Consumer Reports Reviews

They rating best cars as average predicted reliability. For example Toyota Rav4. We all know it is one of the best. At same time Chevrolet gets best scores. Propaganda. BS. Will not buy or view never again. Use your own judgment and common sense.

I have been a Consumer Reports customer for over 30 years. They used to publish decent reliability statistics in their magazine and on-line that you could trust. BUT NO MORE! The last several years, their product ratings have not been complete or accurate. I do my own research and have concluded that you cannot trust their ratings. The latest example is their rating of heat pumps. Trane is ranked the best and Goodman is ranked at the bottom by Consumer Reports. Since my 12 year old high efficiency Trane heat pump failed after 12 years (6 repairs in that time), I know about Trane. So I researched on-line and found an excellent website of a 25 year old company that installs all major brands (**) and who ranks heat pumps. Their ratings show Goodman at the top and Trane toward the bottom.

Of the 22 product categories listed under Products: Babies and Kids, Consumer Reports.org is actively testing and updating only 3 categories: Carseats, Strollers, and humidifiers. The other 19 categories are either not currently being tested or permanently archived. When speaking with a customer service representative, the Customer Reports member defended the organization's position by stating that the information is still relevant and useful because the products are still available in the market place.

I have been reading this magazine for years. I have now retired and have more time but I was not happy when I seen the large donations they accepted from large foundations like Ford and Robert Wood Johnson. These are still large companies and you cannot be non bias when you accept money from them. Also they give or rent your personal information the collected from magazine subscriptions. Also I sent in a magazine discount coupon for subscription and they sent me a bill for twice the amount. Shame on you Consumers. You are not for the people anymore. It all about where you can get money from. UNHAPPY CONSUMER

We cancelled our subscription and auto-pay in Nov, which was for $7.95 a month. Magically, a $10 charge starts appearing from Consumer Reports in Dec on the same billing date (7th) and same card and hits again in Jan. We call in and they see we cancelled but claim someone called in and opened a new subscription. That's complete BS. This is criminal fraud by a so-called consumer-oriented company. Tell me that someone, somehow got our card # and decided to start up a subscription the very next month. There's no other fraud on our card. This is an internal scam perpetrated by Consumer Reports.

I signed up with understanding Consumer Reports did most general products, like dog food. I gave Consumer reports a four star for the help I got for my first search. Second search was dog food, zero help. I will give it one more chance with something else. But clearly, at this point, help is limited.

I don’t understand why two of my reviews have not been posted. I have updated my review that you have totally ignored. Why you just want to show this issue was resolved is beyond me. I wrote a google review and have received many thanks over 480 if not more viewers. So if you don’t want to review honestly about this Empire Today, that’s just fine. But take down my whole review because it’s not the whole story. And close my account. I won’t waste my time with you ever again. ????

Consumer Reports gave out my email address and phone number to third parties. All I was doing was looking at cars casually and suddenly a dozen car dealerships were auto calling and emailing me. Consumer reports is a scam!!

After spending $35 I was asked to upgrade the subscription for $20 more for a magazine? Why would I need the magazine if I have a computer? Then I start getting requests for a "donation" to keep them financially able to continue in business? I then clicked on "unsubscribe" to end their flood of emails. It said it could take "up to 10 days" to remove my email and stop them sending more. They didn't do as they said. Numerous requests to unsubscribe were sent and were ignored. I sent an email to them to NOT automatically renew my subscription and REQUESTED a response by email to acknowledge my request which they did.

Every time I tried to log into the online account the system said it didn't recognize my email or password. Had to reset password every time. Contacted customer service via email and received an standard generic answer that did not address my problem. So I decided to call, waited for over 20 minutes for an incompetent representative who kept telling me maybe I was inputting the incorrect info and I am like every single time??? Then he said he did not know what to say. I mean the conversation was so out of it that I had the feeling we were not speaking the same language or that he really had some comprehension issues. Now by reading other reviews I realized this is their standard practice. Glad I cancelled the membership.

Overall I was pleased with Consumer Reports in general and the service they offer, but their customer service is incompetent. I contacted their customer service department (via chat) to see about stopping delivery of their print magazine, and specifically stated that I wanted to do so without cancelling my membership. The person I was chatting with immediately cancelled my membership, and pasted a generic "we're sorry to see you go" message into chat. I tried telling them this was not what I wanted and to not cancel my membership, and got no response. I called them immediately after this, but there was nothing I could do to reverse the cancellation.

They auto renewed my membership which I absolutely remember not authorizing when I joined last year. I called them the very day they charged me for an additional year within minutes of the email coming through. While they cancelled my membership, they would not refund the total amount. Even though it had been 10 minutes, they charged me for a whole month. Crooks! I will never join again, they are totally dishonest.

This is no longer the organization we trusted in the 70s and 80s. Ralph Nader would be disappointed. BAIT AND SWITCH. I bought an All Access membership in July, as we were planning to upgrade our kitchen appliances. "All Access" was described as both magazine and digital content. Not so. For the highest level of payment, I get print only. Tried to sign in - got a message that I needed to upgrade for $10 a month. Chat room - timed me out. 800 number - 15 minute wait. So very sad...I guess we are going to to have to rely on Amazon consumer ratings only....

I have subscribed to Consumer Reports (CR) since the 70s. I also give two gift subscriptions to my kids. I have also donated money in the past. For the last ten years, I have noticed a marked increase in mail/email requests for digital subscriptions, raffles, and donations. My take is that CR spends an enormous amount of money on solicitations. Perhaps expenses exceed revenues.

I am truly disgusted with Consumer Reports (CR). Just a few years back things changed dramatically with the company. First, I noticed I could, as a paying subscriber, no longer add comments or give reviews for products I'd purchased. Why, because I am not on Facebook. After talked to a few different customer service people, I realized CR doesn't want comments or reviews from non-Facebook subscribers. That was just a few years ago. I kept subscribing because I felt like I was getting info that was worth while.

