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Equifax, one of the three major credit bureaus in the U.S., also offers credit monitoring and identity theft protection services with three plans to fit your family and budget.
However, Equifax is still trying to recover its reputation from a major data breach in 2017. Is this company reliable enough now to protect your identity?
Article Overview
- Rating, Pros & Cons
- Key Features
- Comparison Table & Price
- User Reviews
- How Can I Protect My Identity? (Video)
- Equifax Alternatives
Equifax
Pros
- Competitively priced plans
- Good Family Plan that includes up to two adults and four children
- Monitors your social security number, credit cards, banks accounts and medical ID numbers
- $1 million identity theft insurance with all plans
Cons
- Poor customer service reputation
- Limited recovery services
- Some customers have been charged after they cancel
- Doesn't monitor public records
- Only get three-bureau credit scores and reports once a year
Key Features
- Equifax is one of three major credit bureaus in the U.S. along with Experian and TransUnion
- Offers three affordable credit monitoring and identity theft protection plans
- All plans monitor your social security number, credit cards, and banking and medical ID numbers
- Equifax “Lock & Alert” apps for Android and iOS only allow you to lock and unlock your Equifax credit report (many other identity theft protection services offer more comprehensive app features)
- BBB rating: A
- Customer support by phone 9am-5pm ET Monday through Friday
Comparison Table & Price
| Premiere | Family Plan | Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.95/month | $19.95/month | $29.99/month |
| Number of People | 1 Person | Up to 2 Adults and 4 Children | |
| 3-Bureau Credit Scores (Annually) |  |
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| 3-Bureau Credit Reports (Annually) | |
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| Equifax Credit Score (Daily) | |
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| Equifax Credit Report (Daily) | |
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| 3-Bureau Credit File Monitoring | |
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| Equifax Credit Score Monitoring | |
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| Internet Scanning | |
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| Automatic Fraud Alerts | |
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| Financial Alerts | |
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| Report Locking | |
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| Lost Wallet Assistance | |
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| $1 Million Identity Theft Insurance | |
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| Data Breach Notfications | |
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| Bank and Credit Card Alerts | |
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Consumer Reviews
We couldn’t find many consumer reviews specifically about Equifax’s credit monitoring and ID theft protection services, so most of these reviews are about the company’s overall customer support.
Positive Reviews
I just got off the phone with Equifax they where very helpful timely and really just a smooth experience. Thank you equifax!! – Kelly D., BBB 7/2/2020
I recently had the misfortune of having to contact the “3 Major” credit-reporting agencies because I was unable to open a general, common banking account due to some information they were supplying…Transunion and Experian were pure Hell. Non-English-speaking, communications were strenuous, and the tones of their representatives were apathetic, to put it politely. However, Equifax was truly quite amazing. The gentleman who received my call, though again, non-English-speaking, did his best to listen to my enquiries and politely asked me many questions about myself, my history, and other pertinent but non-intrusive information. Come to learn, their records were quite out-dated, but that was primarily because I’ve not dealt with any “creditors” in many years. It took mere moments for Equifax to up-date their records and I wasn’t inconvenienced in the least. It was in complete contrast to Experian and Transunion who informed me, curtly, that I need to submit multiple bits of evidence and proof of my identity and statements AND that it would take them approximately “5 business days” to effect changes. In an honest and proven comparison, Equifax is FAR superior to Equifax and Transunion. I dislike the fact that any “Credit Reporting Agency” is allowed to literally steal our personal information as they all do, but it was comforting to know that there is a degree of professionalism and respect at Equifax. – Judah K., Trustpilot 1/10/2018
Complaints
Absolutely terrible customer service. I am unable to access my online account. After waiting on hold for 30 minutes the rep spoke poor English and had a hard time understanding my request. Finally, after a half hour call, he promised that tech support would follow up by email resolving the issue. The next morning I got an email discussing something completely unrelated!!! This is the worst. – Trevor U., Trustpilot 6/20/2020
Poor customer service. The different departments at EQUIFAX do not seem to talk to one another. They are trying to bill an old inactive credit card for a service that I no longer have. I changed the service from a family plan to a single person plan after my wife passed **** and the credit card that was being used to make the payments expired and reissued with a different number. So far they have tried three times to request a payment from my credit card company on the expired card, two of the attempts were after EQUIFAX was contacted and the issue was supposedly resolved. Well it looks like Accounting and Billing at EQUIFAX do not talk to one another. I was told that the issue was being sent to Billing, but a week later, they try to charge that same card again. The third time was the straw the broke the camel’s back. I usually don’t file complaints, but three times is my limit. – Gregory, BBB 2/10/2020
Equifax Data Breach
In 2017 Equifax suffered a major data breach that exposed the personal data of nearly 148 million people in the U.S. To make matters worse, the company waited six weeks to inform consumers about the breach and admitted to knowing about the security flaw a full two months before hackers broke in.
How Can I Protect My Identity?
This brief video gives you five easy things you can do to help protect your identity. And be sure to read our comprehensive guide on protecting your identity.
Equifax Alternatives
While Equifax has settled the government action against it for the data breach, we’re less than impressed with the company’s ongoing poor customer reviews. Many complaints are about incorrect information on the Equifax credit report, so they don’t directly pertain to their ID theft services. But there are also many complaints about the company’s poor customer support.
We think Equifax still has a long way to go to gain public trust, so we’re reluctant to recommend its credit monitoring and identity theft services until that happens. The good news is, you have much better options. Read our identity theft protection service reviews to see which companies deliver affordable and trustworthy protection.
