Consumer NZ - Latest News [Page 5]
Buyer Beware - Hybrid And Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles Fail To Meet Fuel Efficiency Claims
Wednesday, 8 March 2023, 6:32 am | Consumer NZ
A Consumer NZ trial has found ‘real life’ driving of hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) runs up larger-than-expected fuel bills. The trial found, when measured at the pump, PHEVs used on average 73% more fuel than the manufacturers’ ... More >>
Consumer NZ: TV Shop Customers Beware
Wednesday, 1 March 2023, 1:47 pm | Consumer NZ
Following a trial of two TV Shop products, Consumer NZ is urging potential customers to beware. The advertising may be convincing, with freebies on offer and glowing customer reviews, but the watchdog’s trial found the TV Shop products undeserving ... More >>
Consumer NZ Lodges Cook Strait Ferries Complaint With The Commerce Commission
Monday, 27 February 2023, 3:50 pm | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ has lodged a complaint with the Commerce Commission, alleging Interislander and Bluebridge are misleading passengers about their rights. The watchdog believes the Cook Strait ferry operators are failing to meet their obligations under the Consumer ... More >>
Consumer NZ: Our Cook Strait Ferry Operators Need To Up Their Game
Thursday, 23 February 2023, 2:39 pm | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ is calling out our Cook Strait ferry operators for their customer service failures. “Many people across the country continue to experience travel woes,” said Jon Duffy, Consumer NZ chief executive. “From delayed and cancelled flights ... More >>
Affected By Cyclone Gabrielle? Know Your Rights
Tuesday, 21 February 2023, 11:15 am | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ has produced advice for people impacted by the recent cyclone. “Like everyone else, we were shocked and saddened to see the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle,” said Rebecca Styles, Consumer NZ’s research team leader. “As people ... More >>
Consumer NZ: Watch Out For Second-rate Sunnies
Friday, 10 February 2023, 6:22 am | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ is urging New Zealanders to shop carefully for sunglasses after its testing revealed top price doesn’t always mean top-level protection. Sunglasses are not regulated in New Zealand, so the watchdog tested sunnies against the Australian ... More >>
Consumer NZ: Affected By Flooding? Know Your Rights
Tuesday, 31 January 2023, 6:50 am | Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ has produced concrete advice for people impacted by the recent and ongoing weather events. “The effects of the devastating flooding will be varied and wide-reaching,” said Jon Duffy, Consumer NZ’s chief executive. “We want to help people understand ... More >>
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 >>