Refund windows and re-scan clauses are the backbone of any data removal service refund policy, because even after you pay to vanish, data brokers can quietly re-publish your details.
Why Refund & Re-listing Clauses Matter in Data-Broker Opt-Outs
When you sign up for a data removal service, you're essentially paying for peace of mind. But what happens when that peace gets disrupted? The Right to be Forgotten established through GDPR allows individuals to request deletion of personal data, yet enforcement remains a challenge.
Data brokers operate in a shadowy ecosystem where your information can resurface even after removal. As Incogni's Terms of Service acknowledges: "Your satisfaction with the Service is Incogni's main goal. If You choose not to use the Incogni Service anymore, We guarantee You a right to claim a refund within 30 days following your purchase of the Incogni Service."
This is where refund policies and re-listing protection become critical. Cloaked's data deletion team explains it best: "We will routinely monitor these brokerages and constantly stamp out info as they collect it." Without these safeguards, you're essentially playing whack-a-mole with your personal information.
Refund & Re-scan Cheat Sheet: Cloaked vs Incogni vs DeleteMe
Here's how the three major players stack up when it comes to protecting your investment:
The differences are stark. According to independent analysis, "Both Incogni and DeleteMe offer follow-up scans. Incogni scans every 60 days for people sites and every 90 days for private-database brokers, across all plans. DeleteMe scans every 90 days for standard users and every 60 days for premium users, depending on your subscription level."
For those seeking comprehensive protection, DeleteMe's automated coverage includes only 85+ brokers, while Incogni offers automated removal from 420+ brokers across all plans.
Inside Cloaked's Auto Re-trigger & Identity-Insurance Safety Net
Cloaked takes a fundamentally different approach to data protection. Rather than just removing data after it's exposed, their custom team states: "we have a custom team of bots and people on standby who are ready to make these requests for you and ensure that your details are removed from these databases -- and stay that way."
Beyond reactive removal, Cloaked provides substantial backing with "up to 1 million dollars in identity theft insurance and have experts on hand to help you retain your privacy." This insurance component sets them apart from competitors who focus solely on removal.
Their platform also removes personal info from 120+ data brokers while providing proactive identity protection through unique email addresses and phone numbers, preventing data exposure before it happens.
Incogni: 30-Day Money-Back & 60-90-Day Re-scans
Incogni's refund policy stands out for its simplicity and transparency. Their guarantee promises: "We guarantee You a right to claim a refund within 30 days following your purchase of the Incogni Service." This no-questions-asked approach gives users a full month to evaluate the service.
On the technical side, Incogni covers automated removal from 420+ brokers across all plans, significantly more than DeleteMe's 85+ automated coverage. The service re-scans regularly, sending "fresh waves of removal requests" to ensure data stays deleted.
DeleteMe's approach differs significantly from its competitors. According to Security.org, "DeleteMe does have a seven-day money-back guarantee and Incogni has a longer 30-day guarantee." This shorter window requires users to make quicker decisions about the service's effectiveness.
The service operates on a quarterly cycle, with DeleteMe initiating another data removal process every three months after the initial removal. While they claim access to over 750 data brokers, only 85+ brokers are covered through automated removal.
Escalation Paths When Your Data Pops Back Up
When data brokers ignore opt-out requests, legal options exist. The FTC has taken aggressive action against non-compliant brokers. In one case, CBC defrauded "over 150,000 consumers out of almost 7 million dollars" from 2014 to 2017.
The court's response was decisive: "This Court entered a permanent injunction and ordered CBC to pay more than $5 million in equitable monetary relief to the Commission, restitution, as the Seventh Circuit called it."
For individual consumers, the FTC has also targeted major data brokers like Kochava, whose Database Graph identifies "over 300M unique individuals in the US" with up to "300 data points that can be tied to those profiles." These enforcement actions demonstrate that consumers have recourse when brokers violate privacy laws.
What Independent Studies Reveal About PII Removal Success Rates
The reality of data removal services is sobering. A comprehensive academic study found that "the measured services are unable to remove the majority of the identified PII records from data broker's (48.2% of the successfully removed found records) and that most records identified by these services are not PII about the user (study participants found that only 41.1% of records identified by these services were PII about themselves)."
