Unbiased Opinions For Big Ticket Items

I know many of you are buying big ticket items this holiday season and some of you will be waiting until after the holidays to grab better deals. If you’ve already made your purchases, I hope you did your homework first. If you’re waiting until after Christmas, or even the first of the year, I’ve got a tip for you.

You all know about Consumer Reports, the print magazine that is published by Consumer Union, right? Well did you know that they also have a great website with a searchable database, too? That’s right. Instead of trying to remember which issue had the review of, say, vacuum cleaners, all you have to do is search the database to find the reviews you need.

Granted, some of the features at the Consumer Reports site are available only to paid members, but this site is so worth the annual fee. For one thing, Consumer’s Union accepts no advertising money from anyone. The only way they can continue to do what they do is by membership fees, subscriptions and donations. That’s what sets them apart, really. They don’t accept test products from companies. They are not obligated in any way to give a good review.

I know other magazines clearly mark blatant advertising but what isn’t so transparent is that product reviews are conducted on items sent from the manufacturer – for free. Also, many times, the products mentioned in editorial pages throughout the magazine are from those companies who buy the most advertising elsewhere in the publication. By refusing all advertising and freebies, Consumer’s Union is able to remain totally unbiased. They are the only publication of any type that can make that claim, as far as I know.

Actually, Consumers Union has a number of websites that are informative and well worth a bookmark. These are more niche sites but I’ve found several to interest me.

Consumer’s Union has been around since 1936. Check out some of the vintage photos from their testing labs. And then do a little research into whatever new gizmo or product you’re considering this holiday season. Go to the store informed and you’ll likely walk out with the perfect buy!