Tonight ` They said my car wasn't safe. Any mother would be worried knowing that her car's been given a low rating. ENGINE ROARS So why does ACC put the Skyline in the highest injury risk category? We're on to it. It's a priority, trying to fix it. So, thank you, Fair Go. It's Keith. I was driving along Dundass Lane, and there was a pig in the middle of the road. Love the ad. But is this for real? No, no, mate. You're in a different valley. No one knows a thing. No one? And are you good at complaining? We hold on to our issues, and we bottle them up until we just explode. Copyright Able 2015 Welcome to Fair Go. ACC has stuffed up, plain and simple, and it's Fair Go that showed they did. Yesterday they pulled a massive U-turn because of our investigation. It's about how safe your car is and what that will cost you. Here's Garth. We tell people to get in touch with Fair Go because it can make a difference. Shirley Hewitt did that, and she just made a big difference not only for her and her kids but for thousands of motorists up and down the country, and their families too. In the back. You have to sit in the back. Shirley has three kids under 10, a busy life in Tokoroa. Put your belts on. A 2008 Nissan Skyline seemed an ideal family car. We had another baby, and we needed the back space. Our other car was quite small, and the kids could barely fit in it, just the two of them, so we got it for space. And it looked nice, was a later model, so... Pretty safe? I thought so! Until she checked the registration cost. Like everyone, Shirley heard the ACC was reducing the rego fee on average by 41%. My cousin's fees went down by $100. My mother-in-law's fees went down by $100. And mine was still in the high 200s. She was surprised to hear she'd be paying as much as ever, and the reason why put her in a panic. ACC rates cars from 1 to 4. A 1 means the car has the highest risk of causing injury, so a low number is bad. It'll cost you more as well, because ACC is trying to steer you towards cars it thinks are safer. Guess what they told Shirls. I was told my car is a 1, and 1 being the lowest out of 4, and that's why my registration fees were still expensive. I wasn't too fazed about the price of the actual rego. I was more worried about the fact that they said my car wasn't safe and that it was given a 1. Any mother would be worried knowing that her car's been given a low rating. Which makes no sense when you talk to people in the industry about Shirley's late-model Skyline. I would be quite happy with a member of my family driving that. I'd be quite happy having an accident in it myself. Not all Skylines are equal. So why does ACC put the Skyline in the highest injury risk category? You'll hear from ACC shortly. That's two of their top guys in the lift with me. At the time, though, Shirley was thinking what some of you may be thinking ` Skylines ` boy-racer car, right? She was just driving something labelled too fast and furious. Well, think again. Suspend those judgements, people. You'd be well off the pace. Yes, the Skyline does have its enthusiasts, but when we looked under the hood at the data ACC was using, the truth was something else was driving that decision. ACC was stuck in the '80s. ACC is basing its vehicle risk ratings on a huge database complied by Monash University in Australia of 5.5 million car crashes reported by police in Australia and NZ between 1987 and 2009. But with anything that big, there are always anomalies. For instance, the researchers only had actual crash reports on Skylines made between 1983 and 1988. That means Shirley's rego fee was based on a model manufactured 20 years ago. MADONNA'S 'LIKE A PRAYER' That's when they looked more like this '89 model. Proud owner ` Chris. # As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... # By 1995, the Skylines had ABS and side intrusion bars. # All the girls say I'm pretty fly for a white guy. # By '99, yet more safety features for proud owner Mark from Skylines Downunder, the national club. So 27 years of changes in vehicle safety were all left out of the data ACC used. It's like putting a bunch of my last name people all in one category because we've got the same last name. One could be a school teacher, one could be in jail. We're all classed as the same because we've got the same name. It just doesn't seem right. And that's because it was wrong. ACC has now re-rated Shirley's car from 1 to 4. Her car is in the 4 band. It shows that it is a safer vehicle, and I can only apologise for the problems that that's caused for Shirley and her angst in that situation. He says Monash University gave ACC the right information on crashes, but a glitch in ACC's computer system meant some wasn't used, and that affected thousands of drivers who've already paid for a year's rego under the new scheme. 