Tonight ` AD VOICEOVER OVERLAPS Is my bike from Bike Barn really half-price? Am I really getting 50% off my Kathmandu camping gear? Can you really get a $400 vacuum for 150 at Godfreys? It was a great price, it the sharpest price worldwide, but it wasn't half-price. It's like a Tonka truck... man-sized. Why is Garth playing around in this boy's toy? A fax? Really? In 2015, things are meant to move a bit quicker than that now. Signing hopefully not my life away. And blood pressure... Hey, I'm not jumping in the water now. ...versus sharks. I'm more excited than scared. Copyright Able 2015 Welcome to Fair Go. Half price, 60% off, massive savings ` yeah, whatever. We all buy stuff on sale, but do you ever wonder if that massive reduction is legit? Well, tonight we try to put that to the test, and we make a disturbing discovery about a big national chain. AD VOICEOVER OVERLAPS We are bombarded with discount offers. < Do you believe them? No, not at all. They're normally a bit sly with not giving you all the information. They're false marketing, I think. Too good to be true. I don't buy them. Why not? > Well, I just don't trust them. There must be a catch of some sort. It's not really a rip-off, because you know when you walk in the door what it'll be. No such thing as a free lunch. So you say you don't believe them, but you love a half-price sale. We approached three retailers we felt were well known for their... (VOICE ECHOES) massive discounts. Is my bike from Bike Barn really half-price? Am I really getting 50% off my Kathmandu camping gear? Can you really get a $400 vacuum for 150 at Godfreys? We didn't start with a single complaint, not even a hint of a smidgeon of anything dodgy. We just wanted to challenge them ` show us the money. Are those deals as good a deal as they say they are? Before we test those claims, let's go grocery shopping, because Uli Klingler thought something was not right at his Countdown in Dunedin. Look at this. 'Price drop wine now $13' but exactly the same price on the sticker underneath. Uli moved it. Yeah, I would expect it's cheaper at the price drop. It says 'price drop'. His favourite coffee ` '7.49 price drop', and 7.49 underneath. Same with risotto and flour. Well, it's weird. It's not fair. Oh yes, it is, say Countdown. Simple answer is those stickers went up at the same time. The 'price drop' price is the new everyday price and it is lower than it was before, like it says on the sticker. (LAUGHS) And Countdown have to be pretty careful. They got told off by the Commerce Commission for dodgy beer discounts three years back. We think this is actually pretty clear. You know what the old price was and when they charged it. So Countdown were happy to explain that to us. What about those other retailers? We're putting all this stuff out in the car park. First Godfreys. We would have asked how many vacuums were $400, when were they 400 and for how long, but Godfreys weren't game to go on the telly. They do they take their obligations extremely seriously, they say. Any product must be at the recommended retail price for at least 28 days before it's sold at a discount. Next Kathmandu. ...and gear that is now 20% to 50% off storewide. We hoped they'd show us when stuff was full price and for how long. But, no, Kathmandu wouldn't walk us through a shop either. I did get a call from the boss, though. He says Kathmandu are scrupulous about their pricing. It must be not on sale for longer than it is on sale. All bikes half-price, no exceptions. Is there ever a nanosecond that Bike Barn doesn't have a sale? Half-price on all bikes. Surely, Bike Barn will show us when they weren't half-price. Sadly, Bike Barn wouldn't wheel us through the store, and they didn't tell us if they have a sale price policy. And this is where this story takes a serious turn. Bike Barn's had some rather bad news of late. We've learned the Commerce Commission is investigating Bike Barn and its discount claims. And we've talked to this guy. I think that Bike Barn are doing a heck of a job getting more people on bikes than ever before for far cheaper than ever before. Jordan used to work for Bike Barn. For legal reasons, he's talking here about the bike industry in NZ, not Bike Barn alone. My hesitation is, um, the validity of half-price sales. The Kiwi cyclist gets a fantastic price, but can we trust the half-price marketing? It was a great price, it was the sharpest price worldwide, but it wasn't half-price. We're looking at RRP ` recommended retail price. That's what you pay half of at Bike Barn. Another retailer, Evolution Cycles, has the same RRP, set by Bike Barn on wholesale bikes it buys from Bike Barn. They appear to be nowhere near realistic. With a few searches,... This one's 99bikes.com.au. ...he showed us the startling difference in RRP here and what our nearest neighbours pay. This is something that anybody can jump online and do a Google search for. You need to know he's in an employment dispute with Bike Barn. They've threatened legal action against him for doing this interview. That will be the comeback is that, you know, you've gotten the take of a disgruntled former employee, um, therefore it's invalid. Um, I guess I just have to rely on the strength of my reputation in the teams I've run and the community I've served here. And the facts he showed us speak for themselves. We focused on Australian comparisons. The Radius Cruzer 7. Bike Barn RRP is 700, but Aussie retailer 99 Bikes says the RRP is 393 Aussie dollars, currently around about 420 Kiwi dollars. Which means that at Bike Barn's half-price, this is a very` it's a very competitive offering with this. Now, this is the Kona Humuhumu. Jordan knows the Kona brand well. It's Canadian, and so is he. It was the Kona prices that, you know, the claimed RRPs just seemed ludicrous compared to what they were. Because you'd sold them before? Yes, I sold them in Canada. It's 1800 RRP at Bike Barn. 1179 Aussie pre-discount tops on this site, currently about 1260 Kiwi. So that's a fair difference. Bike after bike, way lower RRP or pre-discount on these Aussie sites. 