As a long-time advocate who encourages consumer education, and corporate responsibility I support and respect companies and organizations who take an active role in educating consumers on the risks of identity theft and/or consumer protection rights.
However, having said that, I feel compelled to comment on a recent Angie's List article about LifeLock. The article now appears to have spurred on at least one competitor to blog about it -and if history is a predictor of the future, soon more will follow.
Early this fall I was contacted by Mr. Pogue, a reporter with Angie's List. He said he was working on a story specifically about LifeLock and asked if we could arrange a convenient time to speak about their services and why as an advocate I found them to be of value. We ended up having a lengthy conversation and talked extensively about identity theft, LifeLock and why I chose to subscribe to their services.
While reading the article that was released this week, I was stunned and dismayed on several levels. I was extremely disappointed that it appeared as though Angie's List had regrettably veered from their longtime policy of reporting on company services with an unbiased, fair and balanced viewpoint.
With just a glance I could tell they were dredging up old news and it appeared as though they were reinserting that same old rusty bullet back inside a gun that has been fired at LifeLock on numerous occasions ever since the ex-CEO of LifeLock left the company, (shortly after LifeLock came on the scene) and Experian decided to sue them crying about their lost profits! Please!...See: Experian, the pot called and wants its kettle back!
But it wasn't that the reporter opted to leave out my comments and opinions about LifeLock's services from his article that makes me want to speak up on this matter.
Instead, it was LifeLock's competitor's claims (and Angie's List assertions) that Angie's List "provides unbiased reports and reviews about service companies" when clearly in this particular story, that doesn't appear to be the case. I left a comment on the above linked competitor's site that noted my concerns of this article -however it appears as though it has been removed.
The type of smear campaign the original article seems to intentionally invoke, not only leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but makes many of us question the agenda of those who perpetuate this type of yellow journalism that includes dredging up old news designed to capitalize on someone else's misfortune. Mr. Maynard has a family and to continue to run old news and plaster pictures depicting him as a criminal -is needless, insensitive, mean-spirited -and has nothing to do with LifeLock!
LifeLock employs hundreds of families, has over a million customers -and to my knowledge they have not harmed anyone! There are many companies out there offering various types of id theft protection -yet it appears that LifeLock is the only company that old gun is repeatedly aimed at!
It really rubs me the wrong way when people forget the real problem is identity theft! It's identity thieves I am afraid of ...not LifeLock! And it's consumers I care about -not company profits!
The truth of the matter is I happen to find value in services that help remove the heavy burden of protecting my identity and reducing the impact should my data be compromised or stolen again. Consumers can certainly take on many of the tasks that LifeLock, and other companies, have to offer. However, they are also left on their own to handle the time consuming recovery tasks as well. It's my choice not to!
While following the latest smear campaign against LifeLock, I couldn't help but be reminded of the recent Presidential campaign and the polls that proved the public isn't at all impressed with dirty campaigns, and with good reason!
In order to make informed decisions and choices, we need to rely on integrity and honest depictions of what a particular company has to offer -not what a competing company claims the other doesn't!
It's a funny thing, I have yet to see LifeLock engage in smear tactics against any of their competitors -and they are the leading identity theft protection company out there. That speaks volumes. I wish more companies and journalists would follow their lead. As this latest round of ugliness spreads, it will be interesting to see who takes the high road -and who doesn't!
However, having said that, I feel compelled to comment on a recent Angie's List article about LifeLock. The article now appears to have spurred on at least one competitor to blog about it -and if history is a predictor of the future, soon more will follow.
Early this fall I was contacted by Mr. Pogue, a reporter with Angie's List. He said he was working on a story specifically about LifeLock and asked if we could arrange a convenient time to speak about their services and why as an advocate I found them to be of value. We ended up having a lengthy conversation and talked extensively about identity theft, LifeLock and why I chose to subscribe to their services.
While reading the article that was released this week, I was stunned and dismayed on several levels. I was extremely disappointed that it appeared as though Angie's List had regrettably veered from their longtime policy of reporting on company services with an unbiased, fair and balanced viewpoint.
With just a glance I could tell they were dredging up old news and it appeared as though they were reinserting that same old rusty bullet back inside a gun that has been fired at LifeLock on numerous occasions ever since the ex-CEO of LifeLock left the company, (shortly after LifeLock came on the scene) and Experian decided to sue them crying about their lost profits! Please!...See: Experian, the pot called and wants its kettle back!
But it wasn't that the reporter opted to leave out my comments and opinions about LifeLock's services from his article that makes me want to speak up on this matter.
Instead, it was LifeLock's competitor's claims (and Angie's List assertions) that Angie's List "provides unbiased reports and reviews about service companies" when clearly in this particular story, that doesn't appear to be the case. I left a comment on the above linked competitor's site that noted my concerns of this article -however it appears as though it has been removed.
The type of smear campaign the original article seems to intentionally invoke, not only leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but makes many of us question the agenda of those who perpetuate this type of yellow journalism that includes dredging up old news designed to capitalize on someone else's misfortune. Mr. Maynard has a family and to continue to run old news and plaster pictures depicting him as a criminal -is needless, insensitive, mean-spirited -and has nothing to do with LifeLock!
LifeLock employs hundreds of families, has over a million customers -and to my knowledge they have not harmed anyone! There are many companies out there offering various types of id theft protection -yet it appears that LifeLock is the only company that old gun is repeatedly aimed at!
It really rubs me the wrong way when people forget the real problem is identity theft! It's identity thieves I am afraid of ...not LifeLock! And it's consumers I care about -not company profits!
The truth of the matter is I happen to find value in services that help remove the heavy burden of protecting my identity and reducing the impact should my data be compromised or stolen again. Consumers can certainly take on many of the tasks that LifeLock, and other companies, have to offer. However, they are also left on their own to handle the time consuming recovery tasks as well. It's my choice not to!
While following the latest smear campaign against LifeLock, I couldn't help but be reminded of the recent Presidential campaign and the polls that proved the public isn't at all impressed with dirty campaigns, and with good reason!
In order to make informed decisions and choices, we need to rely on integrity and honest depictions of what a particular company has to offer -not what a competing company claims the other doesn't!
It's a funny thing, I have yet to see LifeLock engage in smear tactics against any of their competitors -and they are the leading identity theft protection company out there. That speaks volumes. I wish more companies and journalists would follow their lead. As this latest round of ugliness spreads, it will be interesting to see who takes the high road -and who doesn't!
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Very valid points and an interesting take.
Thanks -it became clear today that my thoughts on how competitors would react to a negative article were right on -and "jumped on" as predicted! It's sad but true that corporate greed is live and well and when it comes to priorities, caring about what is in the consumer's best interest is dead last!