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.

Review board   http://www.reviewboard.com/reviews/housewares/homehealth/7184-Alen-A350-Air-Purifier-Review.html   review of Alen A350,  one of the top rated ones
   Also   http://www.reviewboard.com/reviews/housewares/homehealth/7171-IQAir-HealthPro-Plus-Review.html   review of IQAir, says its the best
   Also   http://www.reviewboard.com/reviews/housewares/homehealth/5758-Austin-Air-Healthmate-400-Air-Purifier-Review.html   review of Austin, which it says is just as good as IQAir.


eopinions   http://www.epinions.com/prices/Alen_Alentech_Air_Purifier_Alen_A350_Air_Purifier_Air_Purifier   5 stars for alen
Another group   http://www.home-air-purifier-guide.com/top-ten-air-purifiers.html    IQAir is the best, Austin is best value. Alen 350 also well rated.


AHAM   http://www.aham.org/industry/ht/d/sp/i/1224/pid/1224   certifies room air cleaners. 
They also have a site that rates clean air delivery rate   http://www.cadr.org/   but this listing doesn't seem to list the top rated products listed at consumersearch.com


Allergy buyers club   http://www.allergybuyersclubshopping.com/airpurifiers.html   has this review, but seems to say almost all are good.
    Allergy buyers club is listed here   http://www.epa.gov/WTC/questions/index.html  

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