Lifelock Reviews: Does It Live Up to the Expectations?

Lifelock Reviews: In-Depth

There are many Lifelock reviews praising the quality of the services, while many others still do not forgive this company for its past scandals. Since then, this company has expanded its catalog of features to adapt to the new times. Here is an in-depth analysis of what this company has to offer in 2021.

Key Features

• Identity protection
• Bank account monitoring
• Reimbursement of stolen funds
• Online security with Norton
• Family plans
• Data breach notification

Background Information

This company was created in 2005 by Robert J. Maynard and Todd Davis in Tempe, Arizona, where it has its headquarters. Its main aim is to help people prevent identity robbery, as well as monitor credit score changes, and the use of personal information.

In 2017, it went through a change of ownership when Symantec, another security company, bought it. Then, in 2019, this brand was renamed NortonLifeLock. Together with this decision, from that moment on, the identity monitoring services were sold together with a license to use the Norton antivirus and VPN services.

In spite of its good reputation, this company went through some problems with the law. In 2010, it suffered Federal Trade Commission charges for not protecting well its users’ data as well as having deceiving ads. At first, the company was charged with a 12 million dollar fine, but as they refused to pay, they ended up disbursing 100 million dollars in 2015 to settle the case.

As a consequence of this scandal, the brand ended up changing its policies and introducing changes in management to ensure that this would not happen again. In this way, they expect to regain the trust of their previous clients and assure their new ones that they have nothing to be afraid of.

Features: Identity Security in All Realms

This brand has a complete identity monitoring system that relies on its wide array of features to provide the services that their clients expect. Though many of them are shared by all the clients, some others are exclusive, depending on how much one pays. Here is the complete list of functions that this company offers.

24/7Member Support: Highly Trained Team

This company not only offers thorough articles and material on its site, but it also has a customer support team that receives calls at any moment of the day.

• They focus most of all on tech issues,
• but they can also help people with basic problems, like recovering one’s info from identity theft.

Credit Report Monitoring: Financial Security at Its Best

If someone tries to take a loan under the name of another person, they will let that client know so that they can alert the authorities about the identity theft. For this to work well, though, one has to pay for the most expensive plans. The other ones do not check in every bureau, which does not make them 100% reliable.

Dark Web Surveillance: Nothing Escapes It

There is a whole network of illegal information that criminals use. It is called “The Dark Web”. There, buying and selling other users’ data is very common. For a full identity monitoring, this provider will notify users if their info is in those databases.

Annual Three-Bureau Credit Reports and Credit Scores: A Complete Analysis

Those users who are interested in getting an annual report on how good their credit score is can just call the company and activate this feature.

• They will review the user’s situation in three bureaus
• and present him with a full analysis of his score.

U.S. Based Restoration Specialists: A Team of Experts at Your Service

If a user falls prey to identity theft, then he can call the customer support team, and they will help him solve the issue.

• They will assign a dedicated case agent
• and the client will be able to follow the case from the ID Restoration tab on the app.

401(k) and Investment Activity Alerts: The Money is Safe Now

The company also offers identity monitoring services for investment accounts, besides the regular bank account.

• Just enter all the required info through the app,
• and they will start checking for transactions that are out of the ordinary and could trigger an alert.

Lost Wallet “Protection”: Best Advice and Procedures

The provider promises protection in case a wallet is stolen or lost. But when it comes to doing something, they can just give advice on how to cancel cards or get new IDs. As there is not a power of attorney between the client and the brand, they cannot do any of this on their behalf.

Identity Theft Insurance: Get the Losses Back

In case the user suffers an identity theft, he is covered by the brand’s Million Dollar Protection Package. Thanks to this insurance, he is covered in case some of his money was stolen. How much the brand will cover will depend on the plan they choose. With the Select plan, the reimbursement can go up to $25,000, and with the Ultimate Plus plan, it can go up to a million.

Credit Card, Checking and Savings Account Activity Alerts: Be Notified of Suspicious Movements

Those users who feel comfortable enough sharing their passwords, card info and IDs with the company can enjoy having everything in one place.

• In this way, they can just enter the website and have the data of all their cards and accounts in one place.
• If the user wants, it is also possible to receive email notifications in his inbox for free.

Reimbursement for Stolen Funds: Don’t Worry about Scams Anymore

When an identity theft ends in lost money, the user may qualify for a reimbursement. The amount he will be able to recover will depend on the Lifelock plans he has. It can go from $25,000 to $1,000,000. Just remember that this insurance can be activated if the financial institution does not offer any compensation, which they tend to do.

