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Consumer Affairs

Associated Ministers

31 July, 2008

Minister warns do not be duped by extended warranties

Judith Tizard calls on retailers to be honest about the real value of extended warranties and for consumers to understand that they are frequently a waste of money.

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31 July, 2008

Childrens nightwear labelling regulations now effective

Consumers will soon see new labelling on children’s nightwear available for sale. New regulations become effective from today so retailers may use new labels on stock.

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11 July, 2008

Minister welcomes BSA decision on formaldehyde episode

The Consumer Affairs Minister has welcomed the Broadcasting Standards Authority decision to uphold a complaint about an item aired by TV3’s Target programme in August last year, alleging dangerous levels of formaldehyde in clothing.

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30 May, 2008

Australian consumer law harmonisation welcomed

Ministers at the Australasian Ministerial Council on Consumer Affairs meeting agreed to significant reform of product safety and consumer policy in Australia and this has been welcomed by New Zealand's Consumer Affairs Minister.

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20 May, 2008

Do not get a shock from your next power bill

Don’t be shocked by your next power bill, see if you can switch and save. Check out the Powerswitch website at www.powerswitch.org.nz

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30 April, 2008

Improved information on used cars for sale: When a SIN becomes a CIN

There have been changes made to the information notice that motor vehicle traders must provide to consumers, when selling used cars.

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16 April, 2008

Children’s nightwear labelling to be changed

Late last year the Consumer Affairs Minister called for a review of regulations for children’s nightwear labelling. Significant changes to the labels of some types of nightwear are now being made. A public awareness campaign will also reinforce that people should stay "One metre from the heater" and that “Low Fire Danger does not mean No Fire Danger”.

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3 April, 2008

Ban on unsafe water colour paint sets

An Unsafe Goods Notice has today been issued against a set of water colour paints, due to unsafe lead and chromium levels. The Notice officially bans the paint set, marketed under the Tian Mao Panda brand, from New Zealand retail shelves.

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10 March, 2008

Hitman scam targets New Zealanders

As this year's Fraud Awareness Week comes to end, a new scam reported to SCAMwatch reminds us of the need to be vigilant and not to respond to unsolicited emails.

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3 March, 2008

Consumer Chat: Fraud Awareness Week 2008

Consumer Chat March 2008: Fraud Awareness Week 2008
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3 March, 2008

Fraud Awareness Week 2008

Speech to Launch Fraud Awareness Week 2008 Trade Me Wellington

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3 March, 2008

Fraud Awareness Week urges no response approach

“Offers that sound too good to be true can trick you into giving away your personal details, your money, or your heart, yet they never deliver what you want,” says Consumer Affairs Minister Judith Tizard, launching Fraud Awareness Week 2008.

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26 December, 2007

Exchanging or returning gifts after Christmas

It's the season of giving and receiving, but what do you do if the gifts you have received aren’t right for you, are damaged or don’t work?

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17 October, 2007

Formaldehyde tests show no health issue in clothes

Test results released today show little cause for concern about levels of formaldehyde in clothing and textiles on sale in New Zealand.

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4 October, 2007

Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal Adjudicators' Annual Reports released

The Annual Reports from the Adjudicators of the Auckland (Mr Chris Cornwell) and Wellington (Ms Nicola Wills) Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal have been released and are available on the [url=http://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz]Ministry of Consumer Affairs website [/url]

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31 August, 2007

Consumer Chat - August 2007

In this issue: New code of banking practice, Keeping tabs on fringe lenders, Water efficiency labelling...

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23 August, 2007

Nats turning their back on New Zealand consumers

Consumer Affairs Minister Judith Tizard is alarmed at National's about turn on consumer protection, as evidenced in the house today.

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17 August, 2007

Pacific consumers and fringe lending

The experiences and behaviour of Pacific consumers when they are borrowing money from ‘fringe’ credit providers is the subject of a new research report

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15 August, 2007

Voluntary recall of Mattel products

Consumer Affairs Minister, Judith Tizard has applauded Mattel for acting responsibly to carry out the voluntary recall of a small number of its toys.

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5 August, 2007

Watered down proposal still misses mark

Informed and assertive consumers should be the driving force behind Country of Origin Labelling, not the Government, says Consumer Affairs Minister Judith Tizard.

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15 June, 2007

Consumer Chat - June Edition 2007

Powerswitch, Scamwatch and changes to the Motor Vehicle Sales Legislation are all discussed in the inaugural edition of Consumer Chat by Judith Tizard.

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13 June, 2007

Scammers carry on phishing for your money

“The phishing emails or messages being sent may appear to be genuine, but their sole aim is to steal your money. These scams aren’t new, but they are becoming cleverer in the way they try and gain access to consumers’ funds” warned Judith Tizard.

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15 May, 2007

Are you paying too much for your power?

Minister of Consumer Affairs, Judith Tizard urges consumers to check out the Powerswitch website to see if their electricity supplier is providing the best deal for them.

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2 May, 2007

Consumer laws apply to all – even real estate agents

Our consumer laws are not optional – they apply to every New Zealander, including real estate agents.

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3 April, 2007

Improvements proposed to motor vehicle sales laws

Two discussion papers released today recommend minor changes to improve the Motor Vehicle Sales legislation.

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29 March, 2007

Real estate overhaul good news for consumers

Consumer Affairs Minister Judith Tizard is welcoming the overhaul of the real estate legislation and says it's good news for consumers.

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22 March, 2007

Minister welcomes first unsafe baby walker prosecution

Babies and children are our most vulnerable consumers and our mandatory standards are there to protect them.

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19 March, 2007

"Bumped" & delayed passengers can seek compensation

Domestic airline passengers who have been “bumped” off flights or delayed can seek compensation from the airline.

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5 March, 2007

If it's too good to be true then it's probably a scam

Consumer Affairs Minister Judith Tizard is encouraging New Zealanders to better protect themselves against scams during Fraud Awareness Month.

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26 December, 2006

Exchanging or returning lemons after Christmas

What do you do when you realise that some of your Christmas gifts aren’t right for you, are damaged or don’t work?

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