That observation is made from time to time and Choice staff have addressed it in the Community.
Firstly, Choice ‘publishes’ what is currently being tested.
What gets in the tests and tables is affected by one or more of
- if Choice knows a product is end of life and being replaced it might not be tested
- known discontinued products are usually omitted
- manufacturers sometimes discontinue products while Choice is testing them
- market share coupled with Choice budgets
- Choice tests are 100% objective lab results; brand reliability and service are sampled from Choice member surveys. Any given product could be an outlier. Anecdotal reports such as those on productreview and other sites (even the Community!) are subjective not objective and thus not used. Sometimes after the fact Choice will review and rescind its recommendation based on documented experience/issues.
- Choice does have the ability for members to post comments on tested products but they do seem haphazard - Choice is aware and bringing them up to snuff is in their to do backlog
A bottom line is the Choice tests are a place to start, not an end all assessment suitable for everyone. That is one reason the weights and methodology are presented so each reader can adjust for their own preferences and value system.
@airedale is always attentive and has responded to comments similar to yours (somewhere in the Community - I apologise I am unable to find more than one) so he might reply here.
I hope his response regarding laundry detergents ‘coming and going’ from reviews is helpful to understand some of it?
