Blog Reputation Defender Can’t Manage Their Own Online Reputation

Reputation Defender Can’t Manage Their Own Online Reputation

December 2, 2024, Posted by Reputationscience
A collage featuring a website displays a woman with a headset and a contact form, surrounded by negative reviews. Ironically, the headline claims, "Reputation Defender Can't Manage Their Own Online Reputation.

This article discusses Reputation Defender and gives advice about how to select reliable reputation management services.

On the service, reputation management services from companies like ReputationDefender sound like the ultimate solution to your reputation-related needs.

However, how can you know what’s actually hiding underneath?

Online reputation management — and related fields, like search engine optimization (SEO) and influencing search results — can be a minefield.

Since the industry isn’t regulated, online reputation management firms can make unsupported claims, charge unreasonably high fees, and fail to follow through on their promises. This can result in unsuspecting customers losing thousands of dollars, with nothing to show for it in the end.

Your reputation is far too important to take that risk. In this article, we’ll review ReputationDefender by Norton, a prominent player in the online reputation management field.

Are you questioning who you can trust with your online reputation? Give us a call today at (844) 458-6735 for a free consultation.

Our transparent methods and personalized services are only a call away, and we’re ready to give you what you deserve most: peace of mind.

What Is ReputationDefender?

A man with glasses thoughtfully holds a pen, gazing at his computer screen. Text beside him reads, "Concerned with something online? We can help." Reputation Defender offers solutions, including chatting with an expert or scheduling a free consultation.

ReputationDefender is an online reputation management firm based in Redwood City, California. It was founded by Michael Fertik in 2006. The company is a subsidiary of Reputation.com, with both operating separately from each other.

ReputationDefender is known to promote its services widely. You may have seen their commercials on TV or heard them on the radio.

With a large enough budget, this is, of course, achievable. To the average consumer in need of online reputation services, the company may seem like the only option after seeing its numerous advertisements. 

Let’s discuss a few of the reputation management industry’s hard truths — the secrets that corporate ORM firms like ReputationDefender and Reputation.com won’t tell you.

Important Truths To Know About Online Reputation Management

While ORM is a vital service for many individuals and companies, the industry isn’t without its share of ethical issues and other dilemmas.

Improving an online reputation is far from easy. Every reputation management campaign is different, and each client requires a personalized approach.

Additionally, ORM companies have to be well-versed in Google’s policies in order to influence search results. This is the only way for an ORM strategy to adapt to Google and remain effective.

Here’s what every consumer should be aware of when considering hiring an ORM company.

Many ORM Companies Are Unethical

A person in a white coat, embodying a reputation defender, holds a small brass balance scale symbolizing justice. The focus is on the scale, with hands slightly blurred in the background, capturing the essence of fairness and integrity.

ORM experts and companies that engage in questionable tactics are unethical. Some of these practices include:

  • Creating fake reviews to make it seem like a brand has more positive reviews than it really does
  • Writing fake negative reviews for competitors to give their ORM clients a competitive advantage
  • Posting fake content about the client to influence Google search results

Strategies like these can seriously backfire on the client, leaving you with a worse reputation than you started out with.

There’s No Such Thing as Instant Results

A person holding a marker is drawing a red, upward-trending line graph on transparent glass, symbolizing growth and resilience. The background features warm, glowing lights, reflecting the dynamic and positive spirit of a reputation defender at work.

While many ORM experts are able to act fast when it comes to implementing your reputation-building campaign, most of the time, results aren’t going to be instantaneous. It takes time to build or rebuild a digital reputation.

ORM strategies include creating positive content to suppress negative search results, addressing poor reviews, and building trust with your audience. All of these efforts take a while to implement and work.

While you’ll likely see positive results over time, be wary of any ORM company that promises instant results.

For a free consultation about your personalized ORM strategy, call us at (844) 458-6735 today.

Negative Content Doesn’t Always Disappear Permanently

Illustration of a laptop showing data visuals like graphs, charts, and warning symbols. A pie chart, line graph, magnifying glass icon, and exclamation mark hint at data analysis or search errors. Green leaves frame the laptop, symbolizing how a reputation defender safeguards your digital presence.

