Stiftung Warentest

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Stiftung Warentest is the leading consumer safety group in Germany. The Cabinet of Germany established it after years of discussion as a foundation by decree on September 16, 1964 (confirmed by the Bundestag on December 4).

Its tasks are the independent comparison of products and services, but also the education of consumers about economic, healthy, and environment-friendly behaviour.

The findings of the foundation are published in two special monthly magazines (test and FINANZtest), sometimes on TV, and have significant influence on German consumer behaviour. Good ratings by the foundation are commonly displayed in advertisements and on product packaging. Bad ratings regularly cause sales of the relevant products to drop and often the foundation to get sued, according to the foundation about ten times per year. As of 2006, none of these suits were successful.

Stiftung Warentest judges products by four criteria: Resource conversation, quality of product, minimal use of toxic materials and additional environmental criteria relating to the long-term performance, economy and durability of products.

During the first forty years, the foundation examined 73,000 products. It is based in Berlin, and has about 280 employees.

[edit] Prominent cases

In April 2004, a facial cream marketed by German actress Uschi Glas received a devastating rating, because the cream caused pimples and rash for people with sensitive skin, and the producer sued the foundation. In April 2005 the suit was turned down by the Landgericht Berlin court.
In January 2006, the foundation criticized the safety of several stadiums to be used in the 2006 World Cup. Ex-football-player Franz Beckenbauer said of the group, "(It) might know what it's talking about with face creams, olive oil and vacuum cleaners, so it should stick to them."