Extended warranties are completely worthless, here’s why
Many customers part with money unnecessarily by buying an extended warranty, when they already have this warranty by law. Its time for a fair go from retailers.
It's possible to get repairs outside the manufacturer’s warranty period for items ranging from electrical appliances like TVs, games consoles to washing machines and refrigerators.
It's estimated two in five people opt for an extended warranty, which can add up to 24 per cent to the final purchase price. However, what most don't know is the warranty is already implied in the price paid for the goods.
The 2 minute car service that will save you hundreds
For most of us, cars get us from A to B and carry ‘stuff’. You put fuel in it, take it to the mechanic when the book says so (well, sometimes). In return, it gets you to where you need to go without causing a fuss. End of story, right?
This would be a short article if this were 100% true.
What to expect when you’re expecting… a removalist
Most Australians consider moving house as one of the most stressful times of their life. With almost half of us having moved home in the past five years, chances are you’ve had a recent experience. There are over 5,500 individual removalist operators available to help us make the move. Almost half of us use a removalist service when moving interstate and over one quarter when moving locally.
However engaging a removalist isn’t something we do frequently leaving many of us uncertain of what to expect from the service and what is expected of us.
9 secret tips of the well-travelled
From booking flights to international ATM fee, follow our expert advice and improve your travel savvy. Here you go...
Great ways to save 20% on your next phone bill – household tips
This article is part 2 in a series on household tips
Competition is heating up in the telco space and with Virgin Mobile recently announcing data roll over for mobile plans a move that is sure to force the hand of other providers.
With mobile phone plans costing Australian's more than ever, we've pulled together a list of household tips to save on mobile phone bills, which we found could save us up to 20% on our current plans.
The science of buying groceries
Supermarkets employ a range of ‘buy more’ strategies including bulk purchase deals, reward programs and mood music. Shoppers can save money and avoid temptation simply by being aware of the strategies supermarkets use to encourage spending.
Supermarkets have done their research, they know that store layout and product placement are key to encouraging shoppers to buy more of certain products. There is a reason staple items such as bread and milk are at opposite ends of the supermarket. But it goes beyond that, flowers and baked goods are often found at the supermarket’s entry as things that smell good put us in a good mood and we’re likely to buy more.
Everything you needed to know about the DO NOT CALL register in less than 3 minutes
Telemarketers are more annoying than ever! These pesky salespeople all day and night, hawking their wares (no, we do not want to sign up for your long distance plan). We thought we'd put together a series of 5 30-60 second videos explaining your rights and how to get on to the Australian Government DO NOT CALL register.
The amazingly simple psychology behind door-to-door sales
This is part 2 in our series on fighting back against unsolicited salespeople.
Ever wondered why pesky salespeople keep going door-to-door, time after time, often only to have the door slammed in their face? You might imagine this as akin to banging your head against the wall.
The simple truth about door-to-door sales is that it can be highly effective given the right person and circumstances. Take Joe Ades, the man who made millions selling potato peelers on the street:
How to complain on a first date (and get away with it)
Your date is gorgeous. You are having an amazing time. The atmosphere is perfect.
Then, you notice the meal you ordered isn't exactly what you wanted – it's too cold, it's raw or it just doesn't taste good.
You come to a decision point: speak up and ruin the atmosphere, or keep to yourself and preserve the unfolding relational magic?
Walking this fine line could be the difference between a good night kiss and a “Please lose my number.” Next time your caught in this culinary conundrum, walk yourself through our date complaint checklist:
Wotif gives 20 million back to its users after abandoning cruel charging practices
Easter means higher prices thanks in part to public holiday surcharges. If you're in the midst of making holiday plans, there is some good news. Wotif has dumped its $5.50 'booking fee'. It has also dropped the $16.95 charge for flights with full-service airlines and flights with low-cost carriers now attract a reduced fee of $9.95. How lucrative are these surcharges for companies? It's expected consumers could save as much as $20 million a year from these changes made by Wotif.
But surcharges have gone beyond public holidays. There’s airlines – 'fuel surcharge', room service – 'delivery charge', taxis – 'booking fee', restaurants and cafes – 'cakeage', 'corkage' and a surcharge for a 'group booking'. Even a concert ticket purchase comes complete with booking and ticketing fees. I’m sure you’ve got a few more of your favourites to add to the list!
So, what’s happened over the last decade that has seen surcharges become so prevalent in our daily lives? Is this a trend set to continue in the future?