Kudzu Offers Consumers New Feature to Evaluate the Health of Service Businesses

ATLANTA, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers who use Kudzu to find and refer their favorite handyman, dentist, plumber and other local service professionals can now see Experian's "BizCheck Approved" badge on those companies' Kudzu.com profiles.  This feature is made available through a new relationship between Kudzu and Experian's Business Information Services.

Beginning today, for businesses that are monitored and validated by Experian as a credit-active business in good financial health, a "BizCheck Approved" badge appears on those service providers' profile pages. Good financial health is qualified by Experian as a business, either large or small, with no active public records or credit and collection issues. The badge presents a non-biased indicator of business reliability.  

"We are excited to be working with Experian on this new feature," said Tom Bates, vice president and general manager of Kudzu.  "Consumers on Kudzu looking for the right service business to hire now have one more important piece of information to aid in their decision: the business health of that company.  We feel that this collaboration will help consumers have greater confidence in doing business with a particular service provider."

"Experian's robust business database includes highly predictive information on U.S. companies of all sizes, including the industry's most extensive data on small and midsize businesses," said Adam Fingersh, vice president of Experian's Business Information Services. "The new BizCheck Approved badge will provide consumers who visit Kudzu.com valuable information that will aid them in making important selection decisions."

About Kudzu

Kudzu.com provides consumers with trusted information about local providers for home, health and other life service needs - - and gives small businesses the tools to drive "word of mouth" online.  Launched in 2005, the website features consumer reviews and profiles built by local service businesses.  Kudzu is owned and operated by Cox Search Inc., a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, a leading communications, media and automotive services company.  

About Experian's Business Information Services

Experian's Business Information Services partners with organizations to establish and strengthen customer relationships, enabling them to mitigate risk and improve profitability. The company's business database provides comprehensive, third-party-verified information on U.S. companies of all sizes, with the industry's most extensive data on the broad spectrum of small and midsize businesses. By leveraging state-of-the-art technology and superior data compilation techniques, Experian is able to provide market-leading tools that assist clients in processing new applications, managing customer relationships and collecting on delinquent accounts.

About Experian

Experian is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 65 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended March 31, 2009, was $3.9 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 40 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; Costa Mesa, California; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.

Experian and the marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Kudzu