Pinged $65 for overstaying 10 minutes in a parking block? Put away your hard-earned cash and read this first. Hopefully, by now, I’ve already established myself at The Spinoff as the resident tightarse, determined to avoid all unfair and unnecessary punishments (see: oversize baggage charges). Today, I’m focusing my attention on a similarly evil institution … Read more
Sales and discounts hook people in, but do they really live up to the hype? A recent survey found some supermarket products were on promotion so often that shoppers risked being misled about the savings they were really getting. Consumer NZ’s Belinda Castles explains what they found and why it’s time to put supermarkets under … Read more
What was once a distinctly US pastime has evolved into a worldwide phenomenon worth millions of dollars. But as consumers, how do we know we’re not just falling for the hype? Here’s what to keep in mind ahead of November 29. One of my earliest memories of Black Friday comes from watching the six o’clock … Read more
What effect will the government’s changes to the electricity market have on consumers? Here’s what you need to know. What’s happening? The government has just announced a series of changes designed to protect consumers in the electricity market. The changes are in response to recommendations made by the Electricity Price Review (aka a panel set … Read more
As two trusted groups go into battle on SPF ratings, microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles explains what the numbers mean, and how they’re measured The Cancer Society and Consumer NZ recently got in to a bit of a fight after Consumer NZ tested the SPF of a whole bunch of sunscreens and found that the Cancer Society’s … Read more
The Consumers’ Right to Know (Country of Origin of Food) Bill passed in parliament last night, with support from all parties apart from Act. Here’s what it means for your supermarket shop. Sorry, I’ve missed all this, what are you on about? Back in 2016, then-Green MP Steffan Browning introduced a member’s bill that proposed mandatory country-of-origin … Read more
Recalls typically result in fewer than half of affected products being returned, leaving plenty of dud toasters and dodgy kettles still in circulation. Consumer NZ’s Jessica Wilson proposes a couple ways we can change that. Already this year, close to 80 household products have been recalled because of the safety risk they present to consumers. … Read more
In part two of The Spinoff’s great recall list, we look at various items targeted towards parents and children, such as toys, strollers, cots, carriers, rattles, bottles, and kids pyjamas. Below is a selection of recalled items we think are most relevant to consumers (part one looked at a selection of common household items). Of … Read more
From kettles and candles to laptops and lamps, hundreds of common household items have been recalled over the last few years. But chances are, you never even knew about it. In part one of The Spinoff’s great recall list, we look at various items in the heating, small appliance, electronics and homeware categories. Earlier this … Read more
With up to 80% of faulty indoor electric heaters potentially still in use, is the recall system in need of a major shake-up? UPDATE: As of June 2019, two more heaters have been recalled. An open flue space heater and an open flued gas log fireplace, both for producing potentially high levels of carbon monoxide. … Read more
Measure twice, cut once. New Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi is on a mission to make our laws fit for purpose. Unfair clamping fine from a private carpark: $760. Phone call from a debt collector: $30. Interest on a short-term loan: 400%. These are the sort of consumer outrages in the sights of Commerce and … Read more
Consumer NZ’s new survey of renters found that many are dissatisfied with the level of service they get from their property manager. The organisation’s Jessica Wilson says it’s clear the government needs to act. It’s no secret many renters are doing it tough. But our recent survey of the market found there’s a much higher … Read more
Welcome to the Cheat Sheet, a clickable, shareable, bite-sized FAQ on the news of the moment. Today, it’s all about the government’s compulsory recall of Takata airbags. This article was published in April 2018 Remind me, what’s being recalled again? Airbags. More specifically, airbags manufactured by the Japanese company Takata. A fault was discovered in … Read more
Now in its second year, the annual Bad Taste Food Awards run by Consumer NZ looks past the marketing hoopla to show some foods aren’t quite as harmless as they seem. Jihee Junn looks at this year’s (un)lucky winners. ‘Fat-free’ or ‘sugar-free’? ‘High in protein’ or ‘low in sodium’? Which is better? Which is worse? … Read more