Press Room
Contact Information
Jamie Lettis
Public Relations Director
(202) 454-3006
[email protected]
About Consumers' Checkbook/Center for the Study of Services
Consumers' Checkbook is published by the Center for the Study of Services, an independent nonprofit consumer organization founded in 1974. For 50 years we have been an innovator in providing information to help consumers make smarter choices.
Consumers' Checkbook's mission is to provide comprehensive information to help people save time, money, and avoid hassles. We also provide ratings on the quality and prices of local services in seven metro areas: Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, and Seattle-Puget Sound regions.
Unlike other ratings organizations, information shared by Checkbook is free of bias—we carry no advertising and accepts no referral fees from the companies and professionals we evaluate. Checkbook is supported entirely by subscription payments and donations from individual consumers who subscribe to its publications and website, and by fees for its survey and information services.
Checkbook has invented many consumer information products and systems and has won various awards, including the National Press Club's First Place Award for Excellence in Consumer Journalism, the Esther Peterson Consumer Service Award, the National Quality Forum's Consumers and Patients Quality Award, and the Robert Wood Johnson's Plan Choice Challenge. Visit HealthPlanRatings.org to read more about Checkbook's work developing health insurance plan comparison tools for state exchange websites.
Consumers' Checkbook's experts are available for interviews. Please contact Jamie Lettis, public relations director, to schedule. She can be reached at 202.454.3006 or [email protected].
Nonprofit, independent ratings of local service providers on quality & price since 1974. We accept no advertising.
Checkbook in the News
Medical bill errors: Consumer groups say it happens more than you think
May 05, 2025 | ABC Charlotte
What to know about warranties after Delaware woman's dishwasher dilemma
April 28, 2025 | CBS 3 Philadelphia
Consumerman Herb Weisbaum warns of ‘wild west’ marketplace as federal protections weaken
April 24, 2025 | KIRO News Seattle
Why prices for used vehicles are expected to increase in 2025
April 06, 2025 | KOMO News Seattle
From DIY to professional shop, here’s how to amplify your prized art with a frame
September 30, 2024 | The Philadelphia Inquirer
U.S. prescription drug prices nearly triple to those in other nations, study finds
September 28, 2024 | KOMO News Seattle
Save on travel: How to book two destinations for the price of one
September 25, 2024 | FOX Chicago
HVAC tips for cooler weather
September 23, 2024 | FOX Minneapolis
People are giving up pets due to costs: How to keep those expenses down
September 16, 2024 | Scripps News
Jesse Jones: Choose self-storage wisely
September 16, 2024 | KIRO-TV Seattle
CarShield to pay $10 million and reform practices after FTC's deceptive ads claim
September 14, 2024 | KOMO News Seattle
Four ways to protect your assets as data hacks increase
September 09, 2024 | CBS Norfolk
‘This is not a bill’: How to decipher explanations of benefits and pay for your medical care
September 09, 2024 | Minnesota Star Tribune
Traveling soon? Here's how to manage phone costs while abroad
September 09, 2024 | WJLA-TV
Buying glasses and contacts, bonus airline stopovers, more
September 09, 2024 | WGN-TV
A primer on housepainting
August 31, 2024 | Star Tribune
Drained gift cards, with no value, becoming epidemic
August 28, 2024 | ABC Cincinnati
Here are ways to save on tree work and get good results
August 26, 2024 | The Philadelphia Inquirer
Cost of convenience: Self-storage prices vary widely; expert offers ways to save money
August 20, 2024 | ABC7 Washington
Consumers push for clear risk disclosures on laser eye surgery
August 19, 2024 | FOX Seattle