After decades of decrying false advertising CU Reports web site is now playing that game

Come for information get a pitch instead

I got an email telling me to check out Consumers Reports blog for ratings on new computers.

Consumer Reports used to be one of the most trusted names in rating products. These days they have slipped into bait and switch on the web.

Let’s say one thing clearly: Consumer Reports published by Consumers Union is the reason we have much of our consumer protection and environmental regulations today.

Their subscriber funded magazine took on GM over unsafe cars along with Ralph Nader, pollution with Rachel Carson of Silent Spring.

They rated every consumer product from paint to blenders to automobiles. Millions of people based their purchases on how a product was tested and rated by Consumer Reports. I loyally subscribed since the 1960s and saved all those magazines for “research purposes.”  The internet has been a challenge for CU. People don’t buy magazines for information as much. You can get any product you want reviewed by actual users on the web.

One of  Amazon.com’s strengths is people post ratings and reviews. On most products you can get comments about product features, quality and faults before you buy. There are dozens of sites that summarize reviews. I don’t trust the new sites with titles like “Top Ten” – they seem to be a scam pushing a brand not real reviews.

Consumer Reports is using a paywall to hide its reviews and ratings. That’s where I ended up.

The come-on said they were going to give me the low down on the latest laptops but they wanted me to subscribe. That bait and switch come-on is the type of thing Consumers Reports would slam retailers and manufacturers for in the past.

Desperation moves some people to the dark side.