It’s important that you work with an ORM company that gives you realistic expectations instead of promising results it can’t reasonably deliver. This is particularly important when it comes to removing negative content.

There are various strategies that ORM companies use to remove or suppress negative content. But the truth is that some content cannot be removed at all. Or, if it is taken down, it may not disappear permanently from online sources.

For example, information that is supposed to be made available to the public, like certain types of criminal history, often stays available online.

ORM Services Can’t Manage Every Aspect of Your Digital Reputation

Two women working at a call center, wearing headsets and sitting at desks with computers. The woman in the foreground, a reputation defender specialist, is speaking and smiling. They appear focused and professional in a bright office environment.

If an ORM company says they’ll handle every single element of your online reputation without you having to do a thing, you should be suspicious. Yes, ORM services can take over quite a bit of your reputation-building to-do list. They can’t do everything, though.

For example, let’s say your company’s reputation is being damaged by an onslaught of negative reviews. An ORM company may be able to respond to those reviews in a professional manner before they get out of hand. But if customers are having issues due to an internal company problem, you’ll need to fix that in order to protect your online reputation.

Does Reputation Defender Have Desire to Succeed? 

A hand places a red flag at the summit of a mountain drawing on a chalkboard, much like a reputation defender marking success. A winding path leads to the peak, symbolizing the journey of safeguarding one's achievements and goals.

Consider this: If large ORM companies like Reputation Defender get you the results you desire in 3 months, what does that mean? It means you’ll stop paying them. 

If they could stretch that time into 12 months or even 24 months, knowing that they can achieve results in less time and with less cost, wouldn’t they do so?

While an online reputation campaign can take time to succeed, clients should see some type of forward movement relatively early on. To this point, be cautious of ORM companies that promise fast results, as well as those that seem to take months to deliver any kind of results.

glassdoor reviews, how to remove google reviews, orm

You would expect that a reputation management company would have an excellent reputation online. However, this isn’t the case for Reputation Defender.

Reputation Defender has several negative reviews that should make you think twice before trusting them with your digital reputation.

Pro Tip: With any ORM company that you plan to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on, research them online first.

Trustpilot Reviews

In this review on Trustpilot (screenshot below), the user calls Reputation Defender a “scam” and says he was lied to and didn’t get his refund in a timely manner. The reviewer also says that he reported Reputation Defender to the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

A negative one-star review dated August 14, 2024, accuses the company of being a scam, swiftly taking payments but slow to refund after failing to deliver services. The reviewer claims to have reported them to the BBB and FBI, urging others to consider a reputation defender before engaging.

Another Trustpilot review from February 2024 says that after entering his information on the Reputation Defender website for a free reputation scan, the reviewer was bombarded with phone calls. Additionally, the free scan feature didn’t work.

BBB Reviews

The BBB relies on people to leave complaints or reviews for any business with substandard practices or behaviors. Businesses can then respond to any complaints or questions to have them resolved.

On the BBB, the top review for Reputation Defender, which is from September 2023, is negative. The review says that the free reputation report provided by Reputation Defender had inaccurate information. According to the review, “They posted my email address in [sic] the dark web to retaliate.”

Another review, which you can see below, says that Reputation Defender charged for services that had been canceled.

A customer complaint detailed unauthorized credit card charges after declining service renewal, with ReputationDefender swiftly responding with an apology for the inconvenience and offering assistance to resolve the issue.

Many other BBB reviews of the company are also negative, with customers saying that it’s nearly impossible to stop services; negative content is not suppressed, even if that service was promised; and the company isn’t cooperative about refunding clients if they don’t receive the services they expected.

PissedConsumer Reviews

The PissedConsumer website has a number of reviews for Reputation Defender, and a majority of them are negative.

An image showcases a "Reputation Defender Overview," revealing a 1.4-star rating from 37 reviews. With 92% negative and only 5% positive feedback, it highlights widespread customer dissatisfaction. A horizontal bar graph elegantly illustrates the skewed rating distribution.

