CURRENT affairs
IT IS ILLEGAL TO SELL AN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE UNLESS YOU KNOW IT IS SAFE
Can you sell an electric heater that isn’t working? You cannot sell any electrical appliance unless you’re sure it is safe. That’s the law. So unless you’ve had an electrician check it over, don’t sell electrical goods that aren’t working. If something later goes wrong, you’ll cop it. There is some excellent advice about this sort of thing on the new Energy Safety website put out by Worksafe. (worksafe.govt.nz/energysafety). It tells us what to look for when buying appliances online, both gas and electric. For example, don’t buy any new or secondhand electrical appliance that is not fitted with NZ plugs or comes with an adaptor. (I might have been quite happy to have gone with the adaptor). And if an appliance comes with just the top two points of a three-point plug, don’t buy it.
On what basis are firms such as government departments and insurance companies allowed to record their conversations with you, as so many are now doing? Is it really “for staff training purposes”?
Anyone is allowed to record their conversation with you as long as they are a party to the phone call. They would not be allowed to record a conversation taking place between two other parties. I know they talk about “staff training” etc, but it’s all about having the discussion on record in case a dispute later occurs. Insurers can check if all the important information was disclosed by claimants. Strictly speaking, these firms don’t have to tell you they’re recording you. I have no problem with it because the same recordings can protect you if the firm gets it wrong.
Be wary of purchasing an appliance that only has two points of a three-point plug.