Complaints about Life Lock
It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally you might come across complaints about Life Lock. Some people smirk and complain that Life Lock provides services you can do for yourself for free. Or, they say other people are crazy to give Life Lock all their personal information. In each of these complaints, there is a bit of legitimacy … but just a bit.
Some, but not all, of the services LifeLock provides, you could be doing for yourself. These are the things you could do yourself that are included in your LifeLock membership:
- Fraud alerts should be placed on your accounts with the major credit reporting companies. These expire every 90 days, so don’t forget to renew. You can do this free of charge.
- You should order and review your credit reports from all agencies at least once a year. You can do this free of charge.
- Those pre-approved credit card offers you get in the mail provide a wonderful opportunity for identity thieves. You should remove your information from junk mail lists. You need to do this annually, but it is free.
- It’s a common scam for pretexters, posing as phone solicitors, to call your house and tell you you’ve won a free trip. Then they ask for your credit card number to reserve a hotel room for you. You need to remove your name from all phone solicitation lists, and again, you need to do this annually, but it is free.
How many people do you think actually do all this stuff and follow up the renewals?
Ask yourself: Do you pay someone else to change the oil in your car? Do you pay someone else to cut your hair? Do you perform your own manicures and pedicures? Do you wash and detail your own car in the driveway?
These are all examples of services we all commonly pay for. Sure, we could do save money by doing these things ourselves, but time’s precious, life’s busy, and sometimes it’s worth paying someone who does a better job than we could do ourselves. And so it is with LifeLock’s identity theft protection services.
Other services you get only from LifeLock
If you ever lose your purse or wallet, LifeLock will replace your driver’s license, credit cards, Social Security card, bank cards, insurance cards, checkbook, professional licenses, passport, visas…any official documents you’re missing. That’s their exclusive WalletLock service, and it’s all part of your service at no additional fee.
That brings us to the second complaint. Once you’re a member, they’ll give you a form so you can write down all of the information on all those documents in your wallet. Then they want you to lock up that form somewhere safe. You don’t have to give them that information unless (or until) you want them to use it. And if you do, know that they store all client data offsite; all of their buildings have state-of-the-art biometric access, alarms and security; they background check all employees and do regular, random drug testing; they’re ISO 27001 certified for data and operational security.
To place the fraud alerts, they need your Social Security number and other pertinent information, but no more than what’s required by the credit reporting companies.
One more thing…from the minute you become a LifeLock customer you’re covered by a $1 million total service guarantee. And, just in case you’re wondering, they’ve never had to. So…what’s to complain about?
