Reports by Consumers

The very first thing you want to do is make sure that the digital camera reviews you are using are independent and not have anything to do with the manufacturer. Probably the best place to get good unbiased digital camera reviews is in the Consumer Reports magazine either at the news stand or online. Consumer Reports has earned an excellent reputation as an unbiased testing group that will get you the answers you are looking for without any interference from the manufacturers.

While I’d have a hard time saying I’m a fan of McDonald’s coffee, the new stuff they have is certainly much better than it used to be. It is definitely drinkable.

Like the old truism says, you get what you pay for. Often , people searching for comfort while they sleep are given many sleepless nights when they try to find parts or places to repair their adjustable bed when it breaks down. If you find a firm that doesn’t sound familiar to you, but seems to have a quality product, ask around, and talk to your local office of the Better Business Bureau or BBB. Another place to look for unbiased information is the Consumer Reports Magazine.

From the “I had no idea” category, Consumer Reports finally took a good look at wine bottle resealing devices. In the December 2006 issue of Consumer Reports magazine, their crack investigative reporters reveal the secret about all of the wine saver devices that have hit the market in recent years.

My friend Tommy Mullins pointed out in response to my last post that Consumer Reports magazine’s latest issue rips ethanol, for the general perception that it’s cheaper and more efficient than gas, which Consumer Reports states is not true on either count.

Consumer Reports magazine has reported that pregnant women should not eat canned tuna. It seems that the FDA had said that pregnant women can eat up to 12oz per week. So what should pregnant women do?

Speaking on behalf of consumers, Gene Kimmelman, policy director at Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, has been quoted as saying that the merger "will lead to the end of the era of falling prices for telephone and cellphone service." In addition, fees for Internet service may rise, particularly in areas with limited high-speed choices and perhaps with the introduction of a "tiered" system of fees for content providers (as discussed above), probably ultimately passed on to consumers.

Joe sat in his small office chair with a very tiny window that barely permitted the afternoon sunlight from warming his office on this cold wet April Spring day. He lived not far from the Consumers Union complex, a few miles east, outside the Yonkers, New York, city limits, but his ride in today was particularly uncomfortable when his boss called him on the cell phone and advised that he would be meeting with the woman who at that moment sat across from him. She was more gorgeous and more striking than even her best photos. She wore a leather bomber jacket over a white tank top, flowered skirt, and rhinestoned cowboy boots. Her legs were crossed, her foot air tapping, and she was chewing gum. Normally gum dumbed-down a beautiful woman, but not Naomi Campbell. Her long hair, clean look, and very sparkly eyes clearly reflected a very healthy lifestyle, and the gum chewing accentuated her large lips. Or so Joe was thinking when Naomi interrupted his reverie.

“Some of them are doing a better job than others at preventing infections,” said Lisa McGiffert, coordinator of the Stop Hospital Infections Project at Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. “They all need to improve. Any hospital doing average or the same as everyone else, that’s not good enough.”

The researchers comparison price shop and survey the magazine’s own readers as well as the readers of Consumer Reports magazine (the organizations publishing each magazine are completely independent) for their experiences and opinions about local stores and service firms.

It’s important to know this amount before you even start looking. Then do your research. Check websites, dealerships, and Consumer Reports magazine. Look for reliability and repair ratings as well as safety advice. The website www.edmunds.com offers pricing information and advice on buying a used car.

Americans looking to shed those extra pounds should choose Weight Watchers International Inc. over low-carbohydrate rival the Atkins Diet, according to the latest issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

You listen to them about toasters, search them out to buy dryers, order special reports before you buy a car, now Consumer Reports rates diets.... Thanks Ken Leebow for the tip.

By Rick Popely, Chicago Tribune - Figuring out whether to take a cash rebate or low-interest financing looks confusing but has a simple solution: Do the math. Rob Gentile, director of price services for Consumer Reports magazine, suggests doing as much math as possible at home instead of at the dealership. "With the Internet, people have more information than ever before at their fingertips," Gentile... More

Consumer Reports magazine is taking renewed aim at a popular air purifier made by The Sharper Image two months after it fended off a libel lawsuit filed by the machine's retailer.

Go Consumers Union/Consumer Reports Magazine for giving us all a good example of a way to creatively jump into the blogosphere! Looks like it's paying off for the the 69-year old nonprofit!

Consumer Reports magazine, which calculates its own fuel economy stats, noted that its Toyota Prius hybrid test car got 44 miles a gallon in real world driving, not the city/highway rating of 55 mpg that the government reports.

If you choose to use a microwave oven, Consumer Reports magazine suggests you stay as far as possible from the oven while it is in operation.

"Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Volvo had more than their fair share of problems. Only Audi came out better than average," the magazine said.

"The most reliable brand overall is now Subaru, which averages eight problems per 100," Consumer Reports said. It noted that Honda Motor Co. Ltd., long a reliability leader, now averaged nine problems per 100.

The single most reliable vehicle in the 2004 model year was Hyundai Motor Co, Ltd's low-cost Sonata sedan, with a problem rate ...

The Sharper Image has agreed to pay the publisher of Consumer Reports $525,000 to cover the amount the magazine spent in successfully defending itself against the specialty retailer's libel lawsuit.

The settlement announced Thursday comes three months after a federal judge here tossed a lawsuit alleging the magazine printed false and malicious articles in 2002 and 2003 about the company's Ionic Breeze Quadra Silent Air Purifier.

Consumers Union has stood by its magazine's reports, which said its tests ...

Consumer Reports has a huge impact on the car industry

"Consumer Reports has become so influential among car shoppers that some automakers now send preproduction cars to the magazine's test engineers for suggested changes before the vehicles hit showrooms."

At least forty percent of car buyers consult Consumer Reports for information about their forthcoming purchase, at least sixty percent of minivan buyers. The company refuses to accept advertising from automakers. Suzuki and Isuzu have sued the magazine for making false statements and "product disparagement." For the full story, ...