1 Tonight ` many a holiday has been ruined by bad weather. That's why you buy travel insurance when you go travelling. This is, like, the biggest thing we've done. Sadly, strong wings cancelled their flight. I was stunned. And a tough stance by their insurance company has really blown them away. You think they are calling you a liar. Yeah. And... roadside carnage. Of course, if it wasn't malicious, just an accident, say, you'd understand. Someone smashed Moses' motor. You can see the front guard there is` Oh, it's pakaru. It's pakaru, yeah. But the culprit ` a very large culprit ` has refused to cough up. I always have to chase them. And it's been, what, like, eight months now? Yeah. Plus ` wrap rage. We get stuck into some super strong packaging. I can't do it! Copyright Able 2017 Kia ora. Welcome to the show. Kiwis are taking to the skies like never before. Last year alone, 2.6 million New Zealanders took a trip overseas. But globetrotting isn't without risk, and happy memories can fade faster than a good tan when holidays go bad. Here's Anna. When Mother Nature takes a turn for the worse, it can wreak havoc with people's lives ` homes destroyed, roads and high ways are washed out, and travel plans thrown into disarray. Sometimes, we can see when bad weather's on the way, but not always. That's why you buy travel insurance when you go travelling. Ahh! That's what the Buttars did. Leigh and husband, Steve, spent a year saving hard for the trip of a lifetime ` a cruise from Brisbane through the Pacific. This is, like, you know, the biggest thing that we've done, yeah, forever, for me. Mm. So, yeah, no, it was` it was pretty important. The day the Buttars left their Cromwell home was a bit grey, but otherwise fine. They headed to Queenstown airport and checked in for their flight to Brisbane. But then... We'd been there for probably two hours, and they started cancelling domestic flights due to wind. And there was a Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney flight, so we all went through Duty Free and stood in the big glass windows, watching planes try to land. Plane after plane swooping in and then taking off again. In the afternoon, their flight was cancelled due to high winds. Desperate to make it to Brisbane to catch the boat, the Buttars offered to drive to Dunedin, where planes were still taking off. But they were foiled once again, this time by a weather bomb that brought heavy rainfall, flooding, slips and road closures. They were cut of at Lawrence, forced to stay the night. Well, it was about 3am when it was still raining. I started, like, thinking, 'This is it. We're not gonna make it.' The flight from Dunedin left without them, and missing the plane meant missing the boat. The cruise had set sail. We'd had friend that took their holidays to come and housesit our dogs and have a holiday here. And so, we just couldn't` we just couldn't not go. This was our only opportunity to go, so we had to do something. The family decided to use their flight credit and head to the much sunnier tropical paradise of Rarotonga ` five days of sunshine and fun. We did awesome stuff. We hired scooters and just explored. Every morning, we went somewhere different. It was brilliant. It was. We went to one of their native fire shows at night. And you did a bit of sunbathing, Steve. Got a good tan. (LAUGHS) Oh yeah, I did, actually. But they'd had to fork out thousands last minute for a place to stay and some spending money. How much are you out of pocket? About 4300. So, when they got home, Leigh decided to claim the lost cruise on her travel insurance. I did it quite smartly when we got back, cos I didn't want to be, sort of` having it drag on forever. And it was probably five days after I lodged the claim, I had my first letter of decline. The response from Cover-More, the insurance company, included a news article about the weather. I was stunned. I was absolutely stunned. For one, the link they had used for New Zealand Herald ` I mean, New Zealand Herald isn't very relevant in Central Otago. And then had a look that it was an actual link to their website, which I've never been on before in my life either, watched the weather forecast and saw that it was for heavy rain and snow, which wasn't even the reason that our flight was cancelled. It wasn't raining. Yeah, there was no rain. There was no snow. It was wind. Leigh's been accused of only buying the travel insurance once she knew bad weather was on the way. It's true the Buttars paid for their trip in stages, but not because of the weather. We were saving to go on this trip, so we staggered everything. We did a deposit for the cruise, and then the full payment comes in, then we bought tickets and then we bought our insurance. Yeah, and we bought drinks packages for the boat. Yeah, the very last thing. (BOTH LAUGH) Their travel insurance was booked three days before they left, that was July the 18th, and Cover-More says on that day, three hours before Leigh bought the insurance, there was a mass-media warning of severe weather on the way. They pointed the Buttars to this article from the