Consumer Reports was founded in 1936 to give consumers independent information about goods and services at a time when reliable comparative product information was scarce. The organization began under the Consumers Union name and today operates as Consumer Reports, an independent nonprofit member organization with a mission focused on truth, transparency, fairness and consumer protection in the marketplace. Its work extends beyond product ratings. CR buys products for testing, conducts laboratory and expert evaluations, surveys consumers, reports on marketplace problems and advocates on issues including safety, digital rights, financial fairness and sustainability.
Its nonprofit status and funding model are central to the brand's identity. Consumer Reports says it accepts no outside advertising, and its policies emphasize independence from commercial interests; revenue comes from memberships and publications as well as noncommercial contributions, grants and related mission activities. That model should not be confused with affiliate-ranking sites or user-review marketplaces. Consumer Reports' ratings are editorial and research products produced under its own methodology, not an aggregation of public star ratings. Membership is also distinct from the public-interest reporting available without a subscription.
Some ratings, comparisons and archive material require an active digital or print membership, while other news, safety and advocacy content may be freely accessible. Product-testing results can age as models change, so a historical CR rating should be tied to the tested product and publication period rather than generalized to a current model with a similar name. Consumer Reports also restricts commercial use of its ratings and name in advertising, meaning a manufacturer quoting CR should not be assumed to have CR's endorsement beyond the context permitted by CR's policies.
For member-account, billing, subscription and delivery issues, the official Member Support page provides chat, writing and telephone support. The current support number is +1 800-333-0663, and CR lists its Member Support mailing address at 101 Truman Avenue, Yonkers, New York 10703. Privacy, media and advocacy contacts have separate purposes and should not be presented as membership support. Users should enter account credentials only through consumerreports.org and be cautious of third parties claiming to sell special access or represent CR. The durable Profile facts are the 1936 founding, independent nonprofit member-organization status, Yonkers base, testing/research/advocacy mission and consumerreports.org domain. Subscriber totals, tested-product counts, current executives and annual campaign priorities are time-sensitive and should be refreshed when needed rather than embedded as permanent company facts.
