About Us

The Consumerist empowers consumers by informing and entertaining them about the top consumer issues of the day. We are a leading online resource for consumer-driven advice about dealing with everything from non-existent customer service to onerous cell-phone contracts to ever-shrinking (and ever-more-expensive) grocery products. The Consumerist is published by Consumer Media LLC, a not-for-profit subsidiary of Consumers Union, and takes no outside advertising.

The Consumerist highlights the persistent, shameless gaffes of modern consumerism - and the latest scams, rip-offs, hot deals and freebies. We also encourage our readers to tell us about their everyday experiences with absurdities of consumer culture - and suggest ways for them to fight back. Time magazine described us as "…The blog where shoppers can bite back and sometimes even leave deep teeth marks … there's lot of stupid capitalism on display: the man who spent what seemed like a century on the phone trying to cancel an AOL account … warranty repairs that never seem to be covered by the warranty … health insurance coverage denied on a whim. The Consumerist is a place to bite back, or at least cheer the underdog baring his teeth."

The Consumerist is the 38th most popular blog in the world, as measured by Technorati, a site that tracks blogs and other social media.

About Consumer Media LLC

The Consumerist's parent company, Consumer Media LLC, is a subsidiary of Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, and ConsumerReports.org, and the nation's leading not-for-profit consumer advocacy organization. Since its founding in 1936, Consumers Union has fought for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To maintain independence and impartiality, CU accepts neither outside advertising nor free samples. It employs a staff of "mystery shoppers" who buy products in retail stores around the country, just as any other buyer would, and then ship them to the Consumers Union labs, where technical experts test some 3,000 products yearly.

To further advance its mission, CU employs a dedicated team of grassroots organizers, advocates and outreach specialists who work with the organization's more than 600,000 online activists to change legislation and the marketplace in favor of the consumer interest. Consumers Union is also the leading publisher of information to help consumers choose the right products, stay safe, and protect themselves against unfair business practices. In addition to The Consumerist and Consumer Reports, CU's publications include ConsumerReportsHealth.org, ConsumerReportsEnEspanol.org, ShopSmart magazine, Consumer Reports on Health and Consumer Reports Money Adviser. CU's publications have received many major awards, including multiple National Magazine Awards, several Webby Awards and numerous awards for public-interest and health-care reporting.