(JAZZ MUSIC) - Tonight ` a climate crisis causing a rental nightmare. - I just don't think the law is prepared for the severity and intensity of these climate disasters that will happen in the future. - Plus ` how much should a tattoo cost? - It wasn't worth what they charged me for it, and then it wasn't agreed upon with the two sessions. - And the boot that wouldn't budge. - The only option is the emergency release at the very back ` you can imagine how fun that is to reach. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2024. - Tena koutou katoa. Welcome to the show. Look, we've seen how quickly disaster can rip away our homes and our sense of security, but what happens when you're renting? - When the house in our next story was struck by Cyclone Gabrielle, the occupants were struck by the confusion of those in charge, when it came to their rights as renters. - Home is where the heart is, so packing in a rush and leaving ` that's heartbreaking. - 100%, yeah. You need... you need that security. When something, life gets you down, there's nothing better than to be able to come home to your security blanket, your safe place, your space. - It's all about to be ripped away from Sam Armstrong, and so suddenly. - Within seven days, yeah. We were told last week that we had 90 days to vacate, because the house was being sold. And then on Monday, we received an email to say that we had seven days, so we now have to vacate by Sunday. - So let's look at where we are. This is the first thing you see when you arrive at Sam's home ` a card stuck to the letterbox, fixed there a year ago by an assessor from EQC. It's a white sticker ` it means this place is habitable after a disaster. That was Cyclone Gabrielle and the landslides it triggered on the hills here in Muriwai. Neighbours' homes had been flattened or damaged too badly to occupy, but Sam's home was fine. Yet once more, she's been pushed out. Why? - I'm not sure. Twice in a year, so, yeah, something's got to give. - It could be the land, someday. This bit's just been reclassified by the council as category three ` that indicates a future risk to life from a future extreme weather event, and council's offering a voluntary buyout funded by ratepayers and taxpayers. The first homes given that classification here were red-stickered, destroyed, vacant for months. But on some category three land, homes are white-stickered, just like Sam's place. Families are able to choose to live there, until days before they and the council complete a sale and purchase agreement. But in Sam's case, this is only her home, not her house ` she rents it, and that has made all the difference. - The homeowner has spoken to my partner and said it's completely unfair. They were trying to work with the council to let us stay at least out those 90 days, and the real-estate agent has just apologised and said, yeah, there's nothing that they can do. - We've spoken to Auckland Council, to the landlord, to his agent; we reckon it all comes back to one thing ` a short note from Auckland Council's Recovery Office. Is it advice, is it information, is it correct, is it just confusing? It explains... white placards mean light or no damage ` the house can be used, not necessarily that it's safe. And that category 3 means there is an intolerable risk to life at the property. Then it quickly directs the agent to Section 59 of the Residential Tenancies Act. We looked it up. Section 59 allows for that brutally short seven-day notice period to cancel a tenancy, if the premises are destroyed or are so seriously damaged as to be uninhabitable. But the house is fine, so can that law actually be used here? - There has to be actual destruction for that seven-day notice to even kick in, and it doesn't sound like there's actual destruction. - So should they have been given this seven-day notice? - No. We're talking about potential destruction to the property ` we're not talking about actual destruction. - When she isn't parenting a newborn, Sarina Gibbon manages advice for Auckland property investors. She can sympathise with getting that note from the council. - Very alarming, yes, very alarming, and, understandably, it would spur people to act or react very, very quickly. - But not necessarily wisely. - Sounds like they were trying to do the right thing. - Sarina urges landlords to have a candid conversation about what's best for everyone, as tenancy law also allows... - Mutually agreeable termination, at a date and time that is both humane to the tenant and pragmatic to the landlord. - That actually sounds like where Sam's landlord was trying to get to with this. He didn't want to be on TV, but he wants people to know that this is his only property. It's where he'd hoped to retire one day, and that Sam and her partner were good tenants, people he'd offered short-term accommodation with his relatives to help them shift out. - At the end of the day, I'm not a lawyer and rely on the legal advice team at my letting agent, who told me they had to change notice period and give a seven-day notice and had already done so that morning. - The agent says in the many inspections since Gabrielle, the house looked fine, but he felt he had no choice after a phone call with Tenancy Services, then that note from council. - This was not a decision made lightly ` however, the health and safety of our tenants is not just a legal obligation, but a moral obligation, which we take incredibly seriously. - Auckland Council sent us a video statement