Choice (Chippendale, Australia) articles from March 2006

Choice (Chippendale, Australia) archives from March 2006

Image vs reality.(healthier fast foods)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Finally--whether prompted by genuine concerns for community health or fears of obesity-related litigation--most fast-food giants (and many smaller chains) have started to promote new, apparently healthier ranges of food options. With words...

Sniff out a scam.(reports on scamsters)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The old adage, "f it sounds too good to be true, it probably is", has never been more applicable than it is to sniffing out an attempt to deprive you of your hard-earned money. Whether it's in the real world or online, scares are becoming...

Up to scratch.(guide for buying scourers)(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2006... With the latest in plasma TV technology (page 12) to contemplate, it's often easy to forget the small things in life--like scourer sponges. But CHOICE aims to advise you on what's best in whatever you buy, from a sleek new appliance down to the...

Identity fraud is a real risk.(choice cuts)
March 1, 2006... Identity theft can have serious financial consequences, including damage to your ability to get credit that can be difficult to fix, says CHOICE Money & Rights, Feb/Mar 2006. Identity theft is the misuse of your personal details to commit...

More on warranties.(interesting titbits on warranties)
March 1, 2006... Warranties are an intricate subject that always raises new questions. So here's the lowdown on a few interesting titbits you asked about. When you get a product replaced under warranty, shouldn't the replacement product be guaranteed for...

Dishwashers.(CORRECTION)(Correction notice)
March 1, 2006... CHOICE, Jan/Feb 2006 In footnote (C) on page 42 we said the MAYTAG MJD3005ANW had been discontinued. In fact only the MJD2000AAW and MJD3000AAW have been discontinued (though you may still find some in shops); the MJD3005ANW is still available....

Changed your life?(choice cuts)
March 1, 2006... A big thank you to all of you who wrote in after our request last year to tell us how CHOICE has affected your life or habits. It's great to hear that so many of you consult CHOICE before buying products and services and base your purchase...

Fresh isn't always better.(presence of antioxidants in processed tomatoes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The often held view that fresh tomatoes are healthier doesn't hold for all nutrients, Germany's Test magazine reports. When it tested canned tomatoes, whole and in pieces, and pureed tomatoes (passata), it found that the processed product...

Fake diamonds.(WORLD CONSUMER SNAPSHOT)
March 1, 2006... Fake diamonds are becoming increasingly common, reports NZ Consumer magazine. They're bought overseas, from travelling traders or over the internet. They're either completely fake (synthetic cubic zirconia or synthetic moissanite) or poor-grade...

Genuine fake.(fake advertising)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Talking about fake, an entry from the US Consumer Reports' 'Selling it' page (the equivalent of our Hard Word) caught our attention: an ad that offered 'a FREE GENUINE faux 9 Carat Sapphire Pendant'. "Using logic," remarks the magazine, "would...

Not adding up.(your letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... As it became increasingly difficult for me to help my son with his maths homework I began looking into getting him some outside help. I found that tutors cost around $30-$35 for a lesson and thought my son would need around three lessons a...

JB Hi-Fi.(THUMBS IP!)
March 1, 2006... John Shore bought a portable DVD player from JB HI-FI in Miranda, NSW, with the hope of entertaining his son during the family's upcoming drive to Melbourne, only to find it to be faulty. When he returned it to the store he was told the repair...

Sunbeam.(THUMBS IP!)
March 1, 2006... When one of the controls on Judy White's electric blanket broke, she contacted SUNBEAM to find out where she could buy a replacement. In less than a week SUNBEAM sent out two complimentary controls for either side of her queen-size blanket,...

Letter of the month.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... We want to hear from you--your experiences help our research and often let other readers know about scams and rip-offs. Positive outcomes you've had to a complaint you took to a manufacturer, retailer, importer or tradesperson interest us too....

FlyBuys woes.(your letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... I've had a FlyBuys card for the last three years. A couple of months ago I decided to look at what I could get with my points, as the first of them would be expiring soon. What a disappointment (tongue firmly in cheek there) to find there was...

The Big Mac you have ... ... when you're not having a Big Mac.(recipes and menus of fast foods)
March 1, 2006... Healthy is the new fast-food black: if they're not reinventing their restaurants with a complete menu makeover, they're adding 'lighter options' to appeal to customers who generally avoid fast food fat and certainly don't want fries with that....

The bold and the beautiful: what to look for in a plasma TV.(TEST: 106 cm plasma TVs)
March 1, 2006... The appeal of plasma is easy to appreciate when standing in front of eight screens each over a metre wide, as we did during our testing. In a lounge room you're only likely to have the one, but when it's on there'll be little else that can...