2800 here at Bike Barn and Evolution Cycles; 1859 Aussie there. 900 here; 449 Aussie there. 6700 here; no more than 3500 Aussie there. And available at a half-dozen retailers in Australia at that price. Yeah, and so there's no argument there. There's a` That's a massive difference. Here is nearly 10 grand of bike at Bike Barn ` 9500 RRP. Well, most of the Aussie retailers, it looks like 5199. No more than 5500 Aussie on Bike Exchange, roughly 5900 Kiwi. So Jordan is a huge fan of what customers pay here in NZ, just not how it is marketed. Price parity worldwide, NZ customers are doing very very well on it, um, and that is something that business has delivered to people. Um, half-price is dubious. Bike Barn won't comment on the Commerce Commission investigation except to say they are fully cooperating; they can't respond to Jordan Roy's comments because of the employment dispute. They say it's pretty meaningless to compare Aussie prices; the Australian market is way bigger, with more buying power, lower GST and lots of differing costs, including freight ` lots of stuff is cheaper there. They say they believe their marketing is accurate; their pricing is transparent, fair and complies with the law. They say the level of the RRP, the recommended retail price, isn't material; it's whether bikes are offered at RRP for a reasonable period outside sale times. Well, sorry, but we think that's nonsense. If you tell your customers it's a half-price deal, we think it really really matters whether it is a half-price deal or not. We say the RRP you claim is very material, Bike Barn. Bike Barn assures customers that sale prices are discounted and do represent real savings. Now, I contacted all the manufacturers of the bikes we showed. Two responded, including Kona Bikes in the US. Both say they don't set a recommended price here. And one last thing ` Nielsen Research shows we Kiwis really are obsessed with sales. We buy 57% of our groceries on special. That is nearly double the British figure. You're a specials shopper? I do like my specials, absolutely. Now, Garth told us he really really needed to hire this boy toy for his story. It's like a Tonka truck... man-sized. Using one these could stop you paying for the groceries. Some of the banks are sort of sitting there and going, 'Well... Oh, this all looks a bit hard,' and, yeah, we'd really like them to pull finger. And later ` This is me just giving them permission to feed me to the sharks should I not make it out. Everybody go... We put our blood pressure to the challenge. Welcome back. The price of petrol is rising again, but would you expect to pay $150 for $40 worth of unleaded? Well, that very situation led us to investigate the confusing world of credit card and debit card holds. Garth hit the road. Who wouldn't like to take one of these for a spin? ENGINE REVS Ooh, ooh, ooh. Listen to the sound of that big six, eh? It's like a Tonka truck... man-sized. No, I'm not trying out for Jeremy Clarkson's job, though. This is a rental car, and I'm trying to make a point about pre-authorisations ` pre-auths ` on your credit card. Whenever you use a credit card, that's the question a rental car company asks ` can you afford it? Not should you be spending that money, but right now is there credit on that card? They say, 'Since we're lending you a car and who knows where you'll take it, 'let's just check the money's there. 'And if the money is there on the credit card, let's just put a hold on it.' The company requests pre-authorisation to the value of what they guess they might be charging you later, and that hold lasts up to five days. It's meant to expire when you're finally charged, but it doesn't always. That's because unlike EFTPOS, which processes very quickly, credit and debit cards use a different settlement system. It's like the money is taking a back road instead of the highway. They ask the same question on the forecourt of a petrol station when you pay at the pump on credit. 'Can you afford it? Let's just hold the price of a tank of a petrol for now.' Hold on, how much? $150 here. $200 here. Petrol prices are heading up, but that is a lot of gas. Even with this big tank to fill, I won't spend that much. What if you weren't expecting that hold? What if you couldn't afford it? What if you didn't want a full tank in the first place? If it's a problem, how can you fix it, and is it a fair fix? So, a young friend of Fair Go came to one of these robo-pumps for 40 bucks worth of gas. She had $90 left on the credit card limit, so no dramas, except she didn't know about the $150 block that was about to be put on her funds. She woke up the next morning 60 bucks over her limit, plans for the weekend ruined, and it took three days to sort out. What could you do about it? Well, just back safely well away from the pumps, spend more money on mobile data looking up Gull's website, if you can do that on your phone, where they explain you need to call them on an 0800 number, and they will send a fax ` yes, a fax ` to the BNZ, who can then release the hold on your credit card. A