New Zealand Herald, a newspaper that's not even delivered to Cromwell. How often do you guys read the New Zealand Herald? We never do. I've never read it in my life. (CHUCKLES) If we have a newspaper, if we know something's gonna be in it, it's the Otago Daily Times. Where do you get your news from? Mainly the news at 6 o'clock at night. Well, here's what happened on the 6 o'clock news the night before Leigh booked her travel insurance. And when we talk frosts here ` easily below freezing. Just some inland spots. A little bit of cloud. What about bad weather for Queenstown? But a decent, dry-looking day. Long-range weatherman Dan was predicting... We get the cold air wrapping behind it, that'll drop off snow level... Still no high wind warnings. I honestly just thought, yeah, it was just a bit of a joke. It was` This is really clawing at desperate measures not to, like, pay out on our claim. We asked Cover-More to take another look at its decision, and they told us media reports at the time... The Buttars should have realised that meant flight cancellations were a foreseeable event. But that seems really unfair. The bad weather that did arrive had nothing to do with the Buttars flight being cancelled. We went to MetService who told us... After all, Air New Zealand was still trying to fly that day. Leigh reckons Cover-More should explain why it didn't give the weather warning when she went to book online instead of waiting to blame her for not knowing a storm was coming. I just think it's a really big call to make, judging a person. You think they're calling you a liar. Yeah. Well, they were, weren't they? Yeah. Cover-More says if the Buttars aren't happy, they should appeal to the ombudsman. They will. Yeah, it baffles me that they` And just maybe hope people won't fight and they won't pay. It just doesn't seem right, does it? No, not at all. It is important to remember that the Buttars' travel woes began in Queenstown with high winds. Now, we've double-checked with the MetService. They forecasted heavy rain and snow, but that didn't occur. They tell us no one could have known about strong southerly winds and high gusts that affected flights because there was no forewarning about that for inland Otago. Cover-More maintain the flight cancellations had become a foreseeable event. They told us... Now, if you are struggling with that, they also sent a second analogy. Now, we struggle with the fact that Cover-More is placing more emphasis on media reports than the actual MetService forecast. Ultimately, the insurance ombudsman will decide, and we will let you know the result. All right, coming up` have a break, have some oxygen, we're gonna come back with the magnifying glass, and we're gonna go all Sherlock Holmes. Where would Sherlock Holmes be without Dr Watson? Someone smashed Moses' motor. You can see the front guard there is` Oh, it's pakaru. There was no note, but plenty of clues led to a supersize culprit. I always have to chase them. They never called back. And it has been, like, eight months now? Yeah, it's eight months already. And ` the ultimate workout can be found in your pantry. I can't do it! What's going on with food packaging? I get very frustrated. Welcome back. It's time to tip our hat to 'citizen detective'. There's nothing more frustrating than parking your car, popping into the shop and discovering it's been dinged, dented or damaged by some wing nut while you were away. Most of us take it on the chin, but there are a select few who see this as a chance to go all CSI. Here's Garth. Is there anything more annoying than someone wrecking your stuff,... trashing your prized possession,... leaving you with a mess and a mystery? Wouldn't you love to know whodunnit? Of course, if it wasn't malicious, just an accident, say, you'd probably understand. You'd hope they'd do the decent thing, though, and leave you a note, because if it's a hit-and-run, it can be a real whodunnit. To solve it, you'd need to do some detective work. This seems a little ridiculous, but the game is afoot, as they say. Where would Sherlock Holmes be without Dr Watson? I'll leave you to work out who's really in charge here. CSI Onehunga styles. Moses Parker has been investigating a car crash, and his game is strong. OK, Moses, walk me through it. Exhibit A ` Moses' second-hand Audi. This is the vehicle? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What's the problem, exactly? Well, you can see the front guard there's, um... Pakaru. It's pakaru, yeah, more or less. Completely pakaru, basically, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. That's stuffed. The car had been parked legally outside his house in Onehunga, just up from the bus stop ` a stop that's often blocked by others parking there illegally. What happened? Oh, the bus hit me a couple of weeks before Christmas. Were you all right? Uh, I was inside the house, at the time. Best place to be, if you're gonna be in a bus crash. We're getting ahead of ourselves. Moses didn't see what happened. He had little to go on. There was no note, but there were clues. Of course, the bus lens I found