Consumer Reports vs Pissed Consumer Part 3
Now we’re entering the final stretch of our Consumer Reports and Pissed Consumer showdown! So far, Consumer reports have the advantage but it could still be anyone’s game! The last important topic to address is one of community. How does one participate and benefit from the community of each website? Each website takes a different approach.
Pissed Consumer is a completely free website that anyone can access and participate in. Basically, the more people use the website, the better it becomes with additional feedback and perspective. It also serves as an important tool to companies who might use it to see where they went wrong so that their problems could be resolved. Beyond using the website to post complaints, any can join the Pissed Consumer forums and discuss relevant topics such as Consumer Protection Laws, Finance, and the latest phishing scheme. One can get advice from others about which credit cards are the best to use and recommend them to others. It is truly a unique community that is constantly growing and learning from each other. Lastly, Pissed Consumer provides guidance on how to write complaint letters when a company has not lived up to their promises. There is even information and links to other organizations which protect consumers such as the Better Business Bureau.
Sadly, Consumer Reports still has a lot of catch up to do in this area. Probably one of the biggest drawbacks to Consumer Reports is that it’s not free. Most of the website features can only be accessed by those who have a membership subscription. Luckily, it is possible to get a subscription to the website without having to pay for the magazine. The price is only $26 dollars for a year or $6 a month but either price can’t beat free. Consumer Reports also hosts an active forum of their own. While it does not require a subscription to read, it does require one if you wish to post your own comments and experiences which seems to be counter-productive.
This one was a close call but I’m going to have to call the win in Pissed Consumer’s favor because their websites does more to both help the average consumer and be easily accessible to them. So it seems we’re left with a tally of 1-1! While this little competition has ended in a draw, both websites are winners for trying to help consumer make more informed decisions about their purchases. If you are someone who is constantly making purchases for your business or household it may not be a bad idea to pay for the services that Consumer Reports provides. Despite this, there are plenty of other websites out there like Pissed Consumer that can provide you with the same information for little to no cost. Notable examples include websites such as Cnet.com and Autotrader.com. By using these websites in conjunction with sites like Pissed Consumer, you can always be confident in your purchases! Happy hunting and the best of luck to you all!