ConsumerAffairs

ConsumerAffairs is a dot-com company founded in 1998 by Jim Hood. It is an international company headquartered in Stateline, Nevada with offices in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Philippines and Argentina. It is not a government organization or a non-profit organization.[2] The company provides consumer news and a SaaS that allows brands to connect with consumers called ConsumerAffairs for Brands.[3] The current CEO is Zac Carman.

ConsumerAffairs
TypePrivate
IndustryConsumer protection
Industry self regulation
Founded1998 (1998)
FounderJim Hood
HeadquartersLake Tahoe, Nevada, U.S.
Key people
Zac Carman (CEO)[1]
Eric Jenkins (COO)
Number of employees
189 (2019)
Websitewww.consumeraffairs.com

History

The company was founded in 1998 by Jim Hood, an Associated Press executive, editor and reporter, as an easier way of collecting consumer opinions.[4]

In 2010, the company was purchased by Zac Carman as an "opportunity to turn customer complaints into an opportunity for brands."[5] They moved to Tulsa, OK in 2010.[6]

In 2015, the company had a $1.1 million renovation of the Petroleum Building in the Oil Capital Historic District. The renovation was to increase their employee base from 120 to 220.[6]

Criticism

In October 21, 2014, Truth in Advertising published "Who is ConsumerAffairs.com Really Advocating For?" In the article, Unbeatablesale.com complained to the Electronic Retailing Self-Regulation Program, a division of the Better Business Bureaus and National Advertising Review Council, that ConsumerAffairs "creates biased and negative portrayals of companies that don't pay for its service called ConsumerAffairs for Brands." The service collects reviews from customers and gives brands an opportunity to respond. The ERSP "determined that ConsumerAffairs did not adequately disclose its paid affiliation with company members on its website and recommended it do it in a more clear and conspicuous manner." After reviewing ERSP's recommendations, a banner disclosing paid affiliation or non-paying affiliation was added to the ConsumerAffairs website. Of the 115 paying companies, 80% had a 3.5 star or higher rating.[7]

See also

References
  1. Thompson, Tara Lynn (July 2012). "Tech savvy". Tulsa People. Retrieved 28 August 2014. "The emergence of a community focus on entrepreneurship and the emergence of a support ecosystem ... all work together to facilitate entrepreneurship," says Zac Carman, CEO of ConsumerAffairs, a consumer and advocacy website founded in 1998.
  2. "About us". Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  3. STANCAVAGE, JOHN. "John Stancavage: Consumer web publication growing downtown". Tulsa World. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  4. WALTON, ROD. "5 Questions: Zac Carman of ConsumerAffairs". Tulsa World. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  5. Newlands, Murray. "Authenticity Is Key For Online Reviews". Forbes. Archived from the original on October 31, 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2016.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. "New Tenant Renovates Part Of Tulsa's Petroleum Club Building". News on 6 Now. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  7. "Who is ConsumerAffairs.com really advocating for?". Truth in Advertising. November 14, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
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