The ripple effect of poor customer service
Like most of us who have renovated a kitchen, the Wilsons couldn’t wait to enjoy it.
So imagine their dismay when, after using their stove for the first time, the South Australian couple noticed a distortion on their brand-new splashback.
Home buyers tips: From search to sold
Buying a residential porperty can be a long, tedious process. And if you’re not ready, you could easily fall into a hole of home buyers stress and frustration. But don’t lose hope. Armed with the right knowledge and a solid plan, you’ll be a homeowner before you can say ‘sold’!
Let’s walk through the key steps you need to take (and prepare yourself for) to score the best home.
Need to return a Christmas gift? Here’s how to do it with style
So you really don’t like that floral nightie Nana sent you? The shoes you got for your fashion-conscious son are just ‘so last year’? Your daughter received two of the same Nintendo game?
Yes, it’s Christmas and we’ve all received – and given – presents that just aren’t quite right. In the back of our minds, we’re wishing it was a gift card instead. No matter the reason, there’s no need to feel embarrassed about returning them.
The 12 Pains of Christmas and how to avoid them
Have you heard of The 12 Pains of Christmas? Released in the mid-1980s, the song is a parody of the popular carol, The 12 Days of Christmas, where instead of touting the pleasure of receiving various gifts, the singer bemoans the less than sunshiny parts of the festive season.
But even if Bob Rivers sounds a bit like the Grinch who stole Christmas, we all know he has a point. For all the family get-togethers, presents and general bonhomie, there is plenty to complain about this time of year (and we don’t just mean the price of cherries).
Buying a home? Budget for all the extras, not just the house
There’s more to buying a home than just the asking price. Now that you’ve got your deposit and secured any available government grants, prepare yourself for the other charges and expenses that come with becoming a homeowner.
Research is vital to help you identify the associated costs. Setting aside a budget for these fees will save you a lot of time, and hassle. It also helps ensure there are as few unexpected nasty surprises as possible.
Fifty years of loyalty — and nothing to show for it
Yvonne Arnall didn’t expect any special treatment. Like most of us, she simply expected to be treated with respect and have her issue resolved in a timely manner.
Instead, what the Melbourne grandmother got was an abject failure in customer service that dragged on for almost six months. A saga that involved her driving hundreds of kilometres on multiple occasions for appointments that never eventuated. And when her initial request was finally resolved — on the eighth appointment — it came with an added insult: a pool of urine.
Protect your good name: Why you should check your credit report regularly
Jessica Meyer was excited about buying her first home with her mother. She’d saved a good deposit and was ready to sign the contract.
Until the bank contacted her to say they had checked her credit status with a credit reporting company and she was deemed a risk.
Expert tips to avoid the latest scams
Wondering why you’re receiving those misspelled SMS? It’s actually deliberate.
Scammers are bypassing the system that automatically blocks scams with a smattering of bad grammar and spelling. They are getting in front of you and hoping you click too quickly to realise your mistake.
This is just one of the more sophisticated tactics - yes, even bad spelling is sophisticated - scammers are employing to capture even the most cautious among us. Scammers are so successful that, according to the latest reports, Aussies have lost a total of $222,810,200 to scams in 2021. That’s already 26.8 percent higher than 2020, and the year is not yet over.
You now have more power over your energy bill
Worried about your energy bill? You now have more power to do something about it.
As of 1 October 2021, the Federal Government requires energy companies to switch you to a better deal within 48 hours of asking for one.
Prior to this change, companies could take up to three months to switch you over — that’s three months of paying more than you should. With Christmas on the horizon, making a switch now might just put some much-needed extra money into your account.
How to save your emotions, relationships and finances during a divorce
We step into marriage hoping for it to last forever but more than 33 percent of marriages in Australia end in divorce. The entire process of divorce is long and tiring. So taking steps to make the divorce amicable for both parties will save your emotions, relationships and finances.