Founded in 1959, Consumer NZ was created to empower New Zealand consumers and create a fair marketplace for everyone. As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, our work makes sure companies prioritise safety, fairness and honesty, and drives regulatory change that benefits all New Zealanders.
Over a quarter of a million people have joined our fight for a fairer future. Our campaigns have been pivotal in delivering safer sunscreens, stopping dodgy door-to-door salespeople, banning unfair contract terms, mandating country-of-origin labelling for fruit and vege and much more.
From keeping supermarkets honest to fighting greenwashing, we're fighting for you.
End dodgy 'specials'
Whether it's an 'everyday low price' or 'super saver', we asked you to send us examples of unclear or misleading pricing and promotional practices, so we can hold the supermarkets to account.
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Right to repair
Sick of wasting money on products you can't repair? Let’s put the pressure back on manufacturers to do better. In New Zealand, millions of appliances are needlessly being dumped because they can't be repaired. Sign our petition to demand mandatory repairability labelling.
Learn moreNo more greenwashing in New Zealand
Eco, biodegradable, green, planet conscious, earth-friendly – there’s no shortage of products on the shelves spouting environmental claims. In New Zealand, there are no specific rules preventing manufacturers from using vague green claims. We need regulations to tackle dodgy 'green' claims.
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Flight rights
If your flight is delayed or cancelled for reasons within an airline’s control, such as staffing, operational or mechanical issues, you have rights under the Civil Aviation Act (CAA). But airlines aren’t required to tell you about these rights. It's time that changed.
Learn moreJoin our community of consumer advocates
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Our advocacy
Stop unfair retirement village contracts
Retirement villages promise the good life in your golden years. However, the contracts residents sign before they move into a village tend to be heavily weighted in favour of the village.
Mandatory unit pricing at supermarkets
When the cost per unit (e.g. per 100g) is displayed, shoppers can easily compare the price of products, regardless of their size or packaging.
Time to stop ticket reseller rip-offs
We regularly receive complaints about ticket resellers and their hugely inflated prices. But sky-high markups are not the only problem with these ticket resale sites.
Better protection for Buy Now Pay Later users
With cost of living pressures, some vulnerable people are turning to Buy Now Pay Later lending services to make ends meet. It’s time to stop lenders selling unaffordable debt to people who are already struggling.
No more sneaky fees
Being hit with a ‘booking’ fee, ‘service’ fee or even being charged to ‘print your ticket’ can be frustrating when you’re in the final stages of buying something online. Businesses should be upfront and honest about how much their products and services cost.
End unfair gift card expiry dates
Gift cards are a great option for the last-minute shopper, but unfair expiry dates mean that retailers can wind up reaping the rewards. In New Zealand, there is no minimum expiry period.
Say "no" to drug ads
Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription medicines increases the risk of over-prescribing and negative health impacts. New Zealand and the US are the only countries in the developed world that allow DTCA.
Safer sunscreens
We’re all vulnerable to NZ’s harsh sun. However, with no regular testing required under the mandatory sunscreen standard, you can’t always trust what’s on the label.
Do Not Knock
A pushy telco rep interrupting dinner. A salesperson so forceful that the only way to get them to leave is to agree to the sale. A dealer that has to be threatened with a call to the cops... It’s now illegal to ignore “Do Not Knock” stickers. Get your sticker here.
Our team
The Consumer NZ campaigns & advocacy team harness unbiased data, rigorous research and policy expertise to advocate for a truly consumer-driven marketplace and ensure policymakers prioritise the rights and interest of consumers. We are passionate about our work because we know how important it is to have an strong, independent voice for consumers.
Our wins
1972 – After eight years of work from Consumer, Parliament passed the Hire Purchase Act.
1973 – Our government funded complaints advisory service was launched and got almost 2000 complaints in the first six months.
1977 – After five years of Consumer campaigning, the government introduced Small Claims Tribunals.
1981 – We made a plea for legalese in contracts to be replaced with plain language – a battle that continues to this day. Our work into retirement village contracts highlights the need for clearer contracts.
1989 – The government pulled our funding and we became an independent incorporated society funded by our members.
1991 – In a bid to protect New Zealanders’ private information, we called for the Privacy Act. It came into effect in 1993 with the establishment of the Privacy Commissioner.
1999 – Powerswitch was born to increase switching rates among electricity customers, and to help New Zealanders choose the cheapest power plan for their household.
2009 – It takes six months and a complaint to the Ombudsman before the Ministry of Health released the results of its investigations into 44 rest homes.
2013 – Protections in the Consumer Guarantees Act were finally extended to online sales.
2014 – We launched our Do Not Knock campaign to tackle dodgy door to door salespeople and distribute 50,000 stickers. Ignoring stickers became illegal in 2022.
2015 – A long awaited ban on unfair contract terms kicked in after our campaigning.
2016 – We presented Parliament with a 10,000- signature petition to end sneaky fees.
2018 – After ten years of campaigning, requirements for country-of origin labelling for fruit and vege became law.
2018 – We write to the major banks and ask them to remove fees for using another banks ATM. They agree.
2020 – We launched a whole lot of Commerce Commission complaints including about Air NZ refusing to provide refunds to passengers, Airbnb and Bachcare cancellation policies, retirement village care claims, and sunscreens failing to meet their SPF.
2022 – We launched the ‘Stop the super profits’ petition, calling on the Government to fix problems with access to wholesale goods in the supermarket sector. It gained 77,000 signatures, and the government took on our recommendations.
2022 – Our flight rights campaign was launched. Air NZ amended their website with improved communication to customers, and the Commerce Commission investigated Jetstar off the back of our complaint.
2022 – After years of advocating, sunscreens are regulated under the Fair Trading Act, with sunscreens obligated to meet the Australian/NZ standard.
2023 – We launched our End Greenwashing campaign calling for new regulations to tackle greenwashing.
2024 – Unit pricing at the supermarkets will come into effect after years of submissions, articles and advocating by Consumer NZ
Our submissions
We regularly make submissions to Government and statutory authorities on a range of consumer-related issues - from data privacy and online safety, to transport and water services, and the grocery industry.