Glen Innes
Citizens Advice Bureau
Te Pokapu Whakahoki Patai
mai i te Iwi Whanui
WELCOME
KIA ORANA
BULA VINAKA
FAKAALOFA
LAHI ATU
TALOFA
IA ORANA
TALOHA NI
MALO LEILEI
BONJOUR
GUTEN TAG
HUAN YIN
HEJ
You are welcome to email, fax, phone
or call in for advice.
If you wish, you can visit just to browse our pamphlets.
All calls are confidential.
Our office can be found next to the Community Centre
at
100 Line Road, Glen Innes, Auckland
We are open 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday - Friday
Telephone (09) 528 3682
Email Glen
Innes C.A.B.
Contents
What we do! |
Objectives |
About us |
Our latest
news |
Contacting us |
Our homepage |
Other bureaux
|
|
Consumer news
|
Local Links
|
WHAT WE DO
Our service provides free to all individuals an impartial and confidential
service of information, guidance and support, and makes responsible use of
the experience so gained.
We also have available free
counselling, budgetting
and initial legal advice.
AIMS
-
To ensure that individuals do not suffer through ignorance of their rights
and responsibilities, or of the services available; or through the inability
to express their needs effectively.
-
To exert a responsible influence on the development of social policies and
services, both locally and nationally.
Latest News from Glen Innes CAB
The Management Committee and Supervisor
of the
GLEN INNES CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU
welcome members of the public
to attend their
27th Annual General Meeting
to be held
on
Monday 30th August 1999 at 12.30pm
in the Glen Innes Community Centre
100 Line Road, Glen Innes
Speaker will be Roger McClay
The Commissioner for Children
(Please click here for further information on the speaker)
Light lunch will be served
R.S.V.P. by August 20th
Telephone: 528-3682
Email :cab.gleni@xtra.co.nz
Latest Information from
the Ministry of Consumer Affairs
A Word of Advice
Ministry of Consumer Affairs
Manatu Kaihokohoko
PO Box 1473, Wellington.
Phone (04) 474 2750, Fax (04) 473 9400
6 August 1999
Stay Warm, Stay Safe
A recent accident resulting in serious burns from a bursting hot water bottle serves as a timely reminder to check your hot water bottle out the next time you fill it.
It might seem like stating the obvious - or telling you what you already know - but when was the last time you checked your hottie for splits in the rubber or any leakage points? And, though you probably stand shivering in the bathroom every night while you fill your hottie, take an extra moment to check that the stopper is on firmly and that the bottle has not overheated. Hotties should not be touching skin directly, so use a towel or a hottie cover to wrap your hottie in.
Microwaveable, gel filled hot bottles are now available. The gel in these bottles gets very hot and stays hotter longer than water, so you need to take extra care. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. Check the wattage of your oven against their instructions. If you're unsure about any instructions, or don't have any, heat the bottle in stages (eg, one minute at a time) and check the temperature with your hand - but only touch the cover never the bare rubber.
Electric blankets
For those who use electric blankets rather than a hottie, it is also timely to check these out, using the following guidelines from the Ministry of Commerce's Office of the Chief Electrical Engineer:
1.follow the manufacturer's instructions
2.check regularly for wear or damage - check the plugs and cords for worn parts or burns
3.fix securely to the bed using the tapes attached to the blanket - don't use pins or other sharp objects to secure the blanket
4.use the right size blanket for the bed
5.keep the blanket in a fully spread and flat condition
6.don't leave clothing or other items on the bed while the blanket is switched on (this can cause localised overheating)
7.remember to check that your blanket is switched off when not in use
8.keep the cord and switch outside the bed to avoid any strain or twisting
9.don't use the blanket over or under a water-bed.
If you have any doubts about the safety of the blanket, don't use it. And when it comes to storing it at the end of winter, don't fold or crease your electric blanket, but loosely roll it around a large diameter cardboard cylinder for storage.
23 July 1999
Look Before You Leap!
If someone offered to help you reduce your mortgage costs, you'd jump at the chance. But the Ministry of Consumer Affairs is warning people to look carefully before they leap into deals with companies which offer ways to reduce mortgage costs.
We are concerned about the way some companies are approaching consumers, and about consumers not being fully aware of the issues they should consider before signing up.
Some of these types of companies might approach you at home, at public shows, in shopping malls, or through running public seminars. These approaches are quite legitimate, but we have received reports of some companies being very forceful and insistent. Our suggestion is that you don't get sucked in by the hype and special offers and prizes. Think about your options for a few days. And BEFORE signing up, find out:
1. if you could get this type of service (for free) from your bank or mortgage broker
2. if the nature of your mortgage is such that it does not allow you to refinance without considerable cost (eg, you are on a fixed terms or rate).
And be aware that the costs may outweigh the benefits - that is, you may not necessarily be able to recover the costs of your fees if the company is unable to reduce your mortgage costs by that same amount or more.
Also check out the company's payment options. If the company expects a large fee before they know if they are able to reduce your mortgage, we suggest you steer clear.
When talking to a company which offers to help you reduce your mortgage costs, write down exactly what promises they make to you - eg, "We'll reduce your mortgage costs by $3,000 a year if you sign up with us." Verbal promises are legally binding and under the Fair Trading Act a company cannot mislead you about what they can provide. If you feel you have been misled, you can make a complaint to the Commerce Commission.
Companies which help reduce your mortgage costs are not the same as mortgage brokers. A mortgage broker does all the leg work in assisting you to get the best mortgage at the best price. Many belong to the Mortgage Broker's Association, which governs their conduct through a strict Code of Conduct. If you have a complaint about a mortgage broker, you can contact the NZ Mortgage Broker's Association on (09) 489 8414.
9 July 1999
Winter Sale – Now on!
It seems that, whichever direction you look at the moment, there’s a
winter sale happening
- “WINTER SALE!”, “50% off”, “All Stock MUST Go!”
are slashed brutally across the
normally enticing, attractive window displays. But while you’re searching
for that winter
bargain, how do you know it really is the bargain you think it is? The Ministry
of
Consumer Affairs offers the following advice:
* The sale must be for a short duration. After all, you’ve probably
changed your
normal shopping habits to take advantage of the sale opportunity. You
wouldn’t
expect to buy something from a closing down sale, only to walk past the same
store
three months later and it still hasn’t closed down!
* The store must have adequate sale stock available. You are being enticed
into a store
under false pretences if you arrive one hour after the doors open on the
first day of a
sale, only to find that they had only a few of the sale items and have sold
out already.
If a store advertises a “50% off” sale, then a reasonable number
of items must be 50%
off, not just one or two – again, you are being lured into the store
under false
pretences.
* Specials must be ‘true’ specials. For example, reducing
something from $10 to $9.95
is not a ‘true’ special.
* Price comparisons must be based on actual market prices. When comparing
a sale
price with an earlier price, the retailer must not mislead you about the
earlier price.
They cannot raise their prices and then quickly lower them again, effectively
making
the sale price the normal price they would charge anyway.
And a hot tip for true bargain hunters ... If you buy an item at normal price
(especially at
a time of year when sales are common) ask the salesperson if the item is
due to go on sale
or come with special offers over the next few weeks or months. If you ask,
the
salesperson is obliged by law to tell you if they know the item is about
to go on sale. If
you don’t ask, there’s no obligation on their part to give you
this information. So, if you
walk by a store and find that the TV you bought yesterday is now half price,
kick yourself,
not the salesperson!
ENDS