Pet owners are being warned that identity microchips in their precious animals may be faulty after flaws were detected in more than 1,000 chips.

Two additives that have been banned in the United States should send any consumer running, writes Wendyl Nissen.

Kiwis are increasingly becoming "convenient consumers" as they choose to shop and watch TV when it suits them.

If you wander around a supermarket, you'll find all sorts of fanciful health claims on food, writes Sue Kedgley. Health claims are often presented as if they provide vital information about the health qualities of food.

New Zealanders buy 59 per cent of their groceries on sale, the highest percentage of any developed nation.

Food and drink makers will no longer be able to make health claims such as "low in fat" or "good for bones" without scientific evidence.

Trying to wave down a stampede of elephants can be a thankless and possibly dangerous task, but someone's got to try to do it.

Susan Edmunds answers your consumer questions.

New Zealanders who do not have time to shop around are being left out of pocket by retailers' discounting strategies, experts say.

Health-conscious shoppers are being duped into buying products labelled "organic" without knowing what it means or if the product is what the label says it is, experts warn.

The number of New Zealanders shopping online has tripled in less than a decade, with entertainment and leisure products the favourite internet purchases.

Easter egg manufacturers are likely making more of a profit this year than in Easters past, an analyst says.

Our letterboxes are flooded with flyers before a holiday weekend and newspapers do a good trade in retail adverts.

Kiwi motorists have adjusted to higher fuel prices and are getting back behind the wheel, statistics show.

Wendyl Nissen discovers that there is more sugar in this 'super juice' per 250ml than there is in Coke.

Outlet malls often have great bargains. If you're lucky, you can find branded goods for 50 to 70% off the normal retail price.

Consumers are putting their homes at risk by trusting unqualified solar power installers and substandard equipment, industry experts say.

Susan Edmunds answers your questions.

How much would your house cost to build? If you don't know and don't want to rely on your CV or an insurer's online calculator, you may be facing a $500 bill from a valuer when a major change to the way insurance policies work kicks in.

Each week, Wendyl Nissen takes a packaged food item and decodes what the label tells you about its contents

Jars of Marmite are arriving at stores around the country today covered in black plastic to stop people being tempted to sell them early.

Trade Me is New Zealand's biggest "retailer". And a staggering 40 per cent of all items sold are new.

A consumer watchdog has called Air New Zealand credit card surcharges draconian - but how much you pay depends on where you book your tickets.

A couple who took out a Master Builders guarantee and paid more than $500,000 in progress payments on their new home are in danger of getting nothing back after their builder went under - because they paid too much in advance.

Having cysts removed from above my eyebrows cost me $800, which I paid the same time as the visit. I sent my account to Sovereign for a refund and was told that I couldn't claim because it wasn't for $1,200.

A scammer has targeted people with items listed for sale online this week.

One of the great successes of modern marketing has been the mass engagement of the population in rewards programmes, says Damien Grant. The most prevalent are Fly Buys. They are awful.