New Zealanders are being urged to be wary of buying Dole bananas after the release of a new report claiming the company's treatment of plantation workers is unethical.

Cyber criminals are increasingly attacking mobile devices - because they are easy targets.

The Department of Internal Affairs has only had one new email scam reported this week, from "Peter Stevenson".

Interest-rate rises are looming, with some senior bank experts even picking floating rates to be at 7 per cent by the end of next year.

Kiwis love discount vouchers. And June 1 is the start of the current year for anyone who has bought an Entertainment Book. These are chunky books full of tear-out discount vouchers.

An online car dealer that placed thousands of fake bids on more than 500 of its own auctions has been fined $42,000 this afternoon.

An online car dealer has been snared placing thousands of fake bids on more than 500 of its own auctions.

Cosmetics and beauty products cost most women a small fortune. Those tiny tubes of magic come with prices inverse to their weight.

A victim of a three-times bankrupted builder says more needs to be done to protect consumers from people who have been declared insolvent multiple times.

Looking for ways to get "as new" electrical goods without paying full price? Don't want to risk buying second-hand on Trade Me? Then try "refurbished" items.

A Wairarapa family have become the latest victims of a washing machine notorious for catching fire.

Kiwi travellers scan the internet for cheap flights but appear happy to pay over the odds for foreign currency.

Consumers can save serious cash by shopping around. And price comparison websites let you do that at the flick of a mouse or touch of a smartphone screen.

Safe pollution levels are being breached by burning timber treated with arsenic, a study shows.

Is NZ really an expensive place to live? Overall the answer is yes, according to a global price survey. But as Amelia Wade finds in a checklist of 24 items, it all depends on what you're buying.

Kiwis are increasingly buying from overseas. It's not great for our retailers, but it's a fact of life.

Kiwis are snapping up capsule coffee machines, even though the cost of making a cup of coffee can be three times as much as using a traditional machine with beans.

The hardware chain offers to beat any price on the same stocked item by 15 per cent.

I was in a shop dressing room that had a sign saying if customers damaged clothing while trying it on, they would have to pay for it. It also said no one was allowed to take photos in the dressing rooms.

A tradesman who was publicly accused of ripping off clients is back, and appears to be up to his old tricks.

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.