With this id theft protection service, you will receive the following.
- Triple-Bureau Credit Reports Monthly
- Triple-Bureau Credit Scores Monthly
- Daily Credit Monitoring with notifications via text, email or phone (customers choice)
- Monthly Credit Score Tracking
- Toll-Free Hotline Staffed by Real People
- Identity Fraud Support Services
Is PrivacyGuard Worth it?
If you have a family and are concerned about your child’s identity being protected, PrivacyGuard may not be for you. If you have a lot of investments that your worried about monitoring, then it may not be for you either. However, if you are an individual looking for a solid company that keeps a watchful eye on your credit history, then it may be just what your looking for.
