Who we are
Established in 1959, Consumer NZ is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to finding out the truth about the products and services New Zealanders buy and use.
What we do
Test products and services, and recommend which we think are best
Investigate issues we reckon consumers need to know more about
Mystery shop and survey to keep businesses honest
Advise thousands of consumers about their rights and how to exercise them
Campaign to get laws and regulations changed to benefit consumers
Recommend businesses you can trust
How we test
We commission independent laboratories to carry out our product tests. We also belong to Consumers International which means we can draw on experience and information from consumer organisations around the world.
How we’re funded
Our work is primarily funded via membership. Consumers who pay to access our member-only information and advice, also help fund our research, investigations and campaigns aimed at helping all New Zealanders get a fairer deal. Other funds are sourced from business programmes and contract work, mostly with government agencies. We also rely on donations.
Verification
Our in-house verifiers are committed to ensuring that all content published in Consumer magazine and on consumer.org.nz is accurate and fact checked. We're the only remaining news and investigative organisation in Aotearoa to have a dedicated in-house verifier.
We strive to create unbiased and objective content – whether that's through our investigative writing, test results or market research.
How we use AI
Generative AI is a new tool available to us that has the potential to change the way we write stories and offer advice. It can help us work more efficiently, so we can do even more for the consumers of New Zealand.
But alongside the potential rewards, there is a huge risk to the credibility of our advice and reputation. Ultimately, we believe our members and audience would rather interact with trusted advice from humans.
Like many organisations, we’re investigating AI tools while also seeking to uphold our values and not compromise the quality of our recommendations or investigations.
Here’s a rundown of how we’re using AI and what we won’t use it for.
What we’re not using AI for
To uphold the integrity of our work, we don’t:
publish AI-generated content as Consumer NZ work
use AI to provide advice without expert review
enter any personally identifiable information into any AI tool
use AI for surveillance, for decision-making about individuals or to manipulate consumer behaviour.
What we are using AI for
We are using AI as a tool in some of our work, including:
desk research and general search queries
brainstorming content ideas or content briefs
summarising existing verified content
drafting outlines for written content (with human editing), including emails, project planning, reporting and presentations
generating static, moving or background imagery, using licensed tools (e.g. Adobe Firefly)
data analysis and visualisation, where results are verified (licensed tools only)
automating repetitive internal tasks (e.g. formatting, sorting, scheduling, transcribing)
creating or optimising code (e.g. DAX, SQL, syntax) for internal tools and reporting.
All our content, regardless of whether AI has been used in the process, is fully verified and fact-checked by a human.
Corrections policy
We stand by our content, but if you have feedback, please contact [email protected]. If we've made an error, we'll be sure to correct this.
How we survey
At Consumer NZ, we undertake extensive research and analysis annually to understand the challenges faced by New Zealanders and to create content and advocacy that best meets public needs. Our in-house market research team conducts a broad range of surveys, from state-of-the-nation studies that are nationally representative, to focussed surveys tapping into our members and supporter base for sector-specific satisfaction ratings.
We collaborate with Dynata – an accredited research panel provider – and our reviews feature only brands that receive 30 or more responses. This data underpins our unbiased ratings and unique insights, ensuring the reliability and relevance of our findings.
Advertising
At Consumer NZ, we don't accept advertising in our magazine or on our website. We are proudly independent, and our work is largely funded by our members.
Our constitution
Read the full constitution here. (312 KB)
We can't do this without you.
As an independent non-profit, we depend on the generous support of our members and donors to keep us fighting for a better deal.