High-interest risks.(fake advertisements)
March 1, 2006... Have you been tempted by adverts promising 'safe and secure' investments returning interest at fixed rates that are considerably higher than conservative investments like government bonds and bank deposits? According to the Feb/Mar 2006 edition...

Want more money info?(hip pocket)
March 1, 2006... CHOICE Money & Rights magazine is published six times a year and contains more information on money topics (and your consumer rights) than we could ever fit into CHOICE. To subscribe call 1800 069 552 toll-free or go to...

Car inspections save money.(hip pocket)
March 1, 2006... A recent report by NRMA Motoring and Services found that 42% of all used cars sold privately in NSW could have serious mechanical faults, and that 90% in the survey had at least one general fault. The report is based on 840 vehicle...

Put a stop to telemarketing calls.(hip pocket)
March 1, 2006... In the 12 months to June 2005 nearly 900 of the complaints about privacy received by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) concerned telemarketing. If you're annoyed at being interrupted at home by a telemarketing call, you can...

Pill the pain: trying to work out which painkiller to buy can be a pain in the neck. We help you choose.
March 1, 2006... When you've got a splitting headache, your child is hot with fever or your ankle is throbbing with pain from a hand in the form of a simple painkiller. But with so many different products on the shelves, how do you know which one to use? ...

Round black things: in everyday driving, you're unlikely to notice much difference among the 17 tested tyre models. Only emergency situations set them apart--a little.
March 1, 2006... For almost two weeks, our tyre testing team put their bodies on the line for you during high-speed cornering and emergency braking tests--and about 500 tyre changes. We tested 17 models of 205/65R15 tyres with an H speed rating, suitable for a...

Supermarket sweep: Coles and Woolworths have launched new 'private label' ranges. We check out the changes.(REPORT: Supermarkets)
March 1, 2006... If you shop at Coles or Woolworths, chances are you've already noticed their new brands. In Woolworths, canned fruit, vegetables, fish and packaged cheese and nuts with smart silver labels denoting its new SELECT brand have appeared on shelves....

Gluten confusion.(influence of gluten)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Two CHOICE subscribers recently asked us how a product containing wheat can claim to be gluten-free. Gluten is a protein found in some cereals, including wheat and rye, and if you're allergic or intolerant to it--for example, if you have...

What's in a name?(Greek cheesemakers secure exclusive rights to use the name fetta cheese)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Australian producers have already lost the use of various wine descriptors, such as champagne and burgundy, and now Greek cheesemakers have secured exclusive rights to use the name fetta cheese. A ruling by the Court of Justice Of the...

Spoiling your olive oil?(food bites)
March 1, 2006... Exposure to light can shorten the lifespan of oil, and researchers have now measured how much goodness we may lose from storing olive oil under the wrong conditions. Olive oil contains lots of antioxidants, but a study has found that oil...

Uncorked: we put the wine lover's must-have implement--the cork extractor--to the test.(buyers guide)(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2006... Ever wanted to relax with a good bottle of wine, only to get completely stressed out opening the damn thing? Corks that refuse point-blank to come out, or break your corkscrew; using so much force to get a cork out that you end up splashing the...

Beat the crooks: does your car have the security you want?(DRIVELINES: Car security)
March 1, 2006... There are various aspects of car security: how easy it is to steal a car, to strip it and sell parts, and to break into it and steal from it. Data from NRMA Insurance in the table lets you compare models for all these factors. THEFT RATING...

Clean and clear: ... can you have it all?(buyers guide )(washing machines)(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2006... The 10 newly tested models ranged in price from $749 to $1699, and we've added them to the list of previously tested machines that are still on the market (see the table, page 42). WASHING CLEAN? With so many bells and whistles to...

Picture perfect: a webcam can be a cheap tool for video messaging and email, but image quality often isn't great.(guide for buying Web cameras)(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2006... A web camera attaches to your computer to take video or snapshots that can be uploaded to the web or saved on the computer--or transmitted in real time while you chat online. Web cameras (webcams) also let you make video email or, with the...

Toasty delights: four-slice toaster put to the test.(buyers guide )(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2006... You may wonder how many more improvements can be made to this most humble of kitchen appliances. Special functions for toasting crumpets and frozen bread have become increasingly common, not to mention the latest models sporting automatic...

Recalls & bans.(Conroy's Smallgoods)(Casco Blu )
March 1, 2006... Nowadays there are so many product recalls we may not be able to print all of them in CHOICE. For comprehensive recall information go to the Product Recalls Australia website: www.recalls.gov.au. If you don't have web access, call the Product...