fax? Really? In 2015, things are meant to move a bit quicker than that now. We need answers and quicker than a credit card hold, here's Gull's boss Dave with some very interesting info for customers of the big banks. That $150 pre-auth is not automatically returned to the customer consistently and within an acceptable period of time. Dave says Gull has been grappling with this for a while. ASB have fixed it. Westpac, ANZ have a date and have communicated that date to us. Some of the banks are sort of sitting there and going, 'Well... Oh, this all looks a bit hard,' and, yeah, we'd really like them to pull finger. It's taken a lot of effort to keep their customers happy. If somebody's really caught short of the cash, we've actually given them that cash in the meantime. You have gone into your own pocket? Well, one of our staff members actually went into his own pocket. That was the quickest way to get him the cash at that point in time. You know, that's at the last resort, because we want the banks to actually get the system up to speed. Remember the road trip your money takes using the credit card system? Turns out which bank you use can really slow down that journey. Some of the banks', uh, call centres can resolve that on the spot. Some of the other bank call centres just sort of sit there and go, 'Don't know.' OK, what about the signage at Gull? Look closely. Nowhere does it mention a $150 hold on your card. What about that, Dave? We should take that on board and have another look at what we need to do. But Gull is hoping those slower-moving banks will just get a wriggle on and fix it for all of the customers. The human being at the end of this who's being inconvenienced, they're a customer of Gull and they're a customer of the bank. Now Dave says debit card holds seem to seem to clear almost immediately at the pump, even though they use the credit card system too. But since we're on the subject, you should know that's not always the case when you use a debit card to hire a car. That can result in a hold that ties up your cash for days, and no one seems to be able to pinpoint why. As for that problem that started us looking into card holds, good news. I've just heard from the BNZ after we talked to them and Gull, and they're going to change the way they do things. They're going to get rid of that ridiculous fax business. Their call centre staff will be able to sort things out from now on like most of the other banks. Still no fix for the technology, but that's a pretty good start. We asked around and found the old credit card hold might just be slipping. For instance, if you check into this hotel, they ping your credit card to make sure it's working and then place on hold a single dollar, making sure your last memory of the trip won't be a hold hangover on your credit card. So bottom line ` as a result of this story, all of our major banks will now let you call them and request an urgent release of a hold placed on your credit or debit card. Do let us know if any of them are telling you different. ASB says, of course, that shouldn't be necessary, as it's fixed the problem in its system. And by the way, if you're tempted to email us about a safety issue ` Garth was at a safe distance from the pumps while using his mobile phone, near the forecourt. Yes. Now, we are a great nation of do-it-yourselfers. In fact, there's ads that make us ashamed if we don't pour that concrete or build that fence ourselves. We love buying cars without getting help from others too ` drives me nuts. We've got some advice on that, but when it come to your own health, is it really wise to do it yourself? I feel very Zen at the moment, very calm. Everybody go... There's method to our madness. And what better place to test blood pressure than somewhere that will really get your heart racing? < Like sharks. DRAMATICALLY: Like sharks. LAUGHTER Welcome back. Now, there is nothing that'll raise your blood pressure like having your blood pressure taken. So monitoring it in the comfort of your own home sounds like a good idea, and there's a whole variety of blood-pressure monitors you can buy at the chemist. We heard from a viewer who was very unhappy with the one he bought, so we thought we'd try them out ourselves. Here's Mary-Jane. QUIRKY MUSIC We Kiwis love our DIY. MUSIC CONTINUES You are gonna rock this. What do you think? Oh, I look beautiful. It makes no sense to pay someone when you can do it yourself,... UPBEAT MUSIC ...especially if it involves power tools or a gadget. And taking your own blood pressure, it seems, is no exception. After all, it's a big deal. High blood pressure affects at least one in five NZ adults, so a bit of DIY monitoring makes sense, right? Um, maybe not. May` Maybe not. < (LAUGHS) Look, it's a good idea if everyone knows something about their numbers ` what their blood pressure is. Going home and measuring your blood pressure every 30 minutes, every day, every single day ` no, you're going completely over the top. Have a seat. All right. Fair Go decided to give blood-pressure monitoring a go. Our plan is to get people to take their own blood pressure and check the accuracy by getting Dr John to take a reading at the same time. You're healthy. Oh. It's pretty damn good, actually. And what better place to test blood pressure than somewhere that will really get your heart racing? Kelly Tarlton's. So here's the plan. We randomly chose two blood-pressure monitors you can get at the pharmacy, the Omron HEM-7121 ` middle of the road at $120 ` and the Microlife A200 AFIB ` it's $297, but it can also detect some abnormal