there also, right next to it. The lens from their light? From their light, yeah. It was right there with all the debris that was there. Moses got to work collecting evidence. I took it up the road, and I sorta measured it with a bus. It fitted exactly. Moses was building a case. That was my investigation also. The wheel nuts, they were extruding out further than normally. And that seemed to be about the same height as the scratches. Oh, they were exactly the same height. You got the` measured it and all that? Yeah, yeah. I measured it. There were hot leads and setbacks. We had a witness right on the spot. You had a witness? Well, I had a witness, but gone to China. Yep, gone back to China ` no reply. Moses worked out the bus had to be from Go Bus. They operate this route and hundreds of others. So, when you went to the bus company, what did they say? They said they'd look into it. He says he called in just before Christmas, two and a half weeks after the prang. Go Bus staff took copies of his photos. Go Bus told us it has no record of that complaint. They never called. I waited for weeks. So I went back there again. I said the same thing, spoke with a different person. I told them what I said earlier. And they said to me, oh, well, they'll look into it again. Have they ever called you or have you always had to chase them? I always have to chase them. They never call back. And it's been, like, what, eight months now? Yeah, eight months already. Of course, if he'd been insured, none of this running around would have been necessary, but Moses had let the insurance lapse on this car. He was about to sell it when the accident happened. Put you back a bit, eh? A lot. A very lot, yeah. Can sell this, can ya? No, I couldn't sell it as it is now. This wouldn't be the coldest case, but to crack it, we needed that witness. A few texts and what do you know ` he was back from his travels. We're gonna call you Secret Witness A. Does that sound right? So, you were on the bus that day? It was pretty clear that the bus actually hit this car, then? Didn't leave a note. Secret Witness A put his name to a statement,... Just anywhere underneath there. You can sign underneath and put a date. ...and we put that to Go Bus with his details and a simple question ` where was the note, the one the driver should have left Moses? Because leaving a note is more than just doing the decent thing ` it's the law. The Land Transport Act Section 22, to be precise. It's a driver's duty to report a prang involving a parked car unless they have a reasonable excuse, like they were injured or arrested. They have 48 hours to contact the owner with their name, address, where it happened and the rego of the vehicle involved. If they can't reach the owner, they have another 12 hours to tell police. They don't have to say whose fault it was, but reporting it is a must not a maybe. The fine can be up to $5000 if police choose to prosecute. Go Bus has got the message. It's reminded its staff to complete an Accident Reporting Card and leave it under the window of any damaged vehicle. Go Bus also left us a note in the email inbox. He added confusion about dates lead to the insurance company closing the file prematurely. It's been a very stressing time. For Moses, this is now case closed. Exhibit A is headed to the panel beater, and he won't be seeing the bill. Well, I'm glad that Fair Go got involved, put it that way. Now, that is a good result, but I am a little bit alarmed about the perfectly good car that Garth was trashing. Oh, yeah. I can help you there. Good question, but no need to worry. We need to thank our friends at the 'Broken Car Collection Company'. The let Garth go all crazy on the car cos it was about to go into the crusher. That is good to know. Right, it is time to talk couriers, because if we had a dollar for every gripe we get about couriers, well, let's just say, I wouldn't be standing here right now. Where would you be? I would be on a tropical island somewhere. I would be jealous of that. They are a constant source of consumer grumbles, so we thought we'd move from the bottom of the cliff to the top and show you how to complain the right way. This is Brad. My friends call me B-Rad. He's got a complaint about a courier. Uh-huh. Because recently, Brad bought six glasses online. Wine glasses. Chardonnay. They got delivered to his home, and Brad signed for the parcel. But when he opened it, he saw one glass was cracked. Right down the side. And that made Brad sad. What can I do? Well, Brad, you've got a few options. First, take photos of the damage, make a note of the time and date of the delivery and keep a hold of the packaging. You need to talk to the courier company involved, but act quickly ` many companies ask for claims to be made within seven days. I'd best get on to it. It's also worth contacting the company or person you bought the glasses from, in some cases, they'll send out a replacement. If you can't resolved your problem, you might be able to take a claim to the disputes tribunal. It deals with claims of up to $20,000 and hears cases on almost anything. Sounds