I am looking for a replacement for my home AC unit. I have carefully looked all brands ranked in this website and surprisingly ALL are rated as 'one star'. So basically no AC is good enough (based on consumer's report/experiences). Now I am picking the "less worse" and will be praying to last.

They keep sending Me issues. I am apparently going to get copies through June 2020. Tried to call to confirm cancellation and was sent to a consumer survey. Didn't want to take a third party survey call was terminated. Called back and was blocked by the customer service number (800-333-0663) as an ineligible "duplicate caller", and call was terminated again. How do I get CR from sending and BILLING for more copies?

Consumer Reports as originally founded was a very useful magazine. Their original magazine used to to test consumer products and gather reliability statistics on products and report the information in a magazine to consumers. You could depend on their product ratings. They were funded by subscribers and donations. They are now funded by several liberal advocacy groups that appear to have taken over the management. Now product reviews and ratings are a small part of the magazine. The reviews are weaker and I have found them unreliable. Now they report on consumer "issues" and their OPINIONS are presented as facts.

I signed up for a one month membership to read some reviews about washing machines. When I was charged for another month subscription I emailed them immediately to cancel the membership and refund the payment since I hadn't set up or selected auto-renew. I got two different non-reply emails stating that they apply auto-renew automatically just like other digital subscriptions. Not a good excuse for me. And, what's up with non-reply emails from "Customer Service"? What a crappy company and a slimy business practice.

I have been a subscriber since 2005 with the same mailing address and email address. I sometimes live at another residence and all my mail is forwarded when I do. But sometimes not the magazine. About two times a year the magazine tells me my address of 30 years is undeliverable. When I question them (customer service) they tell me the post office returned the magazine because of an undeliverable address. Baloney. Then some manager at customer service said the post office forwards only two issues - has anybody ever heard such baloney - they count the issues?

I have over the years been a fan of Consumer Reports. Now it seems that the publication has learned from the scams and bad business practices that we trusted it to alert us to and to condemn. Try subscribing without the auto-renewal feature! They are feeding in the trough of retaining customers through auto renewal instead of providing value annually. I am looking elsewhere now for what I need.

I submitted a review about an unauthorized monthly charge to my credit card since May 2018 from Consumer Reports. I contacted Consumer Reports today through their FB page and got a phone call regarding my situation. This time, they were able to locate the account along with the name and information of whom set it up with my credit card number. I am pleased to say that they assured me that the account was closed and the auto renew feature was turned off. Cindy was very professional and I am satisfied that this matter is closed. I did get a follow up email confirming this and the name of the person who fraudulently set up this account. Here is the information: Baan **. Consumer Reports obviously does not verify the credit card with the credit card owner. Beware when using credit card for online purchases and make sure that the site is secure.

I sent a payment for renewal this past December and just received a third invoice notice that I need to renew my subscription upon receipt of this notice, even though my expiration date is Jan 2020. A P.S. was attached saying to go to cr.org/crpay for faster service. There is no such site on the web. When will they get their act together???

Consumer Reports has been charging my credit card since canceling my account 8 years ago in 2010! I called in 2013 after receiving a email and was told that the account was set to "Auto Renew". I had to get a new password to login to see that my old account was still active, and to see that THEY must have set my account to "Auto Renew". I was then issued a refund for 1 year only and was told the account was closed for good...

I used CONsumer Reports one time and authorized them for a single payment for one month. Now I find that they have been billing me for the last two years at $7 per month without any notification. JERKS.

I have subscribed and enjoyed Consumer Reports for over thirty years. Unfortunately the quality and quantity have declined along with the accuracy. Many items have been eliminated or are no longer available. Indexes do not list them anymore. The reviews are shorter and do not contain important information that the prospective customer may be interested in. Presumptuous mistakes have occurred that lead consumers in the wrong direction. eg. Tesla automobile, when it was first introduced was given Glowing reviews and the highest ratings including reliability. How could a brand new vehicle, in one year with only tens of thousands of sales, have such great ratings in comparison to vehicles that have sold millions of vehicles for thirty, forty or more years? Now it has a much worse than average rating.

Consumer Reports charged my credit card (October 2018) after canceling this account almost 10 years ago. The customer service rep said "after you cancel auto renew, you need to cancel every year so you don't get charged"! What?! I have to call every year AFTER I cancel the account? This is fraudulent and I plan to investigate this further. They should not be able to get away with charging canceled decade-old accounts! All of the information they provide is online for FREE through customer reviews. They're obviously hurting for cash and trying to find ways to stay around. Not cool!

I ordered a trial of face cream for 4.95 and received a 0.5-ounce little bottle of face cream. I was not impressed with the results but forgot to cancel within the 14 days cancellation policy that I overlooked. I received an alert from my credit card that about a fraud charge. I immediately got on the phone and called Essence PH customer service to cancel the order and the charges. According to the customer service I overlooked the cancellation policy. The charge to my card was for $94.90 because apparently you agree to membership fees if you don’t cancel within 14 days of ordering- not even from when you receive it.

I subscribe Consumers Reports for 40 years, and even that they don't allow me I see their website for free, like other companies and organizations, what they want is money, and more money, and then they say they are a nonprofit organization, what they do with so much money, open your website for all and for free!!!

Information reported is too basic. In their results for refrigerators, CR uses words such as "quiet," "very quiet," "excellent," but to an engineer, any measurement not expressed in "standard" numerical terms don't carry much judgemental weight because it's not possible to know what the words truly mean. Evidently, they impress the average non-technical consumer. (As a follow-up, do an online search for the brand's name and "class action" to see how actual consumers perceive their product.)