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Name And Shame! Which?

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  • koru
    koru Posts: 1,537 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I have been a member of Which? for a long time, but I have always felt that these prize draws seemed inappropriate for an outfit like Which?

    I answer to the indignant post by KingofHerts, what is dodgy about these draws is that although you do have the option to just enter the draw without signing up for anything, they usually offer extra incentives if you sign for a free trial. Nothing wrong with that, if they just sent some free mags, then asked you if you wanted to pay to join. But instead they make you sign up in advance, under a direct debit, which you have to remember to cancel in 3 months if you don't like the trial.

    They are hoping that some people will forget to cancel.

    Nothing illegal about that, but it isn't quite in the spirit of Which? Plenty other people may do it, but these guys are a consumer watchdog, so they ought to be whiter than white.
    koru
  • I agree that the Which advertising is tacky and should be not be used by such an organisation. Have contacted Which in the past on this subject and was told that they needed to attract new members. I am sure the 'Reader's Digest' method must put off potential subscribers.
  • raeble
    raeble Posts: 911 Forumite
    They also seem to focus a lot on high-end products in their reviews. I remember reading something about the best washing machines and quite a few of those were over five hundred pounds. There was also a complaint that they hadn't reviewed gas cookers for years, apparently they were just looking into range cookers one of the staff said when I was subscribing to the website. That's all well and good but who can afford a range cooker or has the the space for one? I suppose I'm not in their target audience - they look after the consumer just the wealthier consumer.

    I don't know why people are so shocked about Which's marketing campaigns. I remember getting one of those competition mailing things from them about five years ago. I didn't sign up because you never win those things, and I wasn't that interested. Having subscribed to their website I wasn't that impressed with their surveys - most of them were old or irrelevant to me.
  • Dodgy marketing from Which! is nothing new. I seem to remember that they used to send out scratch cards (I'm going back about 10 years so I hope that my memory isn't playing tricks). I never trusted them and scratched of all the numbers. Sure enough, you would be hard pushed to lose, though you needed to void the entry to discover this.
  • Ted_Hutchinson
    Ted_Hutchinson Posts: 7,142 Forumite
    I too got the mail and there is no obligation to buy anything from which so why is this any different from any other organisation that uses direct mail as a way to promote its services (in this case an optional free trial to the which magazine).

    This is a shameful abuse of your position Martin and i would like to know on what foundations you are making this name and shame statement to 200,000 people.
    I haven't had this mailing but I've had stuff like this from Which in the past and like Martin I agree that it is in poor taste and is playing to the lowest common denominator of common greed to attract new business.

    It is right to deprecate this type of marketing.
    In my view the incentives to subscribe to Which should be presented in a way which reflects to nature of the service to which they will be subscribing. Which is about being sensible and considering your purchases in a rational manner. It isn't about the "Get rich quick" ethos or "reward without effort" ethos which the competition encourages.

    Which has got a lot to be proud of, but it's way of selling itself is shabby and tawdry and in my view counterproductive. It's about time they started treating their potential readers with a bit of intelligence rather than encouraging the worst aspects of Capitalism.
    My weight loss following Doktor Dahlqvist' Dietary Program
    Start 23rd Jan 2008 14st 9lbs Current 10st 12lbs
  • koru
    koru Posts: 1,537 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Having thought some more, there is an alternative view on this.

    In the very same newsletter, Martin points out that you can sign up for trial magazine subscriptions and then cancel when the trial ends. So, as active money-savers who WILL remember to cancel the Which? free trial, can't we see Which as a similar opportunity?: Get free magazines from Which? (and free access to all past mags on their website).

    In fact, I once exploited this myself. I was buying my first computer and had little clue. I was a subscriber to the main Which?, but not to Computer Which?. Along comes a free prize draw offer, so I sign up for a free trial to Computer Which? I then spend a day or two on their website looking at every article that might be helpful, and printing them off. Then cancel my trial. I got a load of good info for free.

    Nevertheless, it remains a tacky marketing approach.
    koru
  • MSE_Martin
    MSE_Martin Posts: 8,272 Money Saving Expert
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I too got the mail and there is no obligation to buy anything from which so why is this any different from any other organisation that uses direct mail as a way to promote its services (in this case an optional free trial to the which magazine).

    This is a shameful abuse of your position Martin and i would like to know on what foundations you are making this name and shame statement to 200,000 people.

    How is this shameful. I'm opening up discussion and giving people a chance to discuss something never normally discussed. Why shouldn't Which? be open to criticism. I believe in the Consumers Association but thing the rebranding as Which? is a problem bringing its commerical arm (ie magazine selling) too close to the campaigning arm.

    As for what right do i have to do this. I would suggest every right. This email is free 230,000 people have signed up for it. I write every word and don't shy from my opinions when talking about everything. People have a right to disagree, but i have a full right to send it out. If people don't like it - there's always the immediately available on every page 'stop receiving the email' button.

    And to be honest I think the posts above show I'm not alone.

    This isn't about "Is the Consumers Association good or bad?" but "Should the Consumers Association use this type of marketing" - my opinion is NO!
    Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert.
    Please note, answers don't constitute financial advice, it is based on generalised journalistic research. Always ensure any decision is made with regards to your own individual circumstance.
    Don't miss out on urgent MoneySaving, get my weekly e-mail at www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips.
    Debt-Free Wannabee Official Nerd Club: (Honorary) Members number 000
  • judderman
    judderman Posts: 166 Forumite
    Don't belive the hype!!
    Who checks the checker??
    Don't get Watchdog mixed with which??
  • Slightly out of context, I quote Martin, ""Is the Consumers Association good or bad?" and add, "Bad".

    Many years ago a friend tried to get me to sign up so I borrowed some issues of Which?. Two subjects I knew rather a lot about happened to be prominent - and they got both horrendously wrong. Subsequent experience has proven the point over and over again, basically, they are generalist journos on a mission and no detailed knowledge at all. But that never stopped a journo, did it?

    Then came the great white hope of New Labour. The CA's Sheila MacK joined forces with Ruth Kelly/FSA to obliterate the retail financial services industry.

    We now suffer from the lowest savings ratio in memory, pension provision and share purchase cut back. All told, a recipe for slump. The New Labourites thought they knew "business" but not having worked in the private sector, hadn't a clue. Like their Which? journo friends, NL is incompetent. Worse, the CA was/is far too closely allied (in private) to this government.

    No, Which? is BAD.

    As for the campaigning, why is anyone surprised? The CA is a past master at cheap trickery whilst pretending to be an authority with a whiter than white image. For years Which? exhorted all to buy those wonderful FS products, endowments but when markets went south (surprise, Gordo Brown & Sheila MacK were instigators) then they rubbished them, even though the outcomes in most cases have not been anywhere near as bad as they said. The CA, not content with rubbishing retail investment went further, it recommended that the public make claims on bases that were close to fraudulent. Ignorant of the facts, the CA plough on, as will Brown & Blair with nothing to stop them.

    We have the media and politicians we deserve.
  • Cooper8
    Cooper8 Posts: 5 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    I echo many of the views already expressed but I was aghast at how the "Readers Digest" marketing depths undermine the integrity of the CA, now rebranding as which?I have subscribed since they started and fear that the new managers take for granted and undervalue the unique integity that has taken decades to evolve. I returned the garish mail shot with an indignant note more in sadness than anger. They still provide a unique service and I will persevere.
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