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Buying guides |
Better Business Burea http://www.bbb.org/ Provides information about businesses, charities, helps resolve consumer disputes, promotes ethical business standards. Among other things, you can check to see if a business has any complaints about it.
http://www.bizrate.com/
Customers rate on line businesses through surveys. Listed in Inc.
October 1999. You can get free reviews of on line sales sites.
consumerguide http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/consumer-guide.htm
reviews of products
Consumersearch http://www.consumersearch.com/
reviews the reviews about products, and includes summaries.
Consumer Research is mentioned in this pcworld story http://www.pcworld.com/article/34799-2/web_shopping_bots_and_beyond.html
is listed here http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/lectures/mcdermott.html
and is ranked 23k at this page http://www.alexa.com/data/details/?url=www.consumersearch.com/
of alexa.
http://www.cartalk.com/
see Cartalk's guides at http://www.cartalk.com/menus/info.html
http://www.resellerratings.com/
vendor survey. If you plan to buy a computer, especially through the
internet,
check this site. People rate their experience in buying computers over
the net.
Annual Readers Survey http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,2806,1626131,00.asp
This page links to the readers surveys about service and about
products. The 2009 Annual Reader Survey: Service &
Reliability is here http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2352798,00.asp
apple and asus
desktop, 2009, is here http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2352796,00.asp
apple and self build or local
But you can only see the ones for previous years, if you don't have a
magazine prescription.
http://www.laptopmag.com/Default.aspx
also has reviews of laptops and everything else
http://www.laptopmag.com/mobile-life/tech-support-showdown-2009.aspx?page=1
their 2009 tech support reviews, apple and lenovo
and complaining
FTC https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/ complaint assistance, about id theft, companies, etc
FCC http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm
complaints
BBB listed above you can also file complaints.
http://www.planetfeedback.com/
consumer ratings on stuff.
http://www.fightback.com/
from David Horowitz
Planet feedback is also mentioned here http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/12/earlyshow/saturday/main506041.shtml
and here http://www.bbbonline.org/about/press/2002/121102.asp
and here http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/2004p109id81997.htm
and here http://www.consumer-action.org/links/articles/planetfeedback/
fightback is mentioned here http://tv.yahoo.com/fight-back-with-david-horowitz/show/30431
http://www.ripoffreport.com/
rip off report.
ripoff report is mentioned here http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,1607,7-123-1589_35832_38141---,00.html
and here http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/codec/cc/Pages/Editions/navig_06_04.pdf
and here http://www.development.ohio.gov/Entrepreneurship/
Reviews of specific types of products
phone service
10-10PhoneRates.com, http://www.10-10phonerates.com
SaveOnPhone.com, http://www.saveonphone.com
Telecommunications Research and Action Center (TRAC) http://trac.org/
10-10PhoneRates is also mentioned in this Christian Science Monitor
story http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1015/p20s1-wmcn.html
10-10PhoneRates is mentioned here http://www.consumer-action.org/links/articles/10_10phoneratescom/
these sites link to trac.org, and have interesting information on their own.
http://www.kcc.state.ks.us/telecom/consumer_info.htm
http://www.psc.state.mt.us/Consumers/telecom/
http://www.fraud.org/scamsagainstbusinesses/tips/pager.htm
trac.org was listed in this story too http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Miscellaneous/News_Releases/1999/nrmc9017.html
someone from trac.org is on this board http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cdtac/biographies.html
Computers
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews
computer stuff
Room air cleaners
EPA has this page http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airclean.html
that talks about types of cleaners and pollutants.
webmd has this page http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/do-you-need-an-air-filter
discussing air cleaners, types, what they do and whether they are
useful.
consumer research http://www.consumersearch.com/air-purifiers
shows the reviews for top rated. Top rated are IQAir and Alen 350.
Seniors Turning to Room Air Cleaners May Waste Their Money
http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Alerts/5-09-07AirCleaners.htm
Summary of Consumer Reports article from 2005. Lists some models
which were rated poorly. "CR suggests avoiding electrostatic room
air cleaners with a small fan or no fan, which have cleaned poorly in
our tests and can emit significant amounts of ozone. CR also advises
consumers to avoid dedicated ozone generators." Mostly lists
models that aren't good, but gives a few quick picks.
** Some criticisms of air cleaners or reviews **
The buzz on room air cleaners: How effective are they for management
of allergies and asthma?
Gregory Alford, Asthma Magazine, Volume 10, Issue 1, January-February
2005, Pages 27-29
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asthmamag.2004.12.012
seems to say room air cleaners alone aren't useful.
IQAir Finds Consumer Reports 2007 Air Purifier Review in Need of Its
Own Review http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS155667+26-Nov-2007+PRN20071126
says consumer reports uses faulty methods.
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links last verified 6/7/09