10 ways to shop smart on Black Friday
With big sales being promoted this Black Friday (25 November), it can be easy to get caught up in the hype. Here are our top tips to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
1. Check the Black Friday deal is really a bargain. Compare prices online to make sure another shop isn’t selling the item cheaper. Don’t buy something “just because” the store claims it’s on special.
2. Know the 3 Rs and forget the extended warranty. In most cases, an extended warranty isn’t worth it – you’ll be paying for cover you already have under the Consumer Guarantees Act. The shop has to repair or replace faulty goods, or provide a refund, even if the item you bought was on sale.
3. Make the right choice. If you change your mind about a purchase, the retailer doesn’t have to take it back. Check out our product tests to help you pick the best buys.
4. Don’t forget your chargeback rights. Bought something online and it never showed up? Or maybe it did but was nothing like the description? If the retailer refuses to put things right, get on to your bank about a credit card or debit card chargeback. If your claim's accepted, you’ll get your money back.
5. Know who’s responsible for deliveries. Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, retailers that arrange delivery have to ensure items arrive on time and in good condition. So if an item arrives damaged, you don’t have to muck about with the courier company – the retailer must sort it out.
6. Find out where to shop for good service. There are some shops where you’re more likely to get above-par service. Our latest retailer satisfaction survey found the little guys did a better job than the big chain stores at keeping customers happy.
7. It never hurts to ask. Leave your shyness at the door when hunting for a deal. See if the salesperson will offer anything extra to sweeten the deal.
8. Think carefully before signing up for a “buy now, pay later” deal. The appeal at this time of year is understandable – you only ever have to shell out a fraction of the item’s cost upfront and pay off the rest over time. However, if you start missing payments, you’ll pay default fees.
9. Add in an exchange card. Buying a gift for someone else? Always ask the retailer for an exchange card to go with it. Retailers have no obligation to take back a present if the recipient doesn’t like it or you change your mind before giving it to them but some stores will do an exchange in the interests of good customer relations.
10. Ignore the pressure tactics. “Selling fast!” “10 others looking at this item.” “Don’t miss out!” These kinds of claims are designed to tempt you to make a purchase you wouldn’t otherwise have made. The best protection for your wallet is to resist the sales pitch.
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www.consumer.org.nz...
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THE ORNAMENTAL BRICK COTTAGE (corner Trafalgar & Manukau)
Corner called Robin's Corner after grocers shop there.
Passengers on all types of conveyances, Horse drawn bus from the late 1870's, then Electric trams from 1903 to 1956, and Diesel and Trolley buses from 1956, down to the present day, evinced an absorbing interest in the brick cottage which stood in Trafalgar Street, adjacent to Manukau Road, Onehunga.
The neat appearance, clean and wholesome, looking as though it was hosed down every day of its existence, was the subject of much speculation of latter day viewers. There were to be found in the ranks of the historians of Onehunga, some who said that the pretty little cottage had been built by a New Zealand Royal Fencible in the 1847-56 period. Others, however, considered it was erected by a discharged Fencible in the 1860s. Some said it was erected by the Government for the senior-sergeant of Fencibles stationed in Onehunga.
All conjectures of the would-be-pundits led to a private investigator delving into the old records to answer an inquiry directly submitted to the Onehunga Borough Council by an Arts Diploma holder of the Elam School of Arts. The Town Clerk, the late Mr. Norman L. Norman ascertained from a reliable source that the brick cottage stood on a part allotment of land which belonged to John Beattie, a Fencible, ex¬ Royal Marines, who came to New Zealand with the Fifth Division of pensioners on the troopship "Berhampore" arriving at Auckland on June, 16th, 1849. The original grant of a contracted area of land, something greater than one acre, situated at the corner of Manukau Road and Trafalgar Street, was issued to John Beattie in 1856. The corner, thereafter, was known as Beattie's Corner, and retained this appellation until Mr. J. Robins built his store in the late 1880's on a site opposite to John Beattie's acre, when the name was Robin's corner, supplanting Beattie's Corner.
The purchaser of the section on which the cottage stood was Thomas Henry Massey, believed to be a Midlander from England. Massey was noted for his flair for artistic construction in brick and it is said that he was responsible for the design of the facades of the Branches erected by the Auckland Savings Bank in Newmarket and Onehunga in 1885.
The house in Trafalgar street, with a chimney at either end, its slate roof and white stone ornamental facings, was an object of interest to local residents and horse drawn bus passengers as well, while it was being erected.
The bricks were made at Avondale to Massey's specifications, and any that did not measure up to the standard required by the builder were rejected.
The actual year in which the cottage was built is not recorded in archives of the Borough Council. But two residents who were asked about 30 years ago, (1934) to fix a year which would be approximately correct, said that the cottage was occupied by Thomas Massey in 1878.
The edifice being finished off at the present moment is a bit different from what was originally there as described above.
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.6% Second half of November
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43.4% 1st December
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17.6% A week before Christmas
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33.3% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
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