Buyer beware
Subtitle: how to avoid cowboys, dodgy deals and shonky guarantees
By: by Maria Konings.
Series: EasyLaw
Publisher: Lexisnexis Butterworths
Published: 2002
Place of publication: Wellington, N.Z
Language: eng
Number of pages: 102
Subjects: New Zealand.; Consumer protection -- New Zealand.; Consumer complaints -- New Zealand.; Consumers -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- New Zealand.; Used car trade -- Law and legislation -- New Zealand.; Real property -- Law and legislation -- New Zealand.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
"Services, deals, contracts, guarantees, house renovations, car repairs"--Cover.
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note: Chapter 1. Protecting your consumer rights In this chapter, we profile the consumer laws in contemporary New Zealand and translate them into plain English. We also point you towards the key organisations that assist and represent consumers. Chapter 2. Using the Consumer Guarantees Act This chapter analyses the Consumer Guarantees Act (passed into law in 1993), your main legal defence against substandard and faulty services. Chapter 3. How to make a contract This chapter explains how contracts with suppliers are made, what they should cover and how to hold suppliers to them when you are let down. Chapter 4. How to guard against hidden faults In this chapter, we focus on the particular problems that buying services brings and, what to do when those services let you down. A diagram of the steps to follow if services fail is given at the end of the chapter. Chapter 5. Home building and renovations - the pitfalls explained This chapter explains how to avoid "cowboy builders", dodgy renovations and shonky guarantees. It also tells you what you can do if the timber frame in your new house rots, the new roof leaks, or the doors and windows don't open properly. Chapter 6. Paying for it In this chapter, we shed light on the credit contract laws that are relevant to consumers today and the threat of repossession. We also look at payment options that will ensure you do not part with your hard-earned cash until you have received value for your money. Chapter 7. All about quotes and estimates Here we examine the difference between quotes and estimates. We explain why they are so important and what they should contain. Chapter 8. Getting the right work done This chapter looks at how to avoid paying for repair work you didn't ask for. The dos and don'ts of getting the right repairs or work done are covered, along with a handy checklist. Chapter 9. Who is responsible for accidental damage or loss? Here we discuss cases where the consumer is entitled to compensation for loss because of faulty workmanship. We also take a look at just where the responsibility lies if New Zealanders are injured or killed because services fail. Chapter 10. Your legal remedies This chapter explains what happens if your legal rights as a consumer are denied and where to go for help. Chapter 11. Taking a case to the Disputes Tribunal In this chapter, we look more closely at the alternative to the court-based legal system - the Disputes Tribunal..