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Where to Find Information About Companies

Consumers can buy from the first company they see based on the appeal of a given product or they can take time to research both the product and the company to make sure that they are making a good decision and not buying a lemon. Most people will take the time to research whether a car or house is worth the investment, but for most other purchases, they don’t take the time to dig up the facts. Part of this is because they simply don’t want to do the work. If something turns out to be of low quality they can just replace it. If it’s defective, they can return it. If it’s high quality and lasts a long time, then they consider themselves lucky.

By doing a little bit of company research in advance, however, they could ensure that every one of their purchases was worth the investment — even if that investment is only a few dollars. All they need to do is apply a few of the tactics used by corporate buyers and purchasers. Anyone in charge of buying products or hiring services for their company is going to do some research. They are going to be able to prove to their boss that using Marlabs for outsourcing or Staples for office supplies is the best value for company. Individual consumers need to make sure that they are getting the best value for their household.

A good place to start is with consumer rating organizations. These include local BBB offices, consumer evaluation magazines and websites that test products and review services. There are also government agencies at both the national and state level that evaluate products for consumer safety and others that list companies that have had complaints lodged against them.

Media coverage of a particular product or company will also provide valuable information. News reports may call attention to products that are truly ground breaking as well as those that are hazardous. For consumers who want to vote with their dollar, there are financial magazines, reports, and websites that publish data about the environmental, political, and even religious actions and associations for various companies.

With the internet there is a new source of information readily available: customer reviews . There are numerous websites that allow customers to post reviews of everything for hotels to restaurants to plumbers and lawyers. When reading these, consumers need to be aware that reviews can be faked. Companies can anonymously post glowing reviews of their products while their competitors may fill the review forums with equally false negative accusations. It’s usually best to weigh the total of all the reviews and discount those that seem over the top.

Reading through this data will give a consumer a good idea about the quality and integrity of a given company before they hand over their hard earned dollars.

 

photo courtesy of by JaseMan – Creative Commons License

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Tags: consumer ratings, customer reviews

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