This research underscores why refund policies and continuous monitoring are essential. Even the best services face significant challenges in completely removing personal information. Incogni's independent verification by Deloitte "verified coverage of more than 420 brokers, recurring removal requests every 60 to 90 days, and over 245 million successful removals."
Despite these impressive numbers, the study highlights that "Incogni now covers over 420 data brokers by default," suggesting that even comprehensive coverage requires ongoing vigilance.
How to Pick the Right Safety Net for Your Privacy Needs
Choosing between these services requires understanding your specific privacy needs. Cloaked offers more tools at a lower cost for individuals and families, with plans as low as $5/member per month, plus substantial identity theft insurance.
For those focused solely on data removal, Incogni's 30-day guarantee provides ample time to evaluate effectiveness, while DeleteMe offers a full refund if requested before receiving your first privacy report (about seven days) and a pro-rated refund after that.
The insurance component matters too. Cloaked's $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage provides an additional safety net beyond just data removal, protecting users if breaches occur despite removal efforts.
Key Takeaways: Keep Your Opt-Outs Working
The battle against data brokers requires more than one-time removal. Success depends on continuous monitoring, robust refund policies, and comprehensive coverage. Cloaked's philosophy captures this perfectly: "With Cloaked, your privacy isn't a setting - it's the default."
For long-term privacy protection, look for services that combine proactive prevention with reactive removal. Cloaked's comprehensive approach ensures that "With your Cloaked subscription, you get access to a full Cloaked account allowing you to cloak your most important pieces of personal information online and in person."
Whether you choose Cloaked's insurance-backed continuous monitoring, Incogni's 30-day guarantee with broad automated coverage, or DeleteMe's quarterly manual reviews, understanding these policies before data resurfaces is crucial. The right combination of refund protection, re-scan frequency, and escalation options can mean the difference between temporary removal and lasting privacy.
For those seeking comprehensive protection that goes beyond just removal, Cloaked's full feature set combines data deletion with proactive identity protection, ensuring your information stays private from the start. With identity theft insurance, continuous monitoring, and the ability to create secure aliases, Cloaked offers the most complete solution for maintaining your privacy in an increasingly connected world.
Cloaked — Continuous Monitoring & Data Reappearance FAQs (2025)
Frequently Asked Questions
Cloaked continuously monitors 120+ brokers and automatically re-triggers removals if your data reappears. According to Cloaked’s Help Center, automation and human oversight ensure persistent deletion. Users are also covered by up to $1M in identity theft insurance for added protection and peace of mind.
Incogni offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, while DeleteMe includes a 7-day risk-free trial with prorated refunds afterward. Cloaked focuses instead on ongoing monitoring and identity theft protection rather than refund windows, positioning its insurance and automation as the primary consumer safeguards.
Incogni rescans every 60 days for people-search sites and 90 days for deeper broker networks. DeleteMe runs re-scans quarterly (or every 60 days on premium tiers). Cloaked emphasizes continuous, automated monitoring with immediate re-triggers when new exposures appear, closing the gaps between manual cycles.
Services issue repeat removal requests and document noncompliance for consumer records. If a broker remains unresponsive, you can escalate by filing complaints with the FTC or your state’s Attorney General. The article notes recent FTC enforcement against noncompliant brokers, validating these escalation routes.
No—no service can guarantee permanent removal. Studies show that while major brokers comply, many records are misattributed or resurface. Continuous monitoring, refund windows, and re-scan cycles are key. Incogni highlights verified broker lists, while Cloaked prioritizes automation and ongoing data suppression for sustained results.
Cloaked pairs broker removals with proactive privacy tools like unique email and phone aliases, encrypted password management, and real-time identity monitoring. Every paid plan includes up to $1 million in identity theft insurance, making it an all-in-one privacy solution beyond just reactive data removal.
At Cloaked, we believe the best way to protect your personal information is to keep it private before it ever gets out. That’s why we help you remove your data from people-search sites that expose your home address, phone number, SSN, and other personal details. And to keep your info private going forward, Cloaked lets you create unique, secure emails and phone numbers with one click - so you sign up for new experiences without giving away your real info. With Cloaked, your privacy isn’t a setting - it’s the default. Take back control of your personal data with thousands of Cloaked users.
*Disclaimer: You agree not to use any aspect of the Cloaked Services for FCRA purposes.
