- Report: #319913
Complaint Review: Consumers Digest - Owner Randy Weber
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| Consumers Digest - Owner Randy Weber 520 Lake Cook Road
Deerfield, Illinois U.S.A. |
|
Consumers Digest - Owner Randy Weber Consumers Digest phony award scam Best But Deerfield Illinois
*UPDATE Employee: CD
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Hello,
As a former employee, I would like everyone to know about the "scamagazine" out there called Consumers Digest.
This magazine attempts to ride on the legitamite publication, Consumer Reports, coattails. A lot of people mistake the two due to the similar name. Quite a shame, since CD is nothing but a scam for businesses and consumers alike.
Here's how the scam works: The "publisher," a Randy Weber, and the "editor," one Richard Dzierwa, continually read and watch the mainstream media to see what products are "hot"--and which products are getting a good reputation for quality (for instance, the Dyson brand of vacuum cleaners). They then have an in-house or freelance writer write a scam "comparison" of products, say vacuum cleaners, in which Dyson wins the "comparison." They try to pick their winners by two main goals:
1) Is the company big enough, or far enough away, to not check our "scamagazine's" (non-existant) credentials?
2) Is the company large enough to have advertising capitalization?
If the answer to both is "yes" then CD just found the winner of their comparison!!! The "winner" is not based on tests, real-world performance, or anything non-phony.
On to the next step: the "winner"company is notified by mail that they have won the prestigious Consumers Digest "Best Buy" award, only awarded to a select few companies...EVER!! The "scamagazine" then negotiates with the company about using the CD "Best Buy" logo (which, the "winning company" still doesn't know, is actually a bogus award and is worth NOTHING). Randy Weber, the prestigious PUBLISHER of the mag then steps in and tries to inject an air of importance to the victim company's ad department--telling them that for, say, $65,000 per month, they can use the "much-honored" Best Buy logo on television! Print use prices are slightly less.
Consumers Digest has NO "subscribers," NO "circulation," and is made up of three key employees...Randy Weber, his sister Lori (the "Art Director") and Mr. Dzierwa, the golden-tounged "Editor." CD does, for legal reasons, have a press run of 20-30,000 "issues"--most of which are thrown away but a few are distributed to the Chicago public through Barnes and Noble.
This magazine is a scam for the readers (because the "reviews" are all totally phony) and an even BIGGER scam for the companies that win "awards" from the mag. R. Weber and family have been successfully running this scam for over 20 years now. Watch TV closely; many "large brand" manufacturers have been scammed by CD and put the fact that they won a "Best Buy" award. Suzuki, Dyson, TempurPedic--they are all victims of this scam. They know better now. Caveat Emptor, people!
The good doc
Deerfiled, Illinois
U.S.A.
As a former employee, I would like everyone to know about the "scamagazine" out there called Consumers Digest.
This magazine attempts to ride on the legitamite publication, Consumer Reports, coattails. A lot of people mistake the two due to the similar name. Quite a shame, since CD is nothing but a scam for businesses and consumers alike.
Here's how the scam works: The "publisher," a Randy Weber, and the "editor," one Richard Dzierwa, continually read and watch the mainstream media to see what products are "hot"--and which products are getting a good reputation for quality (for instance, the Dyson brand of vacuum cleaners). They then have an in-house or freelance writer write a scam "comparison" of products, say vacuum cleaners, in which Dyson wins the "comparison." They try to pick their winners by two main goals:
1) Is the company big enough, or far enough away, to not check our "scamagazine's" (non-existant) credentials?
2) Is the company large enough to have advertising capitalization?
If the answer to both is "yes" then CD just found the winner of their comparison!!! The "winner" is not based on tests, real-world performance, or anything non-phony.
On to the next step: the "winner"company is notified by mail that they have won the prestigious Consumers Digest "Best Buy" award, only awarded to a select few companies...EVER!! The "scamagazine" then negotiates with the company about using the CD "Best Buy" logo (which, the "winning company" still doesn't know, is actually a bogus award and is worth NOTHING). Randy Weber, the prestigious PUBLISHER of the mag then steps in and tries to inject an air of importance to the victim company's ad department--telling them that for, say, $65,000 per month, they can use the "much-honored" Best Buy logo on television! Print use prices are slightly less.
Consumers Digest has NO "subscribers," NO "circulation," and is made up of three key employees...Randy Weber, his sister Lori (the "Art Director") and Mr. Dzierwa, the golden-tounged "Editor." CD does, for legal reasons, have a press run of 20-30,000 "issues"--most of which are thrown away but a few are distributed to the Chicago public through Barnes and Noble.
This magazine is a scam for the readers (because the "reviews" are all totally phony) and an even BIGGER scam for the companies that win "awards" from the mag. R. Weber and family have been successfully running this scam for over 20 years now. Watch TV closely; many "large brand" manufacturers have been scammed by CD and put the fact that they won a "Best Buy" award. Suzuki, Dyson, TempurPedic--they are all victims of this scam. They know better now. Caveat Emptor, people!
The good doc
Deerfiled, Illinois
U.S.A.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 03/21/2008 09:25 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Consumers-Digest-Owner-Randy-Weber/Deerfield-Illinois-60015/Consumers-Digest-Owner-Randy-Weber-Consumers-Digest-phony-award-scam-Best-But-Deerfield-319913. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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Search Tips#1 UPDATE Employee
CD
AUTHOR: Ann - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, January 12, 2013
Hi,
I'm not sure where this guy/gal is getting his/her information, but your entire allegation here is B.S. I am an employee of CD and I put in 14 hour days at the office and on weekends pouring over spec sheets from the manufacturers to determine who is chosen for our Best Buys.
In the time I've been there, I have not seen any indication that there is an "agenda" with certain companies that are in the running for Best Buy consideration. Typically they follow the previous Best Buy and then see if that Best Buy matches up or cannot be exceeded by other recent products on the market. I only wish it was that easy as you said in your review.
The editor is "golden-tongued" but he is NOT partial to any one appliance or company. If you had actually worked there, you would know what the process is for Best Buys. My belief, DEAR DOCTOR, is that you are NOT and have never BEEN an employee of CD.
-Anne
I'm not sure where this guy/gal is getting his/her information, but your entire allegation here is B.S. I am an employee of CD and I put in 14 hour days at the office and on weekends pouring over spec sheets from the manufacturers to determine who is chosen for our Best Buys.
In the time I've been there, I have not seen any indication that there is an "agenda" with certain companies that are in the running for Best Buy consideration. Typically they follow the previous Best Buy and then see if that Best Buy matches up or cannot be exceeded by other recent products on the market. I only wish it was that easy as you said in your review.
The editor is "golden-tongued" but he is NOT partial to any one appliance or company. If you had actually worked there, you would know what the process is for Best Buys. My belief, DEAR DOCTOR, is that you are NOT and have never BEEN an employee of CD.
-Anne
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