Road danger: Hyundai owners warn of car failures while driving
Mandie Cowley was driving with her daughter on a busy regional highway in Victoria when her Hyundai started losing power.
“The only place I could pull over was on a bend and there was a lot of trucks. I was absolutely petrified that a truck was going to come up behind me and hit the car,” she said.
Michael Steele’s son, still a P-plater, was driving his Dad’s car at a similar high speed on a country highway in Queensland when it made a grinding sound.
"And it just came to a halt, nothing was working. He was very lucky to get it to the side of the road,” Michael said.
Nina Persin’s partner was driving at 100kmh on the Pacific Motorway, in south-east Queensland, roads still slippery from the floods, when his engine seized up.
“There was no warning light, nothing,” she said. “When the engine seized, the brakes stopped working, as did the steering wheel. My partner had huge difficulties steering the car away from the right-hand lane, avoiding the trucks on the road, towards the left lane.
“I don’t even want to imagine what could have happened."
Is there anything good about counterfeit goods?
Scammers like to take advantage of what’s popular and urgent. It’s no wonder that in a time of fear and uncertainty, scams spread like a virus, offering fake solutions and knock-off items. We have to be careful because as much as they’re after our money, they’re also out for our personal details and access to our computer. How can you avoid being duped? We’ve rounded up some of the most common trends in fake goods, plus helpful tips to avoid counterfeit tricks.
As more Australians are renting, their voice is getting louder
Our homes are supposed to be a safe haven; even when we are renting. And we want to feel relaxed and stress-free in our abodes.
Skincare products you won’t want to share
Knock-offs have been around forever. However, we are seeing more fake products being made and sold around the globe. So does that mean that fakes are getting better or worse for quality and safety? And what is so appealing about fake products anyway?
Top tips to combat credit card fraud
Checking our card statements should be an easy and hassle-free process, but what if a transaction you see surprises you? The suspicious amount might be a low value ride-share transaction you do not recognise. Or it might be a seriously large purchase that you know you definitely did not buy. Either way, your heart will skip a beat when you realise you have been stung by credit card fraud.
How to spot a knock-off and what can happen if you own one
Our confidence and skills with online shopping are improving every day, which means we’re becoming more adventurous with our purchases. Clothes, snacks, bath essentials, shoes, whatever it is we’re looking for, there's surely an online store selling it. But, what can we do if the product we bought was actually a knock-off?
#TravelAdventures await – tips on keeping your travel money safe during COVID
We all have our dream travel destinations in post COVID times. Due to the abrupt halt to travel, many of us have money stored in foreign currency and on travel cards. We’re trusting our travel money is safe until we can travel again. However there are some recent changes affecting travel money.
When excitement turns to disappointment – things you can do about a dud event
Living in the digital age means we're able to plan our adventures from the comfort of our home. We spend our time researching and coordinating, hopeful of having a fun time, usually with our favourite people in tow. So, how can you tell if the event going to be a fizzer or a best-seller when you're reading the promotions?
Online sales are surging, and so are delivery scams
Scammers are constantly finding ways to exploit the current trend. People are out in force buying online, and as those packages go out for delivery, people expect to receive messages from shopping websites like Amazon and delivery companies including Australia Post. This makes it the perfect time for scammers to prey on consumers who are not paying close attention.
Three top tips for safer shopping and home improvement
2020 has taught us that being safety conscious allows us to enjoy the finer things in life, like cafes, family reunions, weddings and (hopefully) travel. Home improvement projects have been extremely popular as we’ve spent more time at home than ever before. When it comes to shopping, all types of shopping, safety matters too. Each year Australia has about 650 consumer product recalls. But only about half of the affected products are returned to sellers. This amounts to about 1.7 million recalled products remaining in people's homes!