Removing road blocks to customer care
Saul Frank knows when he’s being given the run-around with customer care. And he would never do the same to his customers.
“I’ve been in business a long time and it’s just not the way you treat people,” he says.
Unlucky break: Will travel insurance protect you when you need it?
Australians are big travellers — at least we were before Covid hit. Now that we’re getting back out on the road and into the air again, should we protect our hard-earned money with travel insurance?
Some people might say that travel insurance is a waste of money. After all, what are the chances that something will actually happen to you while you’re on holiday? But the truth is, anything can happen when you’re away from home. And if something does go wrong, travel insurance can be a life saver. But is it really worth the extra expense? And how has Covid changed things?
Toyota paint peel proves power in numbers
When paint started peeling off his Toyota Corolla in great chunks, Chris McInerney thought maybe he had done something wrong.
But a little digging showed that he was far from alone. A problem with primer paint on several makes and models had even resulted in Toyota Canada extending warranties by up to 14 years.
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."
Second best: Are used cars still worth your money?
If you’ve been casting your eye around for a new car recently, you’ll know that they aren’t that easy to come by, particularly if you’re fussy about the colour or model.
With the pandemic creating all kinds of delays in delivery, you could be waiting for many months before that shiny new vehicle is in your garage.
Sure thing: Are new car warranties a safe bet?
For many of us, cars are our second most expensive investment after our home. So it's only right to want some peace of mind when it comes to buying one.
Enter: the car warranty. In Australia, most new cars come with a manufacturer's warranty. That warranty covers you for a set period of time, usually three years. But in recent times, we've seen an increase in the number of brands offering longer warranties. Up to 10 years in some cases. It's a persuasive marketing tool.
Total recall: The rundown on car recalls in Australia
If you hear the words “recall” and your car make and model in the same sentence, it can send you into a spin. That's probably because car recall is almost always associated with negative thoughts, such as danger, the potential for accidents, and maybe even expensive repairs.
But are car recalls always bad? Is there ever a good time for a manufacturer to announce a recall?
Up in the air: What is going on with Qantas?
J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote, "Not all who wander are lost." But if your wander is booked with Qantas, you could be. That is if your flight was cancelled and you opted for a travel credit instead of a refund.
Complaints about Qantas have been mounting on social media since Australia's borders reopened and people have been trying to use their flight credits. According to some reports, it has been almost impossible to get through to the airline, let alone redeem the credits.
The right path: Don’t let fines take their toll
If you live in a major city where tolls are part of your everyday commute, you probably don’t give them too much thought – until the next time you hear they’re going up again.
But if you don’t use them very often, or are visiting from out of town, it’s easy to get stung by tolls. Particularly if you don’t have an electronic tag or pass that makes it easy to pay as you drive over tolled roads.
Before you know it, that one unpaid trip on a toll road could add up to a lot of pain.
Driving prices: How to make your fuel dollars go further
Holding your breath every time you head to the petrol station? Wondering whether to fill up or just put in $20 and hope the price takes a dive within the week?
There’s no question we’re all feeling the pinch at the pump. According to the Australia Institute of Petroleum, the national average petrol price as of 20 March 2022 was 197.6c and 202.4c for diesel. The trend has been going up since 27 December 2021, with only a slight dip on 31 January this year. The price of fuel is expected to drop in the coming weeks due to a cut in fuel excise but we are yet to see the impact.