Family Plans: Protect Even the Little Ones

Anyone can suffer from identity theft, even children and teenagers. It is possible to add everyone at home to an adult’s package for a little extra. It is even possible to incorporate other adult members of the family so that everyone is protected. The best part is that this tends to be cheap as it costs $5.99.

Alerts for Crimes Committed in Your Name: Maintain Your Reputation

Though it is not common for this to happen, it may happen that someone commits fraud or another type of crime using the identity of another person. If that is the case, the brand will detect it with its identity monitoring products and let the user know. Then, they will get to the action, and their specialists will try to solve the issue.

USPS Address Change Verification: No Activity Goes Unnoticed

If someone commits identity theft to change a user’s home address at a financial institution, the victim will receive a notification. For this to happen, the company requests its clients to hand in all their passwords and IDs. This will come in handy in case the institution itself does not notify its users.

Court Records Scanning: Nothing Escapes the System

This feature will go over one’s records looking for matches with the name, home address, and the birthday of the user to see if there is any unknown criminal activity. Yet, this is available just for the most expensive plans.

Data Breach Notifications: Be in the Know

The provider notifies its users when there is a security breach at a company. Yet, they will notify all their clients about all breaches that take place. It is not customized to inform them of the companies they do business with. And still, by the moment the breach happened, it is too late for the user to do something as his privacy has already been compromised.

VPNs for Up to 5 Devices: Hide Your Location and Identity Online

In the Lifelock cost, a VPN is included for users to protect their privacy, hide their identity, and home address while they browse the web. In this way, one cannot be tracked with cookies, and it will be harder to trace what the user does on the net. It is very easy to use, which will be great for new users.

App: A Friendly Tool for All Clients

The app is quite pleasant and user-friendly. It includes all the same products that the website does. Just be careful with downloading the right version. They still have an old one in the store, that as soon as one sings in, he will be prompted to get the new one for free.

How It Works

This works together with Norton to protect its users.

1. First, Norton blocks cyberattacks to help people avoid identity theft before it happens.
2. Then, Lifelock review for threats and alerts users in case something happens by email or through the app.
3. In case the crime is confirmed, the user will receive a reimbursement to cover all the damages, based on the plan.

On average, this service blocks 142 million threats per day. For this, they protect the user with a VPN so that he is not exposed to possible dangers. But if something happens, the team will do its best to restore one’s identity and catch the criminals.

Lifelock Pricing

All the plans have some basic products, and the prices increase, they cover more complex cases of identity theft. This provider also reimburses money to those who suffered from a loss of funds due to this type of fraud. And if lawyers are necessary to solve the issue, they will cover the Lifelock cost up to one million dollars.

Those users who would like to protect their little ones too can do it by getting a family plan. First, they have to choose a base plan and pay an extra per minor. In this way, the whole family can enjoy the benefits of identity monitoring.

Table of Comparison: Which One is the Most Suitable?

All the Lifelock plans cater to a different type of customer. Here is a thorough chart that makes it simple to understand the differences in features and prices among all of them.

Standard

This is the lowest plan at $9.99 per month during the first year.

After that, it goes up to $11.99 every month. If the client suffers from stolen funds from his cards, he can apply for a reimbursement of up to $25,000. But if this is needed to pay for lawyers and consultants, they cover up to one million dollars.

Also, it monitors for frauds made using one’s IDs or social security number. It reviews all the time each client’s debt situation with one bureau in case there are frauds there too.

Advantage

This is one of the premium plans. It costs $19.99 during the first twelve months, and then it goes back to its normal price of $24.99. It has much better coverage of $100,000 in case funds are stolen. It also supports up to 10 devices for both their protection and VPN functions.

If someone commits a crime on one’s name, he will get an alert. The same will happen if there is an alert regarding bank movements. In these cases, the client will be assigned an officer to solve the problem. And if necessary, the provider will hire a team of lawyers for the price of up to 1 million dollars to solve all the legal matters.

Ultimate Plus

This is the option that has everything this brand has to offer. It starts at $29.99 per month during the first year and then goes to the full price of $34.99. Besides having the same features as the previous ones, it has many more things.

For starters, for a thorough loan monitoring, it checks with three bureaus so that there is no way someone could take a loan under the client’s name without him knowing it. If it has to cover lost funds, they can give back up to one million dollars.

Also, it tracks one’s credit score on a per month basis. And then, at the end of the year, it reviews the client’s situation with all three bureaus for a complete annual report. On top of protecting bank accounts, this package also reviews fishy transactions in investment accounts and 401(k)s.

Both the Norton antivirus protection and the VPN function work on an unlimited number of devices, and the PC backup can cover up to 500 GB of storage.