expensive. You do have to pay a small fee to use it. In your case, about $45. So, Brad, it really depends how much those glasses are worth. Yeah, you're right. And Brad, next time, check the goods before you sign for them. If they're not right, don't accept them. Make sense, Brad? Well, let's toast to that, then. Can I just say thank you. I learnt a lot. (CHUCKLES) You're welcome. Next week, we're gonna turn our attention to online shopping. Mm, yes, I've had a few issues there. Right. Coming up after the break ` we get to grips with some real tough packaging. It's the ultimate kitchen workout. I can't do it! When did scissors and knives become mandatory to open every day packaging? Wrap rage ` it really is a thing. I get very frustrated. Welcome back. In the battle to open modern day packaging, more and more of us are being forced to arm ourselves with scissors and knives. Yes. Tell me about it. Unless you were born with the strength of Conan the Barbarian or the sharp claws of Cruella De Vil, that's the lady with the Dalmatians ` or stole the Dalmatians, it's almost impossible to avoid a trip to the A&E ward. Maybe. You might be exaggerating a bit there, but 'wrap rage' is a very real thing. I can't do it. The Fair Go Frustrated Openers Society is three strong. God save us. (CHUCKLES) You go like that and it opens. I get very frustrated. There's Bob, former detective. That one's been damaged during an arrest. They've milked a lot of cows. Joyce milked cows 20 years, and Irene handled money and goods in retail. They're all coming out of retirement today to open things for us. Jam jars. You see, we haven't got the twist. I get very... (CLEARS THROAT) Yeah, I won't use that word, but I do. Will you turn it off so I can swear? I think I'm even-tempered, but when I get wild, the Irish comes out in me. She stamps her foot when she gets wild. No, I throw things. Item one ` Proper Crisps, made in Nelson. Good chips, but sometimes hard to open. Bob was first. Joyce wrestled with hers. Irene persevered. I'm going to see if there's any instructions. (JOYCE AND BOB LAUGH) It was quite a fight. Ooh! Next is milk. I get totally frustrated. Bob struggles with milk. I have a pair of pliers, which I just use to whip the top off the milk. Not today. He's first. No, you see, my hands must be terrible. She has no trouble with the crackers. I can't get these stupid things. Oh, God! Joyce, on the other hand... I did it. They're good with G'n'T. (CHUCKLES) The peanut butter was smooth. Whoa! How did you do that? Bob doesn't use spices. He cooks with... Salt. I'm glad I'm not living with you. But he could open them. They have nice little pull tabs. Yoghurt was more of a problem. I` (EXHALES) Cat food took some time. (GRUNTS) Your cat's not gonna eat tonight. No so fast, Bob. (LAUGHTER) Then there's this ` Oh, no. dishwashing powder. It just about broke Joyce. I'll wet my pants. (ALL LAUGH) And food producers, listen up, because our openers say they buy based on packaging. I don't buy things that I know I'm gonna have hassles with. Already splashed myself with it. Bob especially liked the milk. These were easier to get open. I'll probably buy them next time I go to the supermarket. It's a frustrating waste of time, but then you turn around to yourself and say, 'Well, I am a geriatric.' (CHUCKLES) Oh no! We finish with something they've never heard of. What are they? It's a Chupa Chup. Called what? Chudder Chops. Nearly, Bob. Chupa Chups. Chupa Chips? It's their first ever. After this experience, I don't think I'll buy 'em. Nearly there. If they can just open them,... Oh, they're quite nice, but I still wouldn't buy them. ...then they may enjoy them. They're all right. Philippa Toni Wetzell. (CHUCKLES) Sounds serious. You know how you think you're better than me at everything? Mm-hm. Maybe. You mostly have been so far. I bet you can't open this by the time I read the responses from the companies. You up for it? OK. You're on. On your marks, get set, go. We contacted all the companies involved ` Greggs, manufacturers of Oregano Spice say... Proper Crisps tell us... Collective Yoghurt say... Whiskas Cat Food say... Watties tell us... Watties are sending our panel a couple of top-opening openers to try out ` good luck to them. Brilliant. You've not only opened it, you're halfway through it. I've half finished it. They aren't easy to open, though, these, I have to say. Before we go, can I just say well done to all parents, teachers and kids who've embraced this year's Kids' Ad Awards. We've received ` get this ` over 200 entries, and thanks again to Canon for those fabulous prizes. The winners will be announced at the end of next month. Good luck to everyone. Very exciting. So, that's the show, but we will be on Facebook for the next half hour to answer your questions. As always, the programme is called Fair Go, so if you feel like you're not getting a fair go, please do contact us. You can join us on Facebook, or you can email us ` fairgo@tvnz.co.nz, or write to us ` Private Bag 92038, Auckland, 1142. That's our show. Until next week, po marie. Copyright Able 2017