Consumer NZ
41 posts | 7 images
Consumer Online, connecting you to the Consumers' Institute of New Zealand. The source you can trust for independent and reliable information on a wide range of consumer topics. Including appliances, product testing, legal rights, banking, investments, insurance and other financial services, gardening, health, product safety, cars etc
Consumer NZ says card payment surcharges should now be down to about 1%, and research shows support for a surcharge ban is surging.
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Consumer NZ's sunscreen expert says persistent sunscreen myths and some sunscreen marketing are putting New Zealanders' health at risk.
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With 2025 marking the first Christmas when supermarkets must show unit pricing in-store and on their websites, Consumer NZ is urging shoppers to pause and check out the unit prices when they're doing their big festive shop.
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Gemma Rasmussen, head of research and advocacy at Consumer NZ is disappointed, but not surprised, by the dud 'deals' her team tracked as part of its Black Friday price tracking.
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Gemma Rasmussen, head of research and advocacy at Consumer NZ, says her team of investigators are always sceptical of the "fizzed up" deals that appear this time of the year.
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Consumer NZ research reveals one in three shoppers spend more than intended due to manipulative online design tactics.
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Consumer NZ's latest retailer survey has found the five shops with the most satisfied customers – and those falling short.
3,791 views
From May 2026, New Zealanders will be able to tap their card or phone without being charged those pesky, excessive and sometimes hidden surcharges. An amendment to the Retail Payment System Act will put an end to excessive, hidden and unavoidable surcharges, which cost New Zealanders an estimated $65 million a year.
5,424 views
Car insurance premiums have surged in the past 2 years but switching providers could save you hundreds of dollars, says Consumer NZ. Vanessa Pratley, investigative writer at Consumer NZ, says its annual car insurance survey found premiums have increased by as much as 46% since 2023.
571 views
The latest Consumer NZ Sentiment Tracker results reveal that New Zealanders continue to grapple with financial uncertainty and growing concerns about healthcare services.
381 views
Consumer NZ and the Commerce Commission encourage mobile providers to be more proactive in helping users choose the right plan.
830 views
If you shop online for groceries, beware: New World and Pak'nSave have quietly removed the ability to sort items by price, sparking concerns among consumers.
1,671 views
Consumer NZ has launched an online database allowing New Zealanders to choose sunscreen brands that are transparent about how often they test their products.
1,008 views
Consumer NZ has found many items marked with supermarket loyalty card discounts could be bought for a lower price at stores not using loyalty schemes. The watchdog analysed* the price of 48 products that had a Onecard or Clubcard discount, and that were also available at Pak’nSave and The Warehouse (neither of which use a loyalty discount scheme).
842 views
Consumer NZ is concerned by the lack of disclosure around the use of AI-powered digital billboards in New Zealand's shopping malls.
1,191 views
Consumer NZ’s expert testers have revealed, yet again, that top price doesn’t always mean top performance.
794 views
New research from Consumer NZ has found most prepay customers could be paying about 15% more for power. Prepay customers tend to be New Zealand’s most vulnerable electricity consumers, often unable to sign up for monthly electricity plans because of poor credit ratings.
1,213 views
Consumer NZ’s latest power company satisfaction survey has found, yet again, the smaller retailers lead the power pack when it comes to keeping customers satisfied.
990 views
New research from Consumer NZ has found that trust in banks is dipping, with 39% of New Zealanders stating they do not trust the banks.
860 views
WELLINGTON CITY — After receiving a complaint from a Wellingtonian who unwittingly signed up for a $30,000 Go Car Finance loan for a car worth $7000, Consumer NZ is warning buyers about just how easy it is to get ripped off.
1,218 views
The results of Consumer NZ’s banking satisfaction survey are in, and yet again the smaller players are outperforming the big banks when it comes to customer service and satisfaction.
776 views
Consumer NZ received over 300 examples of dodgy supermarket specials from eagle-eyed shoppers as part of its campaign to clean up supermarket pricing.
902 views
A Consumer NZ investigation into the green claims on a basket of supermarket goods has found greenwashing claims are rife in Aotearoa.
1,152 views
Consumer NZ has looked at the nutrition content of six foods, from whole to ultra-processed, and found the sodium content of ultra-processed foods can be staggering.
879 views
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.
1,009 views
Consumer NZ is urging New Zealanders to shop carefully for sunglasses after its testing revealed top price doesn’t always mean top-level protection.
830 views
AUCKLAND CITY — Consumer NZ has produced concrete advice for people impacted by the recent and ongoing weather events.
1,013 views
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.
780 views
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.
1,133 views
HelloFresh customers are fed-up with being charged for meal kit boxes they opted to skip.
892 views
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.
1,067 views
Consumer NZ welcomes today’s announcement from the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs David Clark, indicating the Government will go beyond the Commerce Commission’s recommendations in the final report on the grocery sector.
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Consumer NZ has launched a petition, asking Minister David Clark to put consumers first and go beyond the Commerce Commission’s grocery market study recommendations.
930 views
PARAPARAUMU — Consumer NZ is urging consumers to be aware of their rights when purchasing second-hand goods online.
1,248 views
Consumer NZ's latest bank satisfaction survey shows almost three quarters (73%) of New Zealanders think banks are charging too much and only half (52%) think they can be trusted, with almost all big banks surveyed scoring either below or close to average for customer satisfaction.
1,085 views
Consumer NZ's Powerswitch has been crunching the numbers and found some power uses will face price hikes up to $1000 a year.
1,301 views
Consumer advocates from nine countries, including New Zealand, have teamed up to target legal loopholes that enable buy now pay later (BNPL) businesses to avoid credit regulation.
3,036 views
A fuel pricing poll by Consumer NZ found four out of five respondents (or 81 percent) are driving less due to the price of petrol and diesel hitting painful levels. “With the price of fuel past $3 a litre in most parts of the country, it's inevitable that we're seeing many New Zealanders looking to minimise their driving.
1,247 views