According to one review, the company didn’t suppress negative information, even though the client had legal proof it was a case of libel.

A dissatisfied customer expresses frustration with the company's service, stating the promised suppression of critical content was not delivered, leading to legal issues. With a loss of $7, they seek the promised product or service and question the effectiveness of their so-called "reputation defender.

Other negative reviews for Reputation Defender on PissedConsumer discuss the service being a ripoff, people losing money without seeing results, a lack of results, and poor customer service.

Sitejabber Reviews

Sitejabber has thousands of reviews for Reputation Defender, and while many of them are positive, the negative reviews are similar to the poor feedback we’ve seen elsewhere.

For example, this reviewer said that their reputation report did not actually have their information on it:

Screenshot of an online review rated 2 out of 5 stars. The reviewer expresses confusion about the report, noting it didn't accurately reflect their identity or information. Despite its potential as a reputation defender, the "Helpful" button shows 0 votes.

In another review, the customer says the ORM service is overpriced and also suggests that Reputation Defender posted fake content:

A 2-star review criticizes the "overly priced service" and offers better alternatives, citing "bad results" as the main issue. With options to react like "Helpful" or "Thank you," both with zero votes, this feedback might benefit from a reputation defender to address concerns.

Pro Tip: Pay attention to repetitive feedback. If multiple customers had the same positive or negative experience, you can expect to have the same experience, too.

How To Choose an Online Reputation Management Company

We understand that many people choose Reputation Defender to help build a positive digital presence. However, after reading the online reviews above, you may be changing your mind about using their services.

Whether you opt for a different ORM company or not, it’s important to be careful when selecting a team that’s in charge of something as important as your online reputation.

Here are our top tips for selecting the right ORM company for your needs.

Research the Company’s Track Record

A person holds out their hands, revealing virtual bubbles with user profiles and star ratings. These five-star symbols represent positive feedback, acting as a reputation defender by showcasing exceptional reviews and maintaining a stellar image.

You want to work with an ORM company with proven success in managing online reputations similar to yours. Check out case studies, reviews, testimonials and other search results to get an idea of what other clients have experienced when working with the company. You may even want to reach out to past clients to verify their experiences and learn more.

Learn About the Company’s Strategies

First, the ORM company should have a broad assortment of basic strategies they use in most campaigns. Second, they should tailor their campaigns and services to your specific needs. Ask for an overview of the different strategies the company uses, and discuss your personalized campaign as well.

Ensure Clear Communication

Reputable ORM companies provide excellent customer service and are available to answer their clients’ questions. It’s important that the ORM company you hire is communicative from the start because you’ll be relying on them to provide status updates throughout your campaign.

Get a Clear Idea of Deliverables

A person holds a smartphone and uses a pen to point at a specific date on a desk calendar. The calendar, adorned with colorful sticky notes for appointments, suggests efficient organization akin to employing reputation defender strategies for managing online presence.

A quality ORM company will be able to provide you with deliverables and timelines so you know exactly what to expect. For example, if the company will create positive content to influence search results, you should know approximately when those search results will begin going in your favor.

While ORM takes time, there should be a plan in place with specific goals and when those results are expected to be achieved.

Review Pricing Information

The ORM company you hire should provide you with detailed pricing information, and you shouldn’t be surprised by any hidden costs. It’s also wise to work with a company that has flexible, results-oriented pricing so that you don’t agree to long-term services without knowing that they’ll actually work.

Online Reputation Management You Can Trust

The NetReputation brand has perfected the art of ORM after countless hours of creating successful reputation campaigns. 

We set out to be the front-runner in the industry. Clarity, affordability, and, most importantly, honesty set us apart from other firms.

We offer a variety of reputation management services, including creating positive content to influence search results, review management, and PR crisis control.

Our technical team takes pride in succeeding in ORM campaigns, and our business model is based on results.

Don’t let your online reputation management be a leap of faith. With our proven track record, we invite you to see the difference for yourself.

Contact us today for a free reputation analysis and take the first step toward a flawless online presence.

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