Family Plan

Those who want to protect the whole family have the option to add them to their base plan. In the case of minors, doing this costs an extra $5.99 per month or $65.99 per year. This is quite complete since it looks for references of the children on the dark web.

They can also apply for a reimbursement that will be of the same amount included in the parent’s plan. But there is not a way to add another adult for free or with a discount. They will have to get their own membership and pay the full price.

Ease of Use

With this service, there is not much for the user to do. The provider will track all possible frauds and alert the user with a series of steps to follow if anything happens. Then, he can always call them on the phone to solve doubts if necessary. Many reviews of Lifelock claim that the simplicity of this service is what made them choose it since they do not have to worry much if their identity is stolen. They just have to let the pros do their job.

Customer Experience

In spite of its past problems, this provider has rebounded its reputation by providing an excellent protection service as well as customer care. Still, many people do not believe that the brand has changed. This is what past and current users have to say about the service.

Terms and Guarantees

Due to problems with security breaches in the past, this provider has revamped its terms and guarantees to reflect its intention not to compromise anyone’s data.

Regarding their refund policy, the provider has one in place in case users are not satisfied with the service. Still, there are some restrictions. In case of an annual membership, the client has 60 days since the moment of billing to claim its money back. This can be done if the service is renewed at the end of the year too.

Monthly subscriptions cannot request a refund. But they can cancel the plan at any time for free.

Customer Support

The vendor has three main ways of helping its customers.

• The first one is through the documentation found on its site. It is very thorough and encompasses most of the problems or doubts users may have when using the service.
• There is also the option to call their phone line, 1-800-543-3562, to get live responses and help from a trained representative.
• Clients can also submit a support request, leave their contact info and doubts, and wait for a representative to get back to them with an answer or solution.

Reviews

Each Lifelock review mentions very different issues from diverse types of clients.

On the one hand, there are those who were clients during the 2010 scandal. Many of them distrust the vendor due to its shady past and let people know in every Lifelock review.

But there are also comments from current clients who are satisfied with the service and who appreciate the reforms that the provider went through since the last Lifelock review of their Terms of Service.

FAQ Section

• Is Lifelock Really Worth It?

  Depending on the needs of each user, yes. Identity protection is very important nowadays when fraud is so common. If someone falls victim to this type of crime, then it will come in hand, having a team of professionals looking for the criminal. Also, knowing that compensation is available should this happen gives some peace of mind.

• Does Lifelock Protect Bank Accounts?

  Yes, their service includes a constant Lifelock review of the user’s bank account. In this way, they are monitoring for potential frauds all the time. Once they detect something, they let the user know on the spot and start working. Their team looks for a way to solve the issue. And if there are financial losses, the client will get the money back depending on which plan he had.

• Does Lifelock Protect Your Social Security Number?

  Yes, it does. The service scans for possible fraudulent uses of one’s social security number all the time. If it discovers that it has been stolen and used to commit crimes, then their team starts to work right away. All the plans include legal advice and representation of up to one million dollars. In this way, the client can sue the perpetrator, knowing that he will not have to pay an extra dime.

• Can You Cancel Lifelock at Any Time?

  Yes, you can. There are no long-term contracts involved. If the client has a subscription per month, he can just call to cancel, and he will not be billed any more as of the following month. If the plan is annual, the user can cancel at any moment too. And if he does so during the first 60 days, he will get a full refund of what he paid for the service.

  The vendor has a solid money-back guarantee as well as a flexible cancellation policy.

• Can Lifelock Be Hacked?

  The system was hacked in 2006 when somebody stole the data from the CEO. Since this incident, the provider has reviewed and updated all its technologies and policies. Thanks to this, the brand has suffered from any other hacking incident.

  The vendor has a past of being a victim of hacking, but it seems to have improved in this regard.

• How Much Does Lifelock Cost for a Family of 2?

  The answer will depend on whether the second person is a minor or not. If the other user is underage, the parent just has to add $5.99 to his base plan. This is to say that for someone with the basic package, the final cost for the first year would be $15.98. Now, if the second user is also an adult, he will have to pay the full cost of the subscription, since there are no discounts for this.

Lifelock Pros & Cons

There are many reasons why choosing this brand to protect one’s info is a smart choice. But some people also prefer not to use it. Here are both the strong and weak areas of this service.

The Problems are Now in the Past

Based on diverse opinions and experiences, it seems that problems that once troubled users are not something to worry about anymore. The scandals are a thing of the past, and now this company seems to do its job well. Plus, it has updated its features to offer some of the best in the market, in part, thanks to its alliance with Norton. Those who are looking for a current solution to protect their identity will want to check out this tool.