Consumer ratings information can cover a large swath of the sellable goods genre of business. While some people choose to review consumer ratings before they make any purchase at all, others use it as a guideline but not the be all and end all of the decision making process.
Who Does the Rating?
One of the more well-known consumer rating companies in the United States is Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports bills themselves as a non-partisan third party reviewer of various consumer products. JD Power is a consumer rating organization that deals specifically with transportation and telecom services.
Purpose of the Consumer Rating
Consumer Reports states their mission is to make sure that the marketplace is fair and just for all consumers. By rating various products shortly after or even before they have hit the market, the organization can better prepare consumers for what is to come.
What Type of Products Are Rated?
Consumer Reports is a wide-ranging organization that confers ratings onto almost any consumer product you could think of. Their ratings spread from baby clothes to different brands of cars and trucks. JD Power deals almost exclusively with cars and trucks, though they have some experience in the financial and Internet worlds as well.
