Which Consumer Website

[-SharonA-]

Is anyone a member of this website??

Do you recommend it??

Are there are similar websites, maybe free to use??

Thanks.

[Bazile]

I'm not a member , but i've found their advice to be invaluable .

In fact before i make a purchase , i always look to see what they reccomend .

[gingejbee]

If you are referring to Which? ....then, yes. I subscribe and am therefore a member of the Consumers' Association. I receive the monthly Which? magazine and have full access to all parts of the Which? website with all those invaluable Which? test results....and I get legal and consumer advice over the phone.
I never make purchases (from baked beans to cars) without consulting Which? first....there is nothing else like it, free or paid-for.

[Pigletion]

You can get a trial for 1 month for £1. If you choose to sign up, set a calendar alert at that time for a few days before the month is up and then you can cancel, if you wish (via email or Which? web site), without it turning into a full membership.

[theprof]

Which? is brilliant. I access it via my university for free but it's well worth the subscription if you can afford it and has saved me a fortune over the years - it's helped me avoid buying rubbish home technology as well as kitchen appliances etc.

There are no true UK equivalents but I know that some price comparison websites such as Pricerunner have reviews that are said to be pretty reliable.

[EDDIE51]

All public libraries have a subscription to Which. So if you use your library computer you can use the website for free! There are a lot more web sites such as the legal information one 'The Law Pages' which are available free at public libraries. People would be surprised at how much there is available free of charge at a library , it is a lot more than just books now!

[-SharonA-]

Thanks all.
Eddie did not know about the library, as I am member of my local one and will check this out.
I wanted to do some checks on a new cooker, a range one.

[jno]

I once bought a car on the basis that it was a Which? Best Buy. It was a nightmare, broke down in every conceivable way about once a month (new alternator, loose wire giving me electric shocks, glovebox falling out, battery giving up in the middle of a blizzard, another new alternator... just everything). I had to scrap it after a couple of years because I was becoming scared to get into it. So I still get Which? but I don't expect miracles of it.

[gingejbee]

...and I started buying a make of car because of a Which? report and am now on my fifth consecutive car by the same maker!

[EDDIE51]

Yes, I regularly used my library to look at 'Which' reports. On pension now so we buy very little other than the essentials.

[-SharonA-]

Too right Eddie!! I am trying to eke out my pension.

[jno]

lucky lucky ginge...

[EDDIE51]

^^ The staff are all very good on computers and web search etc , if you are new to computers, unsure or just want to learn, the local library is the place to go for free hands on advice.

[Maydup]

We can log on to our library account at home and download ebooks and reference manuals etc. Not that we do it often, thanks for the reminder - something to browse over the weekend.

[EDDIE51]

^ My local library has 'story time' for children. The staff read stories for the kids. It is so popular sometimes it's hard to get a place. The kids are all surprisingly well behaved. Nothing is quite like being read to by a knowledgeable eloquent reader who really loves books.

[vulcan42]

The problem with which is they do not test all available products so when they say xxx is the best buy all it means is xxx is the best of those tested. It's quite possible that the best item was never tested by them.

[gingejbee]

vulcan...well, yes...but it would be impossible to test every available product, considering they buy everything they test. They do, however, include widely/easily available products from a range of manufacturers which is important for most people. I don't see that as "a problem with Which?".

[Gromit]

My parents used to get Which? and I have seen some very poor advice in it. But on the whole, it is good advice.