Anyone ever got a Which Magazine Subscription to seek advice when buying a number of items for a new home?
I'd have thought that you'd only need it for a month.
Just ask in here. Far more fun.
Seems pointless since the internet came along last week.
We did, for exactly that purpose. Actually quite good.
We did, for exactly that purpose. Actually quite good
Thanks, maybe worth it for a couple of months. I just don't have the confidence in Amazon et al reviews anymore.
I guess if you have no friends, family, work colleagues, experience, judgement and don't believe anyone on here, then yeah, definitely worth it 🙂
ok, I'll chance it 🙂 What washing machine?
Unless you get a Miele WER865WPS at a very minimum I would be supprised if you could show your face around here again.
I'd probably get a white one.
I guess if you have no friends, family, work colleagues, experience, judgement and don’t believe anyone on here, then yeah, definitely worth it
We're not all as well connected as you.
Unless you get a Miele WER865WPS at a very minimum I would be supprised if you could show your face around here again.
...so passé.
This is the new STW standard in washing machines
https://www.johnlewis.com/lg-signature-lsf-lst100-freestanding-washing-machine-14kg-load-1600rpm-spin-a-energy-rating-white/p4769594
^^ Holy ****, honestly didn't know you could spend near 3k on a washing machine.😐
I tried which magazine a few months ago, it's a bit crap to be honest, they have only reviewed a small cross section of the range of anything available, and for what I wanted (hot air fryers) the reviews were minimal and lacked useful information.
iirc it was only a pound or 2 for the first month and I stopped it before anything else became due, so not much to lose giving it a try.
I subscribed for a month when moving house. Cost £1.
Was worth it and used the reviews to purchase all larger items.
^^ Holy ****, honestly didn’t know you could spend near 3k on a washing machine
Although it seems £2k cheaper on Amazon?
I used Which? to decide on a dishwasher and then coincidentally bought the actual item used in their test from a reseller on eBay.
It's a good trustworthy thorough source for reviews, but sometimes the top scored items are old or obscure models which are hard to find or out of stock.
^^ Holy ****, honestly didn’t know you could spend near 3k on a washing machine
and it's not even German!
i subscribed in 2016 after the house flooded and so lots of stuff needed replacing. it was quite useful for hobs, ovens, fridges, kettles, TVs etc. I unsubscribe when finished, but then renewed when my Mum started complaining that I wasn't bringing round the Which mags anymore.
It’s a good trustworthy thorough source for reviews, but sometimes the top scored items are old or obscure models which are hard to find or out of stock.
I think this is the problem, stuff changes so fast now esp consumer electronics.
We’re not all as well connected as you.
That's very sad. I thought friends, family & work colleagues were pretty common... Not to mention the other things 😆
I think this is the problem, stuff changes so fast now esp consumer electronics.
See also long term tests like 'Through the grinder". By the time it appears the product is out of stock or replaced. Hence the mag dropping it.
My own personal opinion...
I don’t have full faith in their independence. A while ago, all the Best Buy TVs were LG, which just didn’t seem right. Likewise, anything made by Dyson gets top marks, despite the horrendous prices.
The Dyson one is a particular concern because in their own brand reliability survey, Dyson came near the bottom, something they seemed to gloss over very quickly. Just don’t understand how they rate expensive machines so highly when they are, by they their own standards, the least reliable. Something’s not right.
Likewise, they do some absurd ‘research’ on airlines and come to the conclusion that an airline no one flies on is the ‘best’ because it never has any delays. Aurigny anyone? (outside the Channel Islands). They always berate RyanAir, which objectively has some of the best punctuality in the industry, and flew millions of people a month.
Their research is basically just asking disgruntled subscribers (who self selectingly fit into a certain demographic) to write to them. Hardly objective science.
Just seems to me that they pick the science when it suits and ignore when it doesn’t. Or worse.
Anyway, JIMHO.
Likewise, they do some absurd ‘research’
and they review stuff they clearly don't have a clue about - like bikes. And eBikes - the best one is the one that goes furthest!
I worked for Which (Consumers' Association) for a summer.
1986: Handling and sorting the application forms for free membership that were printed in the Radio Times. Then got put onto the production line bagging the free issue and free prize gifts that everyone received - working as a pair for just under the time required to allow us a lunch break.
Their reviews were worthless even then, and I really can't believe they are still going.
I actually still subscribe, mostly as I never got around to cancelling and some family members use my login for it occasionally to. As has been said, it's only really useful for white goods and a few other things like TVs but yes the selection they review is pretty narrow. That said I still find it more useful/trustworthy than just googling stuff like "best tv 2020" and going through the various online review sites.
The odd article is interesting to but not enough to justify the cost.
Regarding bias - I don't think there is any although their reviews don't really factor in reliability (unless the item fails during their review period), which is fair enough. I also wouldn't really expect them to update reviews to say something is unreliable (and perhaps remove and award) just based on consumer survey results but they do publish the various survey results so you have the info to draw your own conclusions.
I own a Dyson and an LG TV (neither bought on the strength of Which? reviews) and both have been faultless so you can only really use customer satisfaction surveys as a rough guide, especially as you don't know how they've been treated by owners reporting issues.
Surely the thing to do is go to your local library (if you still have one!), then you can read the magazines gratis. And of course it helps keep the library open
Bit old school I know.
Started using it with a free month from somewhere, and got addicted.
Access to their more in depth, and, quite frankly, reliable reviews and consumer advice very is good.
I've repeatedly subscribed to which for a £1 when I've needed stuff.
The most recent was baby stuff.
While I know lots of people, I don`t know many who have more than one washing machine/ tumble dryer or whatever.
The problem with asking people is that people reccomend washing machines from 10 years ago that are still working brilliantly. The chance of buying that same machine is low. Even if the name is the same, it might not even be produced in the same country.
Also the people with the ten year old items might be the people who got lucky and got a great item, while the other 100000 washing machines have all long gone to the scrappy.
Which- better than Amazon reviews!
