New lease on life: Should I buy or lease my computer?
Need a new computer at home or some new laptops for the office? If you are weighing up whether your budget can stretch to the latest model, you might consider putting your new computer or laptops on lease.
Buying a new computer or laptop can be very expensive, particularly if you need one that has a decent capacity to get your work done. With rapid technological advances, it can be challenging to keep up. What once seemed speedy can now feel like a drag as the volume of work you do increases.
Home stretch: Is it time to change your mortgage lender?
How do those monthly mortgage payments look? Feeling the pain of constant interest rate rises? You’re not the only one.
Paying a premium: What are the real benefits of private health insurance?
Private health insurance is a popular choice in Australia, with more than 13 million people, or 55.2 percent of the population, holding a policy. More than $22 billion is paid out in benefits each year, which sounds like a huge amount being returned to customers. But is it?
Taking flight? Here’s how to deal with delays
Qantas proudly sells itself as “the spirit of Australia” but if that’s the case the spirit is not happy. According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Qantas received the highest number of complaints of any airline in the 2022 financial year. Most grievances related to service issues, such as flight delays and long wait times to speak with customer service agents.
Hyundai and Kia face new class actions over faulty engines in Australia
Hyundai and Kia are facing two class action lawsuits in Australia over allegations that the car manufacturers sold cars with potentially faulty engines that breached Australian consumer law. The lawsuits come after a series of recalls and safety concerns in Australia over the past few years.
On 15 February 2023, law firm Johnson Winter Slattery filed lawsuits against Hyundai and Kia, claiming that vehicles sold since 2011 were fitted with defective engines that violate Australian consumer law.
Vehicle recalls: Take the driver’s seat with safety issues
When you hear your vehicle has been recalled, it’s natural to go into panic mode. However, a recall is not necessarily a bad thing - it means the manufacturer is staying on top of safety regulations.
It becomes an issue when the manufacturers don’t communicate properly with vehicle owners or conduct repairs in a timely manner.
Picture-Perfect Pressure: Protect yourself from unfair contract sales tactics
Gap Studios, a photography studio based in Newstead, Queensland, has been accused of using unethical and manipulative business practices and unfair contract terms to deceive customers into spending thousands of dollars on photos.
The studio frequently promotes "free" photography sessions on social media, encouraging people to sign up with the promise of a chance to win the free photography experience. However, those who enter the competition are in for a nasty surprise.
Trolley folly: How to win the grocery game
Ever gone to the grocery store with a list of five or six things you need and walked out with double, if not triple that? You’re far from alone.
Of course, once you’re there you might remember something else you need. Or something you usually buy is half price, so you can't resist the deal and buy a couple. And then there’s the impulse buy so many of us are guilty of.
Move ahead with the right removalist
Moving house is never fun. In fact, it’s up there with divorce and death in the family as one of the most stressful times in our lives.
With almost 40 percent of Australians changing address every five years, there’s a good chance if you haven’t moved recently, a move is on the cards.
Dining dilemmas: How to complain on a first date
The person sitting across from you in the restaurant is funny and interesting. Awkward get-to-know-you questions are out of the way and you’re already bonding over mutual likes and dislikes. There’s even been a few laughs. This first date is going rather well.
Then your meal arrives. You’ve barely taken a bite and notice something isn’t quite right. Perhaps the vegetables are too cold, the meat is undercooked, or something you ordered is missing.
Maybe it’s not the food that’s niggling at the back of your mind. The music might be too loud for conversation and you’re pondering whether to ask the manager to turn it down or not. Or perhaps you’ve been waiting way too long for your drinks or entrée?