Consumer NZ - Latest News [Page 4]
Kmart Saucepan: Top Of The Pots
Wednesday, 25 January 2023, 7:17 pm | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ testing has found, yet again, that splurging on a top-priced product does not guarantee better results than opting for a savvy budget buy. The not-for-profit recently tested 13 saucepans and the results were astonishing. The two top-scoring ... More >>
Consumer NZ: So-called Supermarket ‘Specials’ Uncovered
Thursday, 19 January 2023, 6:18 am | Consumer NZ
Shoppers from around the country have been sending Consumer NZ examples of dodgy or confusing supermarket specials, in response to its campaign which puts the spotlight on supermarket pricing and promotion strategies. Among the examples shared was a ... More >>
Customers In HelloFresh Hell
Tuesday, 17 January 2023, 6:29 am | Consumer NZ
HelloFresh customers are fed-up with being charged for meal kit boxes they opted to skip. This issue first cropped up more than three years ago. “This is an ongoing issue for some HelloFresh customers,” said Caitlin Cherry, Consumer NZ Head of ... More >>
Use – Don’t Lose – Your Gift Card Credit
Thursday, 5 January 2023, 7:11 am | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ is urging New Zealanders to check the expiry dates on any gift cards they have received over the holiday season, so they don’t miss out on redeeming them. According to Consumer research, 24% of gift card holders end up stuck with ... More >>
How To Save At Least $1200 In 2023
Thursday, 29 December 2022, 6:19 am | Consumer NZ
The cost of living ramped up in 2022 and hit everyone’s pockets hard. Consumer NZ is sharing top tips to help New Zealanders save more of their hard-earned dollars in 2023. Being power savvy pays “The simplest way to save big bucks is to check ... More >>
Boxing Day Tips For Bargain Hunters
Monday, 26 December 2022, 6:58 am | Consumer NZ
Ahead of the mad rush to bag a good deal in this year’s Boxing Day sales, Consumer NZ is sharing top tips to help savvy shoppers exercise their consumer rights. Shop carefully The Consumer Guarantees Act provides great consumer protection, but it ... More >>
Sunbed Operators Continue To Put High-risk Customers In Danger
Tuesday, 20 December 2022, 6:16 am | Consumer NZ
A mystery shop by Consumer NZ found some sunbed operators are putting fair-skinned customers at risk by letting them use sunbeds. The watchdog has serious concerns after seven operators it visited failed to comply with Ministry of Health advice ... More >>
Consumer NZ Investigates: Which Mince Pies Slay This Christmas?
Friday, 16 December 2022, 7:18 pm | Consumer NZ
Mince pies are a perennial festive favourite. A team of eager tasters at Consumer NZ blind-sampled seven Christmas mince tarts in a quest to find New Zealand’s finest. Supermarket own brand, Pams, took out the two top spots. “Pams Finest Butter Crust ... More >>
Half Of New Zealanders Are Saving Less Than 5% Of Their Income
Thursday, 15 December 2022, 6:46 pm | Consumer NZ
New findings from Consumer NZ’s Sentiment Tracker show that more than half of New Zealanders (55%) are saving less than 5% of their income. With annual inflation hitting 7.2% and wages failing to keep up, many households are struggling to tuck ... More >>
House And Contents Insurance Costs Are A Growing Concern
Tuesday, 13 December 2022, 6:58 am | Consumer NZ
The rising cost of house insurance is concerning many New Zealanders. A recent survey by Consumer NZ found half of respondents were worried about the cost of insuring their homes. Alarmingly, 7% of people without house insurance either cancelled or ... More >>
Why Are We Waiting? Consumer NZ Investigates More Call Wait Times
Friday, 2 December 2022, 6:05 am | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ has investigated which New Zealand government agencies keep their customers waiting the longest for support via their contact centres. Some departments, such as Inland Revenue, picked up the phone in less than two minutes. At the other end ... More >>
Slip, Slop – Slapped On The Wrist
Wednesday, 30 November 2022, 11:30 am | Consumer NZ
Sunscreen company receives hefty fine after Consumer NZ complaint Australian skincare company Ego Pharmaceuticals has received a hefty fine of $280,000 for making unsubstantiated claims about the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of two of its sunscreens. “It’s ... More >>
Device Repairability Is Expensive Or Non-existent – Consumer NZ Has The Solution
Tuesday, 29 November 2022, 1:39 pm | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ is calling out the high cost of repairing tech and the lack of spare parts available in New Zealand. During a mystery shop at big-box retailers, salespeople were asked about repair options for smartphones and laptops. The mystery shoppers ... More >>
Is Your Local Supermarket Scanning Your Face As Well As Your Food?
Thursday, 24 November 2022, 6:41 am | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ has discovered that Foodstuffs North Island (incorporating Pak’nSave, New World and Four Square) is the only major retailer in New Zealand currently using facial recognition technology to scan shoppers’ faces. Foodstuffs North Island ... More >>
Information About Repairability And Reliability Lacking At Big-box Retailers
Friday, 18 November 2022, 6:37 am | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ conducted a mystery shop and found a lack of information about the repairability and reliability of smartphones and laptops at big-box retailers. The mystery shoppers hit four retailers – Harvey Norman, Noel Leeming, PB Tech and Warehouse Stationery ... More >>
Beware Of Black Friday ‘Bargains'
Wednesday, 16 November 2022, 7:05 am | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ is warning bargain hunters to beware of Black Friday sales. It’s the time of year when retailers work extra hard to entice consumers to part with their hard-earned dollars. The watchdog is sharing top tips to help savvy shoppers prepare ... More >>
Some Electricity Retailers Need To Sharpen Their Pencils When It Comes To Price
Thursday, 3 November 2022, 6:15 am | Consumer NZ
Consumers are facing rising power costs at a time when some electricity retailers are enjoying ever-increasing profits. Consumer NZ is warning New Zealanders that more price rises are on the way. From November, customers of Genesis and Contact ... More >>
'Please Hold, Caller' – Consumer NZ Investigates Call Wait Times
Monday, 31 October 2022, 6:47 am | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ has taken one for the team and investigated which major New Zealand companies keep their customers waiting the longest for support via their contact centres. Wait times varied from a short and sweet 15 seconds to heading on for an ... More >>
Add-on Car Insurance Products Offer Meagre Benefits To Consumers
Tuesday, 25 October 2022, 6:08 am | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ is warning people to watch out for the hard sell of add-on insurances when buying a car. Between 2018 and 2020, New Zealanders paid out about $442 million in premiums for add-on insurance at car yards. Only $128 million was paid out in ... More >>
Consumer NZ: Smaller Providers Delivering Higher Levels Of Mobile And Internet Customer Satisfaction
Monday, 17 October 2022, 5:37 am | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ has found the smaller mobile and internet providers are doing a better job of keeping their customers satisfied. The watchdog recently surveyed almost 2000 New Zealanders to ask about their mobile and internet reliability, connection speed, ... More >>