Background reading · Social Sciences

Your rights as a shopper, and the pressure to buy

New Zealand laws protect you when you buy things. Knowing them, and knowing how adverts work on you, helps you make calmer choices.

Every time you buy something from a business, even a pie or a phone case, you are a consumer. New Zealand has laws that protect consumers, and they apply to you at any age.

Your rights

Consumer Guarantees Act: things you buy from a business must be of acceptable quality, do what they are meant to do and match their description. If they don't, the business must fix the problem with a repair, replacement or refund.

Fair Trading Act: businesses must not mislead you about a product or its price.

Change of mind: if you just change your mind, the shop does not have to give you a refund, unless its own policy says it will.

Your responsibilities

Being a good consumer means reading what you are buying, keeping receipts, using things properly and explaining a problem calmly. If the business will not help, you can get advice from Citizens Advice or take a claim to the Disputes Tribunal.

The pressure to buy

Businesses spend a lot of money to make you want things. Watch for tricks like countdown timers, 'only 2 left', free trials that turn into payments and bright 'buy now' buttons. Some games use loot boxes, where you pay for a surprise prize. Influencers are paid to make products look part of everyday life. In New Zealand, adverts must be clearly labelled as adverts.

A simple habit helps: wait a day before buying anything you did not plan to buy. If you still want it tomorrow, and it fits your budget, it is probably a real choice.

Sources and further reading

Written for Kōkiri Learn students in our own words. Check facts against the sources.

Used in: Our Money, Our Community