More rip-offs in New Zealand
July25
Yesterday I wrote again about rip-offs in my NZ Herald column. Unsurprisingly my inbox is full of comments this morning. Usually people only bother emailing journalists to complain. 🙂 But this time it was people agreeing with me.
Rip-offs in New Zealand are big news, following an opinion piece in this newspaper by UK sports writer Peter Bills.
It’s an issue that anyone who keeps an eye on their personal finances ought to be thinking about. We do get soundly ripped off in a large number of areas.
The full text of the article is here:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10660816
This topic of rip-offs in New Zealand is really polarising people.
I have been back in NZ for 4 years (previously in the UK for 6 years) I earn good money as an IT consultant and cant get ahead, I am sick of getting ripped off, the areas mentioned in the article are valid but the biggest expenses for me are the govt service charges, like ACC, council rates, ARC rates, ETS, Taxation etc. Other areas of concern are Internet, telephone, mobile phone, electricity and of course food. My answer to it all is leave and only come back to get my pension, which I have paid for over many years of hard work, never been on a benefit. I am taking my skills and family to Australia. What will the Maoris do if everyone else like me makes the same choice, who will pay for their benefits then.
I’d like to mention the rip-off concerning glasses. In Hong Kong and UK an eye examination and glasses came to NZ135. In NZ the same cost NZ405. Second, I had hobby glasses and liked the metal frames. Moved to prescription glasses and wanted to keep my hobby frames. Told I couldn’t do this. In Sydney I found I could. Third, when I took my NZ bought frames in for prescrition lenses I was told the cost would be NZ250. Why? I was told because when you bought frames it came with the lenses. If you just got the lenses you still had to pay ‘full’ price. Hello? So how much are frames and lenses separately? I tried to shop around but found prices were so similar it was not worthwhile spending time trying to find a good deal. I’m not saying there is an optician’s cartel – but to me it comes close to it.
@Robin Watt: You may consider seeing an Optometrist (an Optician is different) and purchasing glasses expensive but have you considered this; an optometrist is a health professional who not only prescribes glasses but they can also diagnose diseases like cataracts and glaucoma but also high blood pressure and diabetes and can prescribe certain medications to treat diseases.
I think in the UK Opticians can prescribe glasses but they can’t diagnose and treat conditions but in NZ, Opticians can’t prescribe glasses. And in Asia, you see an optcian or technician. Optometrist doesn’t exit there or is just starting to (they either have the Optician or Ophthalmologist (eye surgeon).
And you are paying for their services, just like you’ll pay to see your GP and our taxes paying the Dr’s salary in the Hospitals.
How much are your eyes, teeth, heart worth to you?
I’m a uni student and my friends would say I’m way of the biggest cheapskates around but I think when it comes to your health or paying for a professional’s service, you really do GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
Why else do “cowboys” charge less?
Recently I went back to my old dentist after going to the dentist at the university who charged $40 for a checkup and I thought they were horrible and would rather pay $240 for a checkup, x-rays and clean from my original dentist.
You only lose your adult teeth and eyesight once. I would rather pay extra for the services of a qualified professional but other things I’m a cheapass.