to explain itself. - In trying to be helpful, our team included links to Section 59 of the Residential Tenancies Act. We could have been much clearer with that information and particularly that the home was habitable and that it was up to the tenant and the landlord together to make a decision whether to stay or not. - Auckland Council told the agent later it was not giving advice, but by then, nobody was willing to back off. - I just don't think the law is prepared for the severity and intensity of these climate disasters that will happen in the future. - Renters United says it's a new instance of an old story. - I think in this country, we've got this idea that renters are basically temporarily-embarrassed homeowners, so we don't really design the laws around looking after renters, and they're not placed at the centre of our considerations, like property owners are. - Just imagine if people had stopped for a minute, and talked more and checked further ` well, perhaps Sam and her partner could have stayed living out here until just before the council completed the buyout process with the landlord. Instead, the owners miss out on months of rent, while Sam and her fam have faced huge unexpected costs. - I had to take emergency leave from work. It's finding storage sheds, it's finding last-minute people; removalists that can come and help us, it's flying Nan up to help us out ` it's all of the above to be able to just get this done. - She's had to find $7500 until the bond clears, while packing and house-hunting inside a week. - 3500 houses ` rentals ` in Auckland at the moment. It takes us down to about 80, that, 'Pets OK.' Dogs, then, yeah, we're sitting at about... 20 or 30 houses that would accept two dopey Labradors. - So that really puts a premium on having plenty of time to make the move. - 100%. 100%. - It's gonna be a miracle if you can find a place, then, straight away. - Yep, we just gotta put it out into the universe, and hopefully, yeah, something will come up. OK. - While we're there, Sam takes a call about one of those Lab-friendly rentals. - Oh, thank you so much. Awesome. OK. Bye-bye. Oh! We got the house. (CHUCKLES) Oh my goodness. - Wow. A huge weight off your mind. - Yeah. I feel like crying. But happiness. - (BOTH CHUCKLE) - Yeah. We're not gonna be homeless! - The rent will be higher, but it buys some peace of mind, to recover. - (CHUCKLES) - Renters, Auckland Council will tell tenants what category the land is, if asked, so ask. - Yes, ask. E haere ake nei, coming up ` it's only eight years old, so why has this car part been discontinued? - One, two, three. Ah, nice. - That's us. - Hopefully Fair Go can pull on some bigger strings. - Plus ` the tattoo that did not go to plan. - I was, like, 'What?' Like, I was honestly in disbelief. Where are you off to? To get the flu jab. You coming? Nah. I won't get the flu. (QUIRKY MUSIC) Touch wood. (QUIRKY MUSIC CONTINUES) WOMAN: Kia ora! Are you here for the flu jab? Hey. VOICEOVER: Don't leave it to chance. (JAZZ MUSIC) - Kia ora, nau mai, hoki mai. Welcome back. A tattoo is for life, so you really want to get it right. - Yes, but it's important the price is right too. So you'd think setting a strict budget would do the job, wouldn't you? (BUZZING) - Every tattoo tells a story, but some have a plot twist that's... unexpected. - Do you like it? - No regerts. - (SIGHS) - Dan just wanted to be sure his story would end perfectly, because, as with all ta moko,... - I do have Maori in my family. - ...the meaning behind his was deeply personal. - There's the meeting of two souls, which is me and Kayla; the new life, so Lachie, my son; my friend Cody who passed away, so, yeah, from brain cancer; and then my traits ` pretty, I guess, loving and care about things deeply, yeah. - So he really cared when he didn't get what he expected... - The bottom, here, isn't finished up to there, and then the top is actually meant to come up to about halfway. - ...and that he felt misled by Zealand Tattoo in Queenstown. - It wasn't worth what they'd charged me for it, and then it wasn't agreed upon with the two sessions. - But let's go back. Kayla and Dan are busy. Dan works long hours as a mechanic, and he's training as a fire and emergency volunteer. Kayla juggles keeping her own dog-grooming business going, keeping Lachie well fed and, well, just keeping up. - Doing all my invoicing, online groceries and everything else that you don't have time for. - They live in Gore, and it's rare they get away, but the chance came for a weekend break and to both get the tattoos they'd planned for so long. - We had a voucher from my parents to stay in Queenstown, so finally, we found a weekend that worked for my parents to look after Lachie. - Short of time and money, though, they had strict criteria, to have the tattoos done in a single sitting and to stick to budget, especially as back then, Kayla had injured her arm. - I'm self-employed ` I don't get paid sick days. - Kayla found one studio, but it couldn't take them both. - Like, lot quite full, especially with it being ` it was meant to be a full-day session. - So for Dan, she came across Zealand Tattoo. The reviews looked great, and... - Zane seemed very willing to help. I was, like, 'Wow, 'these people, you know, they really wanna get this done for Dan.' - So she discussed the budget with manager Zane Swanston by email. As with many studios, no definite quote, but Kayla agreed to a deposit of $100 and bought a voucher for $1000, saying