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Does anyone subscribe to Consumer Reports?
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Foregoing Practicing to Post
Minor Deity
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I started subscribing on the CR website some years ago and just keep renewing. I don't use it that often; we're not rabid consumer types. But we used it recently for computer and printer reviews, hearing aids, some other things. We probably don't get a ton of use out of it, but it's really helpful now and then.

Sometimes, if you yourself are well experienced with a consumer item, you can see the flaws in CR's methods and assumptions. I am sort of a bicycle nerd, so reading their reviews on bikes had me laughing. One bike magazine did a hilarious parody of CR bike reviews, in fact.


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“It's hard to win an argument with a smart person. It's damn near impossible to win an argument with a stupid person." -- Bill Murray

 
Posts: 13780 | Location: The outer burrows | Registered: 27 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Has Achieved Nirvana
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Some years back CR stopped actually testing a lot of products, preferring to state that they were "all approximately equal in overall quality". At the same time they recast themselves as consumer watchdogs and became very political.

I stopped subscribing after that, but will occasionally buy the annual "Buyers Guide" issue to see the frequency of repair records.


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Life is short. Play with your dog.

 
Posts: 34852 | Location: Hooterville, OH | Registered: 23 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
(self-titled) semi-posting lurker
Minor Deity
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quote:
Some years back CR stopped actually testing a lot of products, preferring to state that they were "all approximately equal in overall quality".


Eeker

That's the whole point of using their reviews!!

Well, their battery-powered lawn mower review explains how they tested, so at least that's something.

Anyway, I subscribed, but I also put a note in my calendar to remind myself to cancel it at the end of this year.


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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

 
Posts: 18330 | Location: not in Japan any more | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Pinta & the Santa Maria
Has Achieved Nirvana
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I bought a 1-yr subscription when we moved. Another worthwhile "join" would be Angie's list. It's now free, and I've found it to be less likely to contain piles of fake reviews. Another good place to check is the Better Business Bureau. It rarely nets anything other than "no information" or "A+," but when it does, you know to run to the hills. If there are complaints, they frequently have a series of comments about how/whether it was resolved.
 
Posts: 35367 | Location: West: North and South! | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Serial origamist
Has Achieved Nirvana
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When I was getting CR, one thing I read every month was the list of recalls. Twice it listed products I owned that would never otherwise have known that they were recalled.


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Posts: 30030 | Registered: 27 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
(self-titled) semi-posting lurker
Minor Deity
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Angies List, I forgot about that!

Re BBB, I looked there a lot when we were trying to choose a moving company to move down here, and indeed there are tons of scary ones that steered me away from certain companies. Moving fraud is an especially terrifying thing!


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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

 
Posts: 18330 | Location: not in Japan any more | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Pinta & the Santa Maria
Has Achieved Nirvana
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Yes! We had friends who were moving, like you, to their first real job post-grad. They didn't have tons of money, so they went with an off brand company. The last they saw of their stuff was when the moving company drove off.

A few years later police uncovered a giant warehouse where some of their stuff was, but just furniture. Not photos, etc. Awful.
 
Posts: 35367 | Location: West: North and South! | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Minor Deity
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Consumer Reports analysis prompted recall of infant sleeper product:
https://apple.news/ADAMMLuXySy-xOmHvIg1brQ
quote:
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is recalling all models of Fisher-Price Rock N' Play sleepers after it was linked to over 30 infant deaths.
The move comes just a few days after the American Academy of Pediatrics, a professional organization of pediatricians known by the acronym AAP, called on the CPSC to recall the products, citing an analysis from Consumer Reports magazine connecting it to 32 sleep-related infant deaths.


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www.PianoRecital.org -- my piano recordings -- China Tune album

 
Posts: 12682 | Registered: 01 December 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
(self-titled) semi-posting lurker
Minor Deity
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quote:
Originally posted by Nina:
Yes! We had friends who were moving, like you, to their first real job post-grad. They didn't have tons of money, so they went with an off brand company. The last they saw of their stuff was when the moving company drove off.

A few years later police uncovered a giant warehouse where some of their stuff was, but just furniture. Not photos, etc. Awful.


OMG! That was my worst fear when we were moving, and it has happened to so many people. I'm so sorry that it happened to your friends!


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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u

 
Posts: 18330 | Location: not in Japan any more | Registered: 20 April 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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