Watch Out for ZoomInfo's Inaccuracies!
ZoomInfo apparently collects information about people from the Web to create profiles of them. A blog I read linked to a profile about someone the blogger had just heard about.
For the nuts of it, I typed in my name to see what this profile said about me. Sheesh, is it off...way off!
It accurately lists me as pastor of Friendship Lutheran Church and as a blogger.
But it also says that I'm president of something called Megasports, "a fantasy sports online service," and of the National Association of Firearms Retailers.
NO NO NO NO NO. NOT ME!
So, I decided to contact the ZoomInfo folks to let them know their information is wrong. I mean, I don't mind them collecting public information about me. But this stuff has nothing to do with me.
The ZoomInfo site said it would be easy to change my information. I just had to click on a "This is me" button. But as you progress through the hoops needed to tell the folks at ZoomInfo that their info is whacked, they tell you what Internet Service Provider suffixes they'll accept in order to confirm things with you via email. My ISP wasn't listed...and it's AOL!
They do have an alternative: Give them your credit card number. Are you kidding me? I'm going to give my personal information to some incompetent company that can't get my public information right...and believe them when they say that they won't charge my account? I. DON'T. THINK. SO!
So, now I'm trying to straighten out ZoomInfo's inaccurate portrayal of yours truly by other methods. I've sent an email their way. I'll let you know how things turn out.
You might want to check what they've done to your personal reputation...and see if you can't straighten them out, too.
Let me know what happens. This company deserves to be watched very carefully.
[UPDATE: I just checked. (I've been out of town for my uncle's funeral today. ZoomInfo responded to my email of last night and eliminated the factual errors on my profile. I'm glad of that.]