9000 people have been impacted by not having the right info, and I apologise for that. 9000 is just the number they caught a month into the new scheme. Imagine if it had gone undetected for a year. Luckily for motorists, Shirley wasn't buying it from the start. Shirley's query came through from yourselves, and that caused us to go and look deeper in what was happening with that model, and that was when we actually found we had this coding error. Thank you, Fair Go, in terms of raising that. Sweet relief for Shirley, who was all set to take the plunge. If it's not safe, I will be getting another car. I've got three kids to think about. The man from the car review website dogandlemon.com is pretty scathing. He says Shirley's misunderstood Skyline is just the tip of the iceberg. In terms of actual road accidents in America, it was one of the safest vehicles on the road. Now, someone clearly has got it very wrong, and it's pretty obvious who that someone is. Clive Mathew-Wilson says ACC is ignoring good data to stick with that Monash University study. The ACC needs to abandon this ridiculous system for rating vehicles and start from scratch. ACC is sticking with the system regardless. How sure are you you've got it right for everyone? We're in the high 90% in terms of people who are not impacted by this. So 95%? I would say, yeah, 95%, 96%. But with nearly three million cars on the road, that still leaves 130,000 question marks. Shirley is just glad she is paying less to register a car that's as safe as she thought. For her, it's not the look or what's under the hood but who's in the back seat that counts. Too true. Good on Garth for getting ACC to admit their stuff-up and do a major u-turn on this, and fair play to them for coming in here to talk to us about it. We'd strongly urge you to call ACC if you suspect your new registration fee is way too high or way too low. This all came from one mum putting up a fight. Good on Shirley from Tokoroa. If you do the same, there's a good chance ACC will listen. We've got a list on our website of the 18 car models affected so far. ACC'S free call number is... ACC can also tell you right now what your car will cost to re-register. You don't have to wait until it's due to find out. You know the ad ` the lost pig, the courier driver helping find its home, the amazing cell phone coverage that makes it possible. But is it really what it seems? I went to Central Otago to check out this ad. I got your email about Sue. The pig. (LAUGHS) I had to have a wee laugh, really. There's no way there's Vodafone reception there. And later ` how to get what you really want. I've had this older gentleman really throw a tantrum because we dimmed the lights a little bit too much. He, like, lost the plot. Welcome back to Fair Go. Have you seen the new Vodafone ad ` the one with the little pig? It's so cute! We played a bit last week, and we got an interesting message from a viewer. Seems the mobile coverage where they shot the ad is patchy at best. And as with many rural Kiwis, their broadband is a bit rubbish. There may be a solution, but only maybe. POIGNANT MUSIC I got you email about Sue. Uh, the pig. (CHUCKLES) This ad is a winner. Hope it gets heaps of votes in our Ad Awards. (SNORTS) Love it. Fantastic, um, display of our area. Great ad. Well, I think it's absolutely fantastic coverage of Central Otago. You don't know anyone out that way who has pigs? Moa Creek? No, I'm not too sure over there. (SIGHS) Blimmin' pig. Parts of it are shot here ` Moa Creek, in Central Otago's Ida Valley. Stunning. Stunningly cold. In fact, they once recorded nearly minus-17 degrees. And mobile coverage? Not great. Ooh, it's a wee bit patchy, the coverage. Well, I dunno. I guess you should pick where you do your ads, because all the locals say the phones don't work round here, and I can vouch for that. (LAUGHS) We had to have a wee laugh, really, cos it's, um` We know the area quite well, and there's absolutely no way there's Vodafone reception there, let alone Telecom. There's one local mobile tower near the tiny town of Ophir. Oh, so I've got five bars here, but the valley where the ad is filmed is over there in the shadow of some hills. Those hills behind farmer Callum Patterson, who is doing what he has to do too often ` for 3G coverage anyway. There's just enough to give you a glimmer of hope, that would lead ya to drive around in your truck, trying to find that one bar or 'standing on your truck with one foot in the air' sort of thing. (CHUCKLES) Yeah. hopeless, eh. Vodafone's own map shows 3G coverage is not great. Basic 2G is OK, mostly. It's Keith. I was driving along Dundass Lane, and there was a pig in the middle of the road. Anyone over there know anything about it? Well, here we are. This is the now famous Dundass Lane, and there's my pig, and I've got, uh... Oh! I've got three bars of coverage. And there we met Steve Aldridge, local agitator for better coverage. It varies greatly, depending on where you are. It can be good here; 500yd down the road, you could disappear completely. We wandered down Dundass Lane to see how the signal worked. Ooh, I've got five bars there. Not too bad today, actually. And better than Spark. Vodafone is the best provider of cell phone coverage in the area. Flukey ` is that the best way to describe it? Yeah, it comes in and drops out quite frequently. CHILDREN SHOUT The local school is about to get fast broadband, but not the local people. Faster internet for everyone, especially country people. Mobile coverage right through the valley would be fantastic. Yeah, 