KEV’S SAGE ADVICE

Beat those holiday scammers!

You have recently been sent some strange emails, seemingly from your local supermarket chain. Most have told you that you’ve won a gift card or prize voucher. But when you respond to find out more, you end up linked to a gambling website. What’s going on?

The email is not from your local supermarket – it’s a scam. Unfortunately, the supermarket’s brand has been used by scammers to gain personal details from their customers – and most of us have been at a supermarket at some point. So be cautious about any emails you get quoting the grocery outlet and certainly don’t respond with any personal details or pin numbers. Do not even click on any link within the email. There are so many different versions of this scam, you are best to do an internet search for “supermarket scam warning”. Of course, the supermarket chain does run legitimate competitions, but all these will be featured on its Facebook or any store loyalty competitions are on their website so you can check they are legitimate.

You’ve been searching online to buy a second-hand car.

Most of the vehicles you saw were allotted a Used Car Safety Rating. What exactly do those ratings tell you and do they apply to New Zealand conditions? According to the Automobile Association, they do apply to New Zealand conditions and they recommend we look at them. What do they tell us? Well, it’s nothing to do with the likelihood of that car being in an accident. There are too many external factors, such as driver skills, speed and alcohol, for that. But these ratings will tell you how well that particular vehicle is likely to withstand an accident if it gets into one, alongside other makes and models of vehicles. The ratings are influenced by vehicle mass, the vehicle’s design and safety features, such as airbags and seat belts. It also takes into account the level of injury the vehicle poses to other road users. And no, vehicles are not automatically safer the more expensive they are.