DeleteMe VS. Safe Shepherd [2022 Comparison – Fully Updated]

At DeleteMe, we believe that customers should have as much information about data broker removal services at their fingertips as possible. 

In this article, we compare DeleteMe with Safe Shepherd. Like DeleteMe, Safe Shepherd is a data removal solution that promises to sift through data broker websites and remove your personal data.

Background

Safe Shepherd is a data removal service that helps customers remove their personal information from data broker platforms. The company was founded in 2011 by Geoffrey Hayes and Robert Leshner and operates out of San Francisco, CA. 

DeleteMe was also established in 2011 and was founded by Rob Shavell. DeleteMe is headquartered in Boston, MA and incorporated in Somerville, MA.

Availability

Safe Shepherd is currently only available to US-based customers. However, it states on its website that it hopes to provide services for international customers eventually. 

DeleteMe is available to both US-based and international customers. The international version of DeleteMe provides services for customers in countries including: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Singapore and the United Kingdom. 

Data Broker Removal Service

Like DeleteMe, Safe Shepherd’s main service  is  removing customer information from data broker platforms. 

Sites Removed

Safe Shepherd offers a number of packages that cover varying amounts of data broker removals. Its basic plan removes customer PII from 50 data broker sites. However Safe Shepherd doesn’t reveal the names of the data brokers it removes data from. If customers find a data broker site that the company doesn’t cover, they can contact Safe Shepherd and ask for support. 

DeleteMe removes customer PII from over 580 data broker sites, including Spokeo, Intelius and YellowPages. Here’s the full list of data brokers DeleteMe removes customer PII from. Customers can also contact DeleteMe to request a custom removal if they find their data on data brokers outside of DeleteMe’s current removal  list. 

Information covered

Safe Shepherd’s Premium service covers one alias, two email addresses, two phone numbers and two addresses. For an additional cost, customers can add more aliases to be removed. 

DeleteMe removes all sensitive PII including name, address, phone number, and email addresses. There is no limit to the number of aliases or emails you can have associated with your name—DeleteMe will process an opt-out for all of them. 

Removal Process

Safe Shepherd’s services are automated. The company uses algorithms to search for and remove customer PII, so there is very little human involvement in the process. Once the initial search and removal process is completed, it is unclear whether Safe Shepherd conducts subsequent periodic searches for customer data that might have been re-added to data broker sites.

Here’s how Safe Shepherd’s removal process works:

1. Customers sign up and select a relevant package. 
2. Safe Shepherd scans data broker websites for customer data.
3. If Safe Shepherd finds customer information on data broker sites, it sends a notification to the customer’s Alert Vault. 
4. Customers receive a notification each time an opt out is completed. 

DeleteMe’s removal service uses a combination of advanced automation and human privacy experts. This means customers benefit from the scalability of technology and the thoroughness and problem-solving skills of a dedicated support team. 

Here’s how DeleteMe’s removal process works:

1. Customers sign up to DeleteMe and receive access to their customers account.
2. Customers share their personal details via their secure customer account.  
3. DeleteMe’s team of privacy experts identify customer data on data broker sites and process removal requests. 
4. Customers receive a personalized DeleteMe report in seven  business days. The report provides a complete rundown of each data removal request being processed. 
5. DeleteMe’s privacy experts repeat this process every three months to ensure customer data stays off data broker websites.  

Scan Frequency and Turnaround Time

Safe Shepherd does not state the number of scans it conducts on behalf of customers. In its FAQs, Safe Shepherd reminds customers that removal times may vary from 24 hours up to 45 days, depending on each data broker platform.

DeleteMe completes a scan for each of its customers every three months and provides a personalized report after each  scan. If customers find their data on any data broker platform between scans, they can request a custom removal.

DeleteMe begins scanning data broker sites for customer data immediately after they sign up for the service. Although the turnaround time for each removal variescustomers can expect their PII listings to be deleted within six weeks. 

Track Record

Safe Shepherd has an F rating on the Better Business Bureau as well as some mixed reviews on Reddit. The company’s Twitter page has not been updated since 2017 and its Facebook profile has remained silent since 2020. 

DeleteMe has firmly established itself as a leader in the data broker removal industry and boasts an impressive 4.65/5 stars on SiteJabber and an A+ rating on Better Business Bureau. 

Over the years, it has also received a lot of positive mentions in the press. DeleteMe’s CEO is one of the leading privacy experts in the US today.

Pricing

Safe Shepherd offers  four different packages. Each package has monthly or annual payment options. The pricing breaks down as follows:

• Safe Shepherd Premium: $13.95/mo or $99.95 annually 
• Safe Shepherd Pro: $29.95/mo or $199.95 annually 
• Safe Shepherd VIP: $99.95/mo or $599.95 annually 
• Safe Shepherd Executive: 199.95/mo or $1,199.95 annually

Although Safe Shepherd’s Premium package is comparable in price to DeleteMe, the fees quickly escalate if you’re looking for something more thorough. What’s more, Safe Shepherd does not have family or business plans. 

DeleteMe offers a number of annual and bi-annual plans for individuals, families, and groups. DeleteMe believes that everyone deserves to have the highest level of protection, so all of their packages provide the same level of support. DeleteMe’s pricing breaks down as follows:

• 1-person plan – $129 annually/$209 every two years.
• 2-people plan – $229 annually/$349 every two years.
• Family plan (up to 4 people) – $329 annually/$499 every two years.
• Business plan – custom (contact customer support).

Cancellation Policy

Safe Shepherd customers who want to cancel their subscription can only do so via email. According to the FAQs, customers have to email support@safeshepherd.com and provide a reason why they wish to cancel.  

DeleteMe customers can cancel recurring billing at any time via their DeleteMe account. Alternatively, they can also reach out to DeleteMe by email or telephone to process the cancellation. 

Customer Service

Safe Shepherd customers receive different levels of customer support depending on their package. For example, Premium customers can only access customer support from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm (although they don’t specify what timezone this applies to). Customers can only access support via email.

DeleteMe understands the importance of good customer service. That’s why customers can reach DeleteMe’s team of privacy experts via email (24/7), live chat (office working hours), and phone (9 am and 8 pm Eastern time). 

DeleteMe vs. Safe Shepherd: Who to pick? 

DeleteMe is a trustworthy and reputable data removal service that customers love. Safe Shepard is not. For this reason, plus the high level of hands-on human and AI-driven removal that DeleteMe offers, DeleteMe is a clear winner.