a few hundred dollars more on the day was the most they could afford. - I feel like I had stressed the budget multiple times. I was under the understanding, the impression that Dan was going in that day and was going to walk out with a complete piece. - So off they went, having booked Dan in ` a decision they were about to regert ` regret. Once there, Dan says he was persuaded to top up the voucher to $1400 in total. You thought that was for the whole thing? - Yes, I did. Yeah. - But about two hours later... - He just said, 'Oh, one more line to go, and then I'm finished for the day.' And I was, like, 'Uh, I don't think so.' - It's not $1400 worth ` it's absolutely not. - And I asked him what would it cost me to finish it, then, if this is what it's cost to get to this point, and he said you'd be paying anywhere between 2.5 to 3.2. - Confused, Dan left and rang Kayla. - I was, like, 'Wait. What?' Like, I was in honestly in disbelief. So I was, like, typing, like, 'Absolutely not ` 'go back in.' (LAUGHS) Like, go back in. - He did. - He said, 'You either have to come back for another session and pay more 'or, yeah, you just won't get your money,' and I said, 'I'm unsure if you will see me for another session, 'but yep.' And then just left, cos` Yeah. - I guess that's as angry as Dan gets, is it? - (LAUGHS) Yeah. I was so gutted for Dan. It was just meant to be something that was so special for him, and for someone to just completely disregard that, yeah, that really pissed me off. - Because this is Dan's, unfinished for $1400, and Kayla's, finished on the day, for $300 less. Now, prices will vary, so we checked with a few studios, and most said $1000 to $1500, but for a finished, filled-in shoulder ta moko, depending on size. Kayla felt Zealand Tattoo had misled them and the customer care was terrible. Others told Fair Go that too, like Courtney Daniel, saying she was originally quoted $400, but asked to pay $750. She doesn't even like the result. Elliot Chan says he was told he'd only get a 'bubblegum sticker' for his $500 coupon gift card and that he could 'cry about it if he liked'. He stuck to $500, got 45 minutes, and this, which at least he likes. And on Zealand's Facebook, more bad reviews. Kayla added hers. - And he blocked me. - So she emailed. - We sent that two days after the session, and that's coming up three months ago now, and, yeah, we had not heard anything. - So she took Zane Swanston to the Disputes Tribunal. He got a letter about it. - So then all of sudden, we get this email. - He offered a $500 refund, falsely claiming they'd agreed a price, and gave no apology. An apology is what they were after, so rather than accept the offer, they came to Fair Go. We got in touch with the manager. No three-month wait for us ` he got back to us the same day, with another confidential offer and to say it was a misunderstanding, but what they wanted was accountability. - Would have been really nice for him to... for him to agree to talk to you and just apologise, and I would have loved to hear him say, 'I'm gonna change the way I run my business.' - But with no change in sight, they're accepting the money and speaking out, warning others to be very wary of pricing with Zealand Tattoo. - Fair Go's gonna be enough, hopefully, to make people aware. - So how did your tattoo go? - (LAUGHS) No. I don't even have my ears pierced. That's how, like, not OK with needles I am. - We may be the last two people in New Zealand who don't have tattoos. - E haere ake nei, coming up ` the boot and the car company that would not budge. - We don't make it, we don't stock it, we don't keep it ` there's nothing else we can do. (R & B MUSIC) (PHONE CHIMES) OK, OK! My Uber One membership savings don't disappoint. (MUSIC STOPS) You know what is disappointing? I was in one of the most iconic girl groups and no-one recognises me. (SCOFFS) MAN: Michelle! (R & B MUSIC) Michelle, you spit that out! Hmm? Naughty Michelle! Michelle, naughty! (MUTTERS) Who calls their dog Michelle? Sorry, but are you Michelle Williams? Yes! (CHUCKLES) Yeah. (R & B MUSIC) Dropped your wallet. (MUSIC STOPS) At least my Uber One savings don't disappoint. (R & B MUSIC) Can't take you anywhere, Michelle! (JAZZ MUSIC) - Kia ora, nau mai, hoki mai ` welcome back. Of all the things that could wrong with your car, a boot that won't open might seem like a small one. - Uh-uh, but for the couple in our next story, the problem has become much larger than they ever imagined. Kaitlin has the story. (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC) - If Darryl and Caroline didn't take corners carefully before, they do now. - Did you make sure you put the eggs on the ground? - No, I'm more worried about the milk. - Up until now, their eight-year-old Hyundai hatchback has been as good as new. - It's nifty and light on petrol ` it's just a nice little car. - They bought it for 12 grand from a retired couple back in 2020. But just 23,000 K's into the Accent Elite's short life, it clamped up. - The boot won't open, for some reason. - All four doors still open freely, but the boot will not budge. So, what happened? - Nothing. Pretty much nothing. So, it started off with the boot not opening, push the button a couple of times, and it would open and close intermittently, and then it just stopped completely. - It's been that way for a year. In that time, the backseats have taken a beating. - Especially as I'm an early childhood teacher, I'm like a bag lady. (CHUCKLES) - But she's