Do we believe Consumer Reports (wall ovens)
CT_Newbie
10 years ago
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deeageaux
10 years agoRelated Discussions
Relying on Consumer Reports
Comments (26)Another CR fan here. They don't have a magical crystal ball, just engineering and user tests, so of course their "predictions" aren't absolute. But they are a way to stack the odds a bit more in the buyer's favor. Any model by any manufacturer can turn out to be a lemon. And, unless the underlying design is hopelessly flawed, any manufacturer can make an effective and reliable model. It's for the statistical in-betweens that CR helps, as well as the information their articles. And they list all the products they test, not just the ones they recommend, because they know that not everyone's needs will be met by their recommendations. For example, two weeks ago I realized that we needed to replace our dishwasher. I didn't have much time and it had been years since I had looked at what was on the market. Thanks to CR, it took all of five minutes to identify a couple of brands with models that come up high in their ratings that also had a lower frequency of repair (I don't have time to deal with repairs either) and to identify the latest features. Then it took only a few minutes at the store to pick a model. It was not a "Best Buy" because I was willing to pay more to get certain features but it was another model which ranked high. My new DW installed, running well, and I'm pleased. Is it possible somewhere there'is a better model for my purposes? Of course, but how much better would it be? Meanwhile, I saved a lot of time, and was able to get the new one before the old one stopped working. CR is supported by subscribers, so they test products of interest to the majority. Personally, I have no need for tests of commercial spaghetti sauces, for one, but since lots of people use them I don't fault CR for testing them. They usually test a few upscale products, if only to report on whether the higher price is justified objectively....See MoreMeile gas cooktop vs Consumer Reports
Comments (13)I like CR, but there is a caveat to their reviews. They are geared towards the middle... they very often underrate high-end appliances / stereos / wines / cars / etc. Why is that? 1. They have a set of criteria to use when rating. Time to boil, ease of cleanup, etc. Design, durability, "feel"... these don't really enter into it as much. 2. Reliability ratings come from customer feedback. High-end items are made in smaller production volumes, and consequently don't have as much "real-world" usage, so there may be more reliability issues. But, feedback more often comes from people who are upset with a product rather than satisfied with it, so a smaller pool of possible reviews can greatly skew actual findings. (See CRs obvious dislike of Sub Zero, Viking, etc due to reliability reports). I do think their reviews are useful on high-production items (Toasters, Blenders, Common Cars, etc), but wherever "style and feel" are involved, I tend to ignore what they have to say....See Moreconsumer reports...fair and balanced?
Comments (9)CaryScott, You bring up an excellent point and the very reason I would not place any credence on CR's reporting. The Miele products we purchased require proper setup including, but not limited to: water pressure, water levels, extended drying times with just air owed to geographic location weather conditions, etc. CR doesn't even take that into accountÃI don't even believe they understand or even know about these aspects, therefor, their reporting is flawed regarding these models of laundry equipment. This is the reason Miele strongly request, but does mandate, that you have an approved installer do your installation. Potential customers are by far better off following forums of interest, receiving feedback from actual users, feedback from people who service the machines, and feedback from people in the industry than they are some magazine that professes to provide valued information. But, I am not biased as I have no place for JD Powers, and the others either. I don't purchase my vehicles based on any magazine....See MoreConsumer Reports gets on Angie's List, where do I go now?
Comments (17)We had trouble finding contractors for our remodel until a member from this Gardenweb site recommended Angie's list to me. It turned out it was a sound advice. I read every review of contractors in the category we were looking for. I picked out ones who had done projects of similar size and dollar amount. It helped me to compile a list of questions and contractors to call. We set appointments with contractors who sounded promising in the phone conversations. We met these contractors in person and presented scope of work. We then made final decision based on their quotes, personality, feedback from their references, work style and starting time. Angie's list provides a starting point; there is fair amount of work afterwards to screen contractors. We know there is risk involved because good contractors work out with other clients may not guarantee they would work well for us. We like to spell out details and specifications, a contractor may think we are difficult. We figured, at least we made informed decisions. We liked the contractor we chose so much while half way working the first project, we asked them to plan for another one. We are very happy with both projects, and had great working experience with the contractor and all of his subs. I left a glorious review for the contractor and his company on AngieâÂÂs list. I also mailed him my review so that he could use it as a reference. On a different subject - we had used Consumer Report for almost 30 years, but in recent years, we are not so sure about their ratings.......See Morechas045
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