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ConsumerReports.org Unveils New 'Consumer Reports Value Index(TM)'

Posted on: Monday, 8 December 2008, 12:46 CST

New Feature Helps Consumers Find Right Product at the Right Price for Best Value

YONKERS, N.Y., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To aid consumers in finding those products that offer good value, ConsumerReports.org unveiled a new feature - the Consumer Reports Value Index(TM). This free chart, launched in a Beta version, will help consumers find the right product at the right price in order to garner the best value. Each week throughout the holiday season, ConsumerReports.org will be providing a Value Index for another product in the Electronics category.

"At Consumer Reports, we've been telling consumers which products to buy for over 70 years, and part of that advice has always been based on whether a product represents a good value," said Giselle Benatar, Editor-in-Chief, Online Media. "In these tight economic times the 'Consumer Reports Value Index(TM)' can help consumers to get the best combination of performance and price."

The "Consumer Reports Value Index(TM)" is a snapshot in time of the relative value of products recently rated by Consumer Reports. The graph plots the overall score of each product from Consumer Reports' Ratings versus the median online price from PriceGrabber.com, Consumer Reports' shopping tool. Value zones are based on Consumer Reports' experience rating and evaluating products over the past 72 years and vary by product category.

"The Consumer Reports Value Index(TM)" connects directly to the product's model page where site subscribers can access Consumer Reports' expert review, a detailed breakdown of the model's overall test results, Reliability data, user reviews, and a link to compare online prices for that model.

The Consumer Reports Value Index(TM) currently covers two product categories: super-zoom digital cameras (http://blogs.consumerreports.org/money/2008/11/find-the-value.html), and LCD and plasma televisions (http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2008/12/hdtv-values-con.html). The chart displays the "value zones" for rated products: high, medium, and low value. Products on the upper right side of the chart offer better values than those further to the left and bottom.

About ConsumerReports.org

Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org are published by the Consumers Union, which accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, is an independent, nonprofit organization, and has no agenda other than interests of consumers. With more than 3.2 million active, paid subscribers, ConsumerReports.org is larger than any other publication-based Web site. All visitors have free access to helpful advice, safety alerts, recalls, and more. Subscribers gain access to Consumer Reports' unbiased product and service Ratings and Recommendations, selections from the latest issue of Consumer Reports, a searchable archive of past Ratings, Consumer Reports' exclusive product and car reliability reports, interactive decision guides, subscriber opinions, and expert discussions. There are two types of subscriptions to ConsumerReports.org: an annual subscription for $26 (current magazine subscribers join for $19), or a monthly for $4.95.

DECEMBER 2008

(C) Consumers Union 2008. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports(R) is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform, and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers Union accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. Consumers Union supports itself through the sale of our information products and services, individual contributions, and a few noncommercial grants.

SOURCE ConsumerReports.org

Source: PR Newswire

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