Founded in 1959 and published by Consumers Digest Communications, LLC, ''Consumers Digest'' was an American

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

. It was based in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

. The last issue was published in February 2019. The magazine had no subscribers and did not test the products they select as 'Best Buys'. Instead, companies paid ''Consumers Digest'' for the right to promote their products as 'Best Buys'. They relied on consumer confusion of their name with the well-known ''

Consumer Reports Consumer Reports (CR), formerly Consumers Union (CU), is an American nonprofit consumer organization dedicated to independent product testing, investigative journalism, consumer-oriented research, public education, and consumer advocacy. Found ...

'' magazine, published by the nonprofit organization

Consumers Union A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. ...

. Consumers Digest Communications is a privately owned, for-profit business entity.

History

The magazine was sold at newsstands only and did not reveal its sales figures. In 2001, when it ceased subscription distribution, it listed 700,000 subscribers (the list was sold to

Time, Inc. Time Inc. was an American worldwide mass media corporation founded on November 28, 1922, by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden and based in New York City. It owned and published over 100 magazine brands, including its namesake ''Time'', ''Sports Illu ...

). The publication has no connection with the ''Consumer Reports'' magazine or with ''Consumers Digest Weekly''. It was possible to subscribe to the on-line edition of ''Consumers Digest''.

Controversy

''Consumers Digest'' had a history of not paying its contributors. In an October 30, 2017, article published by ''Talking Biz News'' (TBN), it was reported that at least three journalists were suing the company run by publisher Randy Weber for nonpayment. Two other journalists also shared their attempts to collect on what was owed them. As of February 2019, following multiple, additional lawsuits from 2018, it appeared the company had closed down, as the website no longer was active and the company phone number was disconnected.

References

{{Reflist

External links

''Consumers Digest'' website
Consumer magazines Defunct magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1959 Magazines disestablished in 2019 Magazines published in Chicago