i think choice provides an excellent (much needed) service - unfortunately the quarterly sub is much too high for a pensioner to afford. however, i appreciate the $5 selected review option which, when buying an expensive item, is a cost well worth investing in…
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I pay $23.95 per QUARTER (for on-line access) - which is only ~ $8 per month. I don’t think that is excessive.
I, too, have been a member for longer than I can remember and Choice will be one of the last memberships I will rescind if I can no longer afford such. I have saved so much over the years buying appliances I can depend on to work reliably; I have become a strong advocate for consumer issues and happily see results (like free-range eggs) regularly to the benefit of ALL consumers.
I totally support the small costs (IMO) Choice may charge - it cannot be independent and objective … or so successful otherwise!
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As someone on a fixed and somewhat limited income, I find arguments that its only $xxx a year, or per month, do not take into consideration that our incomes are already somewhat overextended, as everyone’s is. As of the first of the year, those of us who rely on medication have to pay per script which in my case is between $50 and $100 per month, unti I hit the safety net. I have regular subscriptions to things I need, but Choice comes in as a luxury, and since I cannot afford to buy a lot of the things that are reviewed, I cannot justify it. Perhaps if I was younger with kids it might be different, but as a single person I will not be regularly replacing white-goods, I don’t drive, and with the use of a calculator and the internet I can generally work out if something is worth it or not.
It is a personal choice to subscribe or not, but its often the one regular payment too far that breaks the bank.
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I have been a Choice member for years and originally joined when I was buying something and wanted their honest reviews and just stayed. I do not read their articles every time I get them and mainly do so when it is something I am interested in. But I think the less than $2 per week is worth it for when I want to buy something and I can always look up previous articles and I want them to keep doing what they do. I want independent reviews! If you don’t want to pay there are plenty of product reviews online which you can decide whether you think they are honest or not. I have found many of the personal reviews are negative written by people who have experienced a problem and want to complain, the happy customer seldom posts a review.
And they don’t just do white goods. They give advice on financial planners, health insurance, travel insurance, home and contents insurance, phone plans, dishwashing liquids, washing machine powders and heaps of other things.
Nothing is free. I believe in paying for what you use and I am happy to do so. My husband and I are both around 70 and our private health insurance is $436 per month, but I keep paying it because I think it is important to have at our age. But we don’t drink or smoke. You need to get your priorities in order.
At the end of the day you choose whether you think Choice is worth $95.80 per year.
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It sounds like there might be a glitch as members shouldn’t have to pay for additional access to the reports. @BrendanMays perhaps you can comment on this. Apologies if you have already!
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Thanks for the heads up @elizarose. I believe @OBC, is a magazine-only subscriber and is referring to the cost of one-off online reports. If I’m mistaken, please let me know.
Thanks for the feedback so far everyone.
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So what do you think it cost choice to do all this testing and publishing the results.There’s no such thing as a free lunch so get over it and join up.
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Do you think Choice spent 100 grand on TV’s to test?
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@ozcatfish_agogo, it’s not cheap! We pay retail prices for items we test to ensure the highest standards of independence and trust.
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Like many of the commenters above, I have been a Choice subscriber for many years (magazine and on-line), not only for access to the reviews, the informative articles, tips and alerts but also to support the campaigns and advocacy that Choice undertakes on behalf of all consumers. I have learned so much over the years about protecting my consumer rights and avoiding pit-falls, it would have been worth it even without the reviews. But the reviews have also saved me heaps of time and money - I never make a large purchase or even a middle-sized one without checking the latest Choice data. Thanks Choice!
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What would the world be without independent groups like Choice? Capitalism inherently manipulates consumers so an independent party is very necessary for those that want honest advice. If you are happy to buy/ use a service without knowing the potential good/ bad things to look out for then just don’t look at Choice website. And good luck. (Yes, I am a longtime Choice subscriber and I have never bought something they recommend without appreciation of the advice they gave. Not to mention their advocacy for all consumers on numerous issues)
To all the Choice staffers, keep up the good work…we appreciate it.
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IMO Choice is worth every cent of the subscription - an independent voice in support of consumers, ie all of us!
My parents were subscribers to the printed version when I was young, and I used to read the articles then, even though I wasn’t buying them, and later I read a house mates copy, and now I happily pay the quarterly fee for the online articles.
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Choice is like anything in life the information gathered and appliances and other things tested all take time and money, the advice and results supplied to subscribers is paid for by them, that’s why it is not free.
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Some people seem to confuse subscription with membership. Perhaps Choice needs to make this clearer (?)
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I’m also not happy with Choice’s choices: I am a member and get the paper copy - but have great difficulty reconciling the reports in the magazine with the online ones. There are NO dates to say when an online report is / was / will be reported in the magazine. I don’t want to pay AGAIN! I’m already supporting Choice - so why can’t I look at the online reports when I’m considering a new major purchase?
‘Free content’ these days is generally never impartial; there’s usually a vested interest in there somewhere. I gave my husband a Choice subscription over 35 years ago as a wedding present to him and we’ve continued it ever since. We read every copy, even if we’re not considering a purchase at the time. The advocacy is one of the most important roles of the ACA. Without someone checking and continually lobbying for improvement to products and services, consumers are ‘on their own’. We see Choice as an extremely valuable information source: so that we both know our rights when something doesn’t perform as it should, where to go for a solution, how to frame a request to get a satisfactory response, and it appears with others, in cases of intractible suppliers, that the judicious mention of Choice being interested in the outcome has worked wonders. Not to mention we have used the Choice Shopper service at least ten times, saving us nearly $300 on the best price we could find on a SLR camera, plus good savings on dishwashers, dryers and electronic equipment. My husband’ s Choice subscription has been worth every cent and more. Well done Choice.
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I love free content but if i can’t get it for free then i decide whether i will pay or not,I don’t whinge about being asked to pay i simply look for alternatives
Do people complain because taxis,trains,telephone companies and other service providers
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I’m happy paying but find it hard to process all of the data supplied. Nevertheless, I will continue accessing Choice online and the magazine. I TRUST the information available. One thought: I often wonder; What is done with the purchased products after testing? Perhaps an annual online ‘auction’, for Members only and with a link to earlier relevant reports.
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Hi @tomaz1940, thanks for the feedback. In answer to your question, we have a workplace giving program where former test items are donated to the Womens & Girls Emergency Centre. After a period of time, some items are also sold back to staff and money is returned back to the organisation.
Some more info: https://www.choice.com.au/about-us/the-choice-story/social-impact
Well done, Choice.
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