Tinted windows are becoming a fashion accessory for Kiwi motorists - but installing them can put owners at risk of a failed insurance claim.

An Auckland mother whose baby drank expired infant formula has lashed out at the Warehouse for stocking the out-of-date product.

Retailers are continuing to benefit from the boost to consumers' discretionary incomes from the fall in oil prices over the past year.

Six complaints have been made to the Commerce Commission since its preliminary decision to allow infant formula companies to restrict their advertising.

Wellington company Flick describes itself as "the first retailer to give NZers access to the wholesale price of power direct from the market the big guys buy electricity from".

A low-calorie diet isn't necessarily a healthy and balanced diet.

Internet banking customers using a popular online payment system are being warned by banks that they might not be covered if fraud occurs.

Retail spending charged to electronic cards fell 0.4 per cent last month, its third monthly decline in a row, as lower prices at the pump offset increased spending elsewhere.

A big spike in the cost of raw materials has put pressure on chocolate makers - as Cadbury was quick to point out when it announced plans this week to reduce block sizes by 10 per cent.

As the battle for the discretionary dollar heats up, loyalty schemes are rapidly evolving, providing retailers with screeds of data about customers.

Aucklanders desperate for a reprieve from the summer heat have shopped The Warehouse in Downtown Auckland out of fans.

He spent 18 months without power after his electricity supplier refused to reconnect him after a storm. Now he's won an out-of-court settlement - and an apology.

"Irradiated food is anything but fresh," writes Sue Kedgley. So why is the govt bending over backwards to bring more of it in, and remove labels that identify it?

A leading consumer advocate is calling for better food labelling after a supermarket sting on products claiming to be good for your waistline.

New Zealand consumer confidence rose for a second month in January as households grew more upbeat about the prospects for the future.

Oil prices have fallen dramatically. But it could take months for falling fuel prices - which feed into economic activity - to benefit consumers.

I'm all for meal kits which incorporate fresh ingredients such as avocado, lettuce, capsicum and tomato.

The price of petrol keeps plunging but the savings are yet to ignite discounts for consumers elsewhere in the economy.

A survey of portable cots for sale in New Zealand has uncovered potentially fatal safety defects - including folding mechanisms that could trap a child's neck.

Kiwis have already spent more than $3 billion in the lead-up to Christmas. Paymark yesterday revealed it had processed more than 59 million electronic transactions...

Don't fall into the trap of paying off your credit card at the minimum rate. Banks usually require 3-5 per cent of the total each month...

If you're lying on the beach this summer and spot the person on the towel next to you staring intently at their smartphone, they may be running an international business, not just Facebooking.

BP and Z are both claiming to have led the market in reducing their national price for 91-octane petrol to a smidgeon below $2 a litre this morning.

Get in touch with your lenderBanks will be more willing to help if they are warned trouble may be ahead, rather than getting a panicked phone call when the first repayment is missed.

Edibles essential for a Kiwi Christmas have risen by up to $6 an item in the past decade, an informal Herald comparison has shown.

Stickers warning door-to-door sellers to keep away have been so popular, Consumer New Zealand says it is printing more to meet demand.

A leading hardware retailer has pulled novelty lighters off its shelves after inquiries by NZME. News Service about the danger to children.

More Kiwis are choosing to stream movies online rather than head down to the local DVD shop - but many may be watching them illegally.