nervous about more than what's moving about. - I'm always wary about the car getting broken into, because, you know, you always leave stuff on the back. - There's no lever here at the front, so the only option is the emergency release at the very back. You can imagine how fun that is to reach. The couple took it into a Hyundai dealership here in Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland. - They initially thought it was the button for the boot, so they said bring it in, and they'll hook it all up, and then they'll give us a complete diagnosis. - What was supposed to take a few hours took three days, finding a suspected fault with the Body Control Module, BCM for short. - It tells the boot to open when you send the signal to the main computer, and there's a few other things that it, obviously, controls. - The diagnostics alone cost the couple $530. But although the dealer found the problem, it didn't have a solution. It had checked with Hyundai, and there were no replacement parts. - The only route they suggested was to go down the second-hand market. They said if we could track one down, then either anybody could fit it or we could bring it back to them. - Do you know what you're looking for? - (LAUGHS) No. Absolutely no idea. I've never done one ` so they basically said it was a module, they gave us a part number, and I started to google. - The dealer had told Darryl he'd need to find an exact match. - Some companies that had sort of modules or they repaired modules, but they said they hadn't heard of that number. - After weeks of fruitless searching, Darryl went directly to Hyundai New Zealand. - It's their vehicle, it's their parts ` they should know everything on it. - But the response was the same. - We don't make it, we don't stock it, we don't keep it ` there's nothing else we can do. - Under the CGA, manufacturers must take reasonable action to ensure parts are available for a reasonable period of time. So what does that mean for a car? - Vehicles are an interesting case, cos with most products, it's quite ambiguous how long a reasonable period of time is, but with a vehicle, we've got a lot of data about the age of the cars in our passenger fleet. - Paul Smith from Consumer is talking about data held by the Ministry of Transport, which tells us the average age of a car on our roads is nearly 15 years old. - I think it's quite reasonable that if you're a manufacturer selling a car in New Zealand, you should support the car for at least the average period. - Because it's the manufacturer's responsibility to supply parts, you can go straight to them, rather than through the retailer you bought the car from. In Darryl and Caroline's case, they bought their Hyundai from another couple in a private sale, so they're not protected by the Consumer Guarantees Act, but Paul says that shouldn't matter ` it all comes back to what is reasonable. - If you've bought a car that may be five or six years old, and you've bought it privately, you'd still expect the manufacturer to cover that, even if it's not absolutely laid out in your Consumer Rights Act. - And not to be left with a dud. - I know it's a boot, but it's a big part of the vehicle ` no one's gonna buy it if half the thing doesn't work. - A little help would go a long way. - Even if they had just said, 'Listen, we don't sell it, 'but we can get you a technical person on the phone 'or an email address of someone that can try and help you solve it.' (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC) - Instead, they've had to get creative. So you've figured out some sort of workaround? - So we've managed to figure out if we can get a little bit of rope from the backseat to the emergency quick release, if you give it a tug, and I lift at the same time ` we need two people. - Two people? - Yeah. - OK. - You should be able to open it. You don't have to pull it too hard. - All right. One, two, three. Ah, nice. - That's us. - Hopefully, Fair Go can pull on some bigger strings. We got in touch with the team at Hyundai New Zealand and laid out the issue. Hyundai wouldn't be interviewed and didn't answer any of our specific questions, but they were on the phone to Darryl in a flash. - When they contacted us, they acknowledged that they should have moved the problem up the ladder a little bit more. Even though their systems said they don't have parts, the vehicle was only sort or seven or eight years old. - Hyundai explained BCM modules are made by a third-party manufacturer, and they'd stopped making them, because there was next to no demand. But they ordered a new one in for Darryl and Caroline and covered the original $500 bill from the dealership. - They refunded every bit of money that we had spent up to then, and they installed the part at their cost. - We had to see it for ourselves. - Look at that. - Yay! I just wanna say thank you to Fair Go, because we wouldn't have got this done as quickly as we did. - Maybe one more time, just to be sure. - (CLICK!) - Yes! - Oh! You know what? You might think it's quite small, but that would be so frustrating, so nice work, Kaity, getting it sorted. - Right, that's it from us, but if you only caught part of the show, you can catch all of it on TVNZ+. - Yes, that's right ` our programme is all about you, so please do get in touch. - You can email us, write to us or find us on Facebook. - Right. Thanks for watching. I'm off to check if we let the camera person out of the boot (!) Until next week,... - BOTH: ...pomarie.