Consumers Digest is an American for-profit magazine publication which accepts advertisements and allows companies to use its reviews for marketing purposes. It should not be confused with the non-profit magazine Consumer Reports. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Marketing is a social and managerial function that attempts to create, expand and maintain a collection of customers. ... Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union, a non-profit organization founded in 1936 by Arthur Kallet, Colston Warne, and others who felt that the established Consumers Research organization was not aggressive enough. ...

The magazine has come under criticism for various unusual business practices. For example, the publication isn't sold at newsstands, and to subscribe, the interested party must write to Consumers Digest asking for more information.

Alleged Impropriety

The magazine awards its Consumers Digest Best Buy seal to products its staff judges to be of the best quality for the most reasonable price. However, because Consumers Digest reportedly receives money from many of the corporations it reviews, uncertainty has arisen regarding how merit-based such an award can be. The name "Best Buy" also has been used by rival Consumer Reports since the early 1970s, leading to questions about the seal's actual origins.

Some of the brands that employ the green and gold "Consumers Digest Best Buy" seal include Thermospas hot tubs, Bridgestone Tires, Brinks Home Security, Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems, and Mercury Automobiles.

External link

• Consumers Digest web site