3G would be fantastic. And not just for downloading YouTube. Well, it is personal safety, because you could go out wandering around the hills or various other places, and if you were to trip or fall over or something happened to you, well, nobody would know. The rural-urban digital divide is a massive issue. # Am I giga-rich? I ain't no giganaire. We parodied Spark's Giganaire ad last year, because we get so many complaints about poor service in the country. # Type in a web address, go off and make a cup of tea. # Urbanites worry about using their 40 gig, 80 gig data allowance. Be nice to have that problem out here. In theory, Callum Patterson could programme this to write his name ` in theory. And how flash is it at the moment? Not very flash without 3G. So it's essentially $60,000 worth of box on the side of it that does nothing, really. Look, this isn't just Spark or Vodafone's problem; It's just not financially viable to spend big money on small populations. It's a government problem, and there is a pot of government money to try and fix this stuff. Hey, look, um, I am speaking to you from the beautiful Ida Valley in Central Otago. 'Back on Dundass Lane, I had a chat to the helpful bloke in Amy Adams' office. 'She's the Communications Minister.' So there's about 100 million for rural broadband and 50 million for mobile black spots. 'But will the Ida Valley get any of it?' Hopefully Amy Adams will be watching the story. What would you say to Amy Adams if she is? Amy, I know you can't really prioritise us, but we really really need it, so be nice to us, Amy. The Rail Trail passes through the Ida Valley. Updating Facebook's a lottery; so too calling an ambulance. So Tony's council is bidding for some of that pot of money. And we just need this sort of modern-day coverage. Like they have in the ad. UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC Look, it is a bit embarrassing for Vodafone, but it's a beautiful ad, and maybe, just maybe, it'll help make things happen for the people around here. And look what appeared as we left the Ida Valley. That's gotta be a happy omen. Just get us out of the 1900s and into the year 2015 would be good, really. So beautiful down there. Lovely. So cold. Oh yeah. Vodafone say their network covers 94% of Central Otago's population, but terrain in places like the Ida Valley and Moa Creek is particularly rugged, and that hits signal strength. Yes, they say they invest hundreds of millions to grow coverage. New towers are planned for Shingle Creek and Millers Flat. The Four Square at Millers Flat stars in the ad. Naseby, not far from Moa Creek, gets a new tower next month, improving broadband and mobile coverage for 450 people. As for Moa Creek and the Ida Valley, Otago company CRS Communications tells me it is upgrading coverage in the area. Vodafone encourages customers to 'reach out'. That, we believe, is an awful new bit of corporate speak, which I think means 'complain'. We asked if Communications Minister Amy Adams will be kind to Central Otago as the mayor hopes. She can't be, of course. It's a competitive bid, But she says all councils need to put their best foot forward. And what is it with lost animals and little bits of the South Island? BP's new ad stars a stray bunny from Winton. NOSTALGIC GUITAR MUSIC MUSIC QUICKENS LIVELY ACOUSTIC MUSIC I have to say, Pippa, what is meant to be the BP in Gore does look astonishingly like the BP in Kumeu, West Auckland. Is that right? Hmmm! And we're in on the same act. Our topic for this year's School Ad Awards is animals. Sell us anything you like, but get a cute animal in your ad. Did you nick that off your kid? The product could be animal-related or not. It really doesn't matter ` just get an animal of any flavour in your ad. We'll have more info on the School Awards for you in term three. Now, is your steak not cooked how you ordered it? New fridge got a dent in it? Shop assistant was rude to you? Online order never turned up? Do you just take it, or are you good at complaining? I don't think this would fit you. Well, I didn't ask if it would fit. I asked how much it was. I don't think Kiwis as a culture are comfortable with that complaint process, and often we get it wrong. Big mistake. Big. Huge. Welcome back. We're already seen the power of a good complaint tonight. Shirley from Tokoroa spoke up, and the ACC rolled over once we got involved. So, as a nation, we're not that keen to complain, and not very good at it either. No, we're not. In fact I'm useless. It's a tricky one. How do you complain to get results? Sometimes it's just a matter of knowing where to start. Here's Mary Jane. Whether you've had bad service,... I don't think this would fit you. Well, I didn't ask if it would fit; I asked how much it was. ...you don't like your meal,... Uh, no, I'd like my money back now. Well, you ate most of it already. ...or you think you've been overcharged,... That'll be 40. 