Top tips for Christmas shopping
Stressed about the pre-Christmas shopping rush? Here are 7 top tips to make gift buying a breeze, plus your rights when things don't go to plan.
1. Watch out for sale prices
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Are you tempted by a “sale” price that looks too good to miss? Check you’re getting a genuine bargain before handing over your cash. Do a quick online comparison of prices on other retailers’ websites to see whether it’s the best price on offer. Sales are so common at some retailers that discounts aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be.
2. Get an exchange card
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Not sure your gift will get a glowing reception? To avoid it gathering dust in someone’s wardrobe or being “re-gifted”, ask the store for an exchange card so the recipient can swap the unloved item for something else. Not all stores offer exchange cards, but they may still be willing to do an exchange.
3. Avoid gift cards
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Gift cards are the go-to option if you’re short on time or ideas. But before you buy, check whether the card has an expiry date. Cards with short expiry dates mean they could become worthless before they can be redeemed. You could always consider giving cash instead – it doesn’t come with any expiry date. Check out our campaign to end unfair gift card expiry dates.
4. Avoid extended warranties
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If you’re offered an extended warranty with your purchase, don’t waste your money. You’ll probably be paying for protection you already have under the Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA). The CGA requires goods to be of acceptable quality. The retailer must put things right when a product doesn’t measure up.
5. Ignore pressure tactics
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“Hurry, last items in this size.” “Limited stock.” “Ten other people are looking at this.” Treat these claims with the scepticism they deserve. They’re pressure tactics that tempt you to head to the checkout without delay. Don’t let them sway you into making a purchase you could end up regretting.
6. Watch out for credit traps
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Is your shopping budget running thin? Many retailers will be more than happy to offer you credit with an interest-free period. But think carefully before signing up – these offers may be interest-free but rarely fee-free. You’ll usually have to pay a fee to set up the deal, and you can also be stung with default fees if you miss payments.
Missed payment fees can also apply if you sign up with services such as Afterpay and Laybuy. With these payment options, you get your goods immediately and pay off the price in instalments. But they’re not currently covered by credit or layby laws, and you don’t have the same right to cancel if you change your mind.
7. Remember that mistakes happen
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Check your bank statements and receipts to make sure you haven’t been overcharged. If you spot an error, immediately contact the retailer and ask it to fix the problem.
What the law says
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The Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) applies to all traders that advertise or sell to Kiwi consumers, even if the company is based abroad. The CGA covers all items bought from a trader for personal use. It doesn’t matter if you purchased the product or received it as a gift.
The CGA requires that goods:
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are of acceptable quality
are fit for purpose
match the advertised descriptions
will be priced reasonably (if no price or pricing systems have been agreed upfront)
will be delivered on time or within a reasonable time if the supplier arranges delivery
will be owned by the customer once purchased.
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www.consumer.org.nz...
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Poll: Have you ever been bullied?
People associate bullying with children in schools, but it can actually stretch beyond childhood to workplaces or neighbourhoods.
This Friday is Pink Shirt Day, which began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a new student was harassed for wearing pink. People across the globe are now encouraged to wear pink on this day to take a stand against bullying and promote inclusivity.
Have you or your whānau ever experienced bullying? Share your thoughts on Pink Shirt Day below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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79.8% Yes
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19.9% No
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0.4% Other - I'll share below
Controlling Crime
I think National was going to go hard on crime. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be working.
www.rnz.co.nz...
Record numbers are leaving NZ – who could blame them?
Migration figures show a record number of New Zealanders are choosing not to stick around – and you don’t have to look hard to figure out why, writes Q+A presenter Jack Tame.
No data point says more about the current state of our country than the fact that record numbers of New Zealanders don’t want to be here.
Over the last two years, the quarterly release of migration statistics has steadily plotted a massive exodus of New Zealand citizens.
Once all citizen returns and departures were accounted for in the year to March 31, provisional net numbers indicated New Zealand lost more than a thousand Kiwis every week.
But why?
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The pandemic restrictions are over and the borders have been open for New Zealanders for more than two years.
Pent-up demand for overseas adventure could explain the initial post-Covid surge in departures, and some New Zealanders who returned during the worst of Covid-19 have left again. But the more recent departures are better attributed to other factors.
As I’ve noted before, what’s perhaps most extraordinary about the huge outward migration of New Zealand citizens is it has coincided with near-record inbound migration of non-citizens.
Facing pressure from business groups amidst a global labour shortage, the previous government responded by massively relaxing immigration settings.
In the year to March 31, New Zealand recorded a net migration gain of 163,000 non-citizens.
Accounting for both the provisional citizen and non-citizen migration flows, there are 111,000 extra people in New Zealand than the year before. Add to that the births and deaths for the same period, and our overall population has increased by approximately 130,000 people in the last year.
During the same period, however, the number of consents issued for new houses dropped 25% on the previous 12 months.
As our population surges and construction slows, the average rent paid by the generation of New Zealanders most likely not to own their own homes has increased. TradeMe Property recorded a median rent increase of 8.3% in the year to March 2024 — more than double the corresponding annual increase in wages.
This renting generation, coincidentally, is the same generation most likely to have left New Zealand.
Of all migrant departures of New Zealand citizens, people between the ages of 18 and 30 made up almost 40%.
But even older New Zealanders — who are more likely to have established careers, families, and assets — are leaving in huge numbers. Accounting for all arrivals and departures, a net total of more than 7500 New Zealand citizens between the ages of 31-40 left our shores.
So, what will stem the bleed?
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In the short term, at least, there is perhaps little economic reason to stay.
The new Government has moved swiftly to tighten immigration settings but, as the full impact of higher interest rates seeps through the economy, unemployment is steadily increasing.
The national unemployment rate currently sits at 4.3% and most economists expect it to climb above 5% in the coming months. The Māori unemployment rate is already at its highest point in four years at 8.2%.
Young Zealanders now find themselves competing with more people for relatively fewer houses and relatively fewer jobs.
And, as we enter a winter of economic discontent, who could blame them for leaving?
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www.1news.co.nz...
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