heart rhythms. The team from Fair Go are giving me a hand... or an arm. Blood pressure only goes to zero once in your life. BOTH CHUCKLE Let's hope it` Let's hope it's not today. Yeah, well, we'll find out shortly, huh? We're checking their blood pressure before a shark dive and after. Garth's our first patient, and Dr John's smiling. The readings are pretty similar. Not quite so cheery for Mark, but at least the monitors are all in the same ball park. Brodie has different readings on each arm. Weird, but that's our Brodie. Looks like yoga's paying off for Sasha, and again very similar readings. This is me just giving them permission to feed me to the sharks, should I not make it out. Signing hopefully not my life away. Anxiety's starting to creep in ` for some more than others. Hey, I'm not jumping in the water now. How does everything fit, guys? Does it matter if the shoes are a bit loose? I feel very Zen at the moment, very calm. A few last-minute selfies, and they're in the drink. Oh, get out! LAUGHTER How's your heart now? LAUGHTER There are other factors that will increase your blood pressure. Anxiety is your number one thing. Having a good double shot of coffee might do it as well, so there are some environmental things that will artificially stimulate your blood pressure. < Like sharks. DRAMATICALLY: Like sharks. Four came back. Four went out, and four came back. Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! If anything, I'm more excited than scared. Let's just see what the numbers say. Despite that big talk, Mark's BP was a tad higher and on all of the blood pressure monitors. I feel like the Six Million Dollar Man. LAUGHTER Brodie's went up too and kept going up, but she was shivering. I'm gonna be fine. I'm fine, Mum. Sasha's BP was still very steady, despite the shaky arms. 130/82. Yes, we know that was highly unscientific, but overall the machines worked really well compared to the doctors' BP monitor, and Dr John was impressed. We thought the Omron was really easy to use and quick to give a result. The Microlife cuff fitted really well. The machines in themselves can be a good addition to having it done at your doctor with your practice nurse or your GP in that it gives a reading when you are not in a stressful environment. So have you got a few quick tips about what you'd look for in a blood-pressure monitor? Look for a reliable brand. Do some research on the internet for a start. Make sure it's easy to use, that it suits your lifestyle and then get it calibrated against an already calibrated machine at your GP's surgery. So the upshot is when it comes to DIY, by all means give it a go, just don't take it too seriously. We missed out on that shark tank thing. That looked really cool. I've always wanted to do that. Now, clearly, it was a highly unscientific trial. Medtronic retail manager Nicki Elgin points out you should relax for five minutes before taking blood pressure, remain still throughout and don't talk. How on earth did they get Mark Crysell to do that? Yeah, exactly. Mark Crysell, stop talking. Consumer NZ recently tested wrist and arm blood-pressure monitors. They all faired pretty well, and so did ours. And here's a little bit of trivia for you ` the name of the machine that takes your blood pressure ` a sphygmomanometer. Well done! Sphygmo` Sphygmomanometer ` there we go. Now, we've put another one of our blogs up on our web page. This time it's me on how to buy a car. Here is a taste. In my years on Fair Go, I've seen a mystifying trend ` people buying cars sight unseen on Trade Me. Now, that horrifies me. Trust is a marvellous thing. Trust but verify. Do all the checks. Now, I would never buy a car without a test drive, of course, and without an independent mechanical pre-purchase inspection. Now, if the seller won't let you do that, walk away. I just don't get why you would buy a car without even test-driving it. No. That's` Just save yourself a lot of trouble down the track. That is a mystery to me. Anyway, there's more of that on our website. Check it out if you are about to shell out some of your hard-earned bucks on a car. Yes. Now, we had a huge, and I mean huge, response to our story on CourierPost last week. A lot of very unhappy customers by the look of things. Turns out it's not just CourierPost, and we will take a look at that next week. So that is the show, but we will be on Facebook for the next half hour to answer your questions. Our programme is all about your problems and your thoughts. Please do contact us. Yes, we would love to hear from you. We're on Facebook. Email us ` fairgo@tvnz.co.nz. Write to us ` Private Bag 92038 Auckland 1142. We've got another treat for you next week as well, actually ` Hannah McQueen. Every time she's on, you go nuts; you want to find out how you can get yourselves sorted out financially. Yes, well, our financial saviour is back next week, and we have a very tough challenge for her. So in our quest to find the average NZer with the average wage, we've come here to Otago, the heartland. This is Rachel and Richie. We make all our bills payments and everything like that, but we just don't really feel like we're getting ahead. It's a bit daunting looking at, sort of, the mortgage long-term being, you know, in upwards of 30 years. To improve their fortunes, they're giving financial personal trainer Hannah McQueen a go. I wouldn't think we're living an exuberant lifestyle, like, you know, average cars, average house. Yeah, average pay. I think Hannah might have her work cut out for her here. That's next week. Goodnight. Copyright Able 2015