40? No. 10. Oh dear. That's no good. DING! DING! ...at some point, chances are you may to have to complain. And sadly for most of us, a big blowout on Rodeo Drive's out of the question. You work on commission, right? Uh, yes. Big mistake. Big. Huge. I don't think that Kiwis, as a culture, are comfortable with that complaint process, and often we get it wrong. Sara Chatwin is a registered psychologist. She says we need help complaining. I think we hold on to our issues and we bottle them up until we just explode, and of course, that can come across as a little bit unreasonable. I've had this older gentleman really throw a tantrum because we dimmed the lights a little bit too much. He, like, lost the plot. OK, so a tantie's not the best way to go about it. So the basic scenario is ` am I right? Can I prove I'm right? Who do I tell? Take Hannah's annoying kettle. So, fill the kettle up, put the lid down, put it on the thing, and... Every single time. How do i complain about that? Let's find someone who knows. Here at the Auckland Community Law Centre, they've seen their fair share of complaints. Here's Jacque Lethbridge. Hi. Welcome. We've asked her advice on ours, starting with a consumer question. You really need to first look to the supplier. So who you bought it from? Who you bought it from. And take your receipt. So it's the retailer's responsibility, but in some cases, the manufacturer will sort you out. Failing that, you could file a claim in the Disputes Tribunal. The issue with the jug ` obviously, you spent $45 to buy the jug, and it's $35 for application fee to the Disputes Tribunal. (CLICKS) Cheers, Jacque. What about this hypothetical scenario? So, the landlord ` she's putting up my rent. Only just moved in here. How do I complain about this? The Tenancy Tribunal is the place that you need to go to to deal with this sort of issue. They have a really user-friendly website. Cos he's only just moved in, really. He just simply would have no liability to the landlord. All the forms Garth needs for making a complaint are on the website. And he's got a great chance of success. Absolutely he does. Cheers, Jacque! But wait. There's more. Hang on a minute. My money's gone, but I haven't got my shoes. How do I complain about that? Well, this can be a tricky scenario. Typical Brodie. You really need to follow up with the seller in a timely way. Right, so that means an email or a letter. Get it in writing and follow it up with a phone call. And Jacque says don't be afraid to be persistent. Beyond that, it's just being willing to follow it up, because you could get fobbed off by particularly smaller companies. And she says by all means, use the Disputes Tribunal. Onya, Jacque! Sometimes, when it comes to complaining, it's just a matter of knowing where to start. Consumer NZ has some great letter templates on the internet. And if you're not so good with online stuff, there's help at hand. I would definitely recommend contacting a community law centre. That's what they're there to do to assist you solve your problems within a legal framework. So do we behave differently in different situations? If we feel we know the person, we tend to tread a little more carefully. If we are able to make an anonymous complaint, a social media complaint, we get a bit ballsy; we can become a bit brattish. Auckland restaurateur Michael Dearth agrees. He's been in the business 11 years and has seen this trick before. They'll be like, 'Oh, yeah, yeah. It's sweet. It's fine.' And then they'll go away, and then they'll tell all their friends what a horrible time they had. Your advice, then, on how people should complain? Early detection's always the best. You get people that will say after they ate their whole meal that they didn't enjoy it, and there's nothing left. If you're not happy, you should say that. Use your words. Just when you think this show is terrible, something wonderful happens. What? It ends. (GUFFAWS) I think that the way that you deliver a complaint speaks volumes about the response that you'll receive. OK! OK! I`! THUD! Ow! Whoaaa! THUD! Bye-bye! Yeah, good advice. Let it go if you're feeling angry. I really don't think it helps. No. Be nice. And more tips on successfully complaining on our webpage at TVNZ. So that is the show, but we will be on Facebook for the next half hour to answer your questions or your complaints. Our programme is all about your problems, your thoughts, so do contact us. We're on Facebook. Email us ` fairgo@tvnz.co.nz. Write to us ` private bag 92038, Auckland 1142. Now, we reckon you will be shocked at just how much your phone knows about you. Yes, we did promise to bring that story; it got bumped by our ACC investigation, but we will have it next week. TENSE MUSIC I really don't think I could live without it my smartphone. Do you think you could live without your smartphone? No. Probably not. He's most definitely not alone. 90% of us will have a smartphone by 2018. But did you also know that that phone is so smart, it's constantly tracking you and sending back that information to the manufacturer? My iPhone even knows that I have my hair cut every three weeks here at Maloney's, that I took the pup to the museum on a lazy Sunday and where and when I buy my groceries. How many apps on my phone are tracking me? Just about all of them ` your messages, your phone calls, your games, even your flashlight. Yes, even your phone flashlight can track you and even access your contacts.