Choice (Chippendale, Australia) articles from September 2004

Choice (Chippendale, Australia) archives from September 2004

Eternal vigilance.(quality of pool fences)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... CHOICE's test report on pool fences (page 8) is bad news for all parents whose children nave access to a yard with a pool. The message or constant vigilance is engraved on most parents' hearts already, but you wouldn't be human if you didn't...

Mobile phone radiation.(choice cuts)(specific absorption rate )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Radiation emitted by modern GSM mobile phones is well below the Australian guideline level, And despite scare stories, after a good decade of mobile phone use, no study into potential health effects of handsets has discovered any repeatable...

Sustainable seafood.(choice cuts)
September 1, 2004... With Australian dietary guidelines encouraging us to eat one or two serves of fish a week, the good news is we're eating more of it. The bad news is that fish aren't an inexhaustible resource--while more than 500 species of fish and shellfish...

A cuppa to fight bad breath.(World Consumer Snapshot)(Test magazine)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... A few cups of black or green tea prevent bad breath, reports Germany's Test magazine. Researchers presume the polyphenols in tea stop the growth of bacteria in the mouth and reduce the production of foul-smelling enzymes.

Breast is best.(World Consumer Snapshot)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Activists have protested for years against the marketing of infant formula in developing countries. In an effort to encourage breastfeeding, the Indian Government passed a bill last year that prohibits all forms of advertising and promotion of...

Over the top.(World Consumer Snapshot)
September 1, 2004... From the UK's Which? magazine comes the following product warning: "Before starting work, turn off water supply and drain the section of the system you intend to be working on. Isolate any adjacent electricity and gas supplies. Do not disturb...

Can you help? Appliance repairs.(choice cuts)
September 1, 2004... Has your fridge, washing machine or dishwasher broken down in the past 12 months and needed repairing? If so, we'd like to hear from you. We're interested in both the questions listed below and in any other comments you have about the repair...

Fed up with cold dinners?(choice cuts)(Australian Financial Services Licence)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Are you sick of receiving uninvited phone calls just when you're trying to eat your dinner or get the kids to bed? The August/September 2004 issue of our new magazine, CHOICE Money & Rights, gives practical tips on how to counter misuse of...

Keyed in to key costs.(choice cuts)(anti theft engine immobilisers)
September 1, 2004... Several subscribers have contacted us with a complaint about the high cost of replacement car keys for newer-model cars, so w decided to find out what's going on. Since 2001 all new cars have been required to be fitted with anti-theft...

New listeria advice.(choice cuts)
September 1, 2004... Pregnant women have long been advised to avoid foods that could be contaminated with listeria bacteria, as listeriosis (the illness the bacteria can cause) can harm an unborn baby. Now Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has updated...

Credit to you.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... I received a letter from the Commonwealth Bank to advise me that an affinity credit card that a society had issued me with would soon cease to be, and that I would be transferred to a Commonwealth Bank credit card. Sounds innocuous enough...

Unhappy campers.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... We recently sought and won orders for a refund of the greater part of the purchase price of a Jayco Hawk Outback camper trailer in the NSW Consumer, Trader & Tenancy Tribunal (Motor Vehicle Division). We claimed, and the CTTT upheld, that the...

Letter of the month.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... 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....

Thumbs up!
September 1, 2004... * Sylvia Townsend gives a thumbs-up to McPHERSON'S HOUSEWARES of Bundoora, Victoria, which replaced her favourite knife free of charge 10 years out of its warranty after it snapped in the dishwasher. * Carol Richardson awards DYSON...

Pool fences--major safety failures: more than half the fences we tested failed a key Australian standard test.(Test: pool fencing)
September 1, 2004... The campaign to fence Australian swimming pools has no doubt saved the lives of many toddlers. In all states and territories, in most situations, pool fencing is the law. But are the regulations as good as they could be? What about the fences...

Takeaway bugs.(food bites)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... We've probably all at one time or another left a restaurant full, content and carrying a 'doggy bag' containing leftover food. Often it sits on the table while you drink coffee and pay the bill. It may only go into the fridge much later, and...

Craving power.(food bites)
September 1, 2004... People who say they're addicted to chocolate may now have scientific evidence to back up their claim. Researchers in New York took brain scans of healthy people and found that their brains 'lit up' when they saw and smelled their favourite...

Fast-food fads.(food bites)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Fast-food companies in the US will apparently do anything to jump on the low-carbohydrate Atkins Diet bandwagon. KFC last year ran controversial ads promoting its fried chicken as the low-carb alternative to burgers--but failed to mention...

Dispensing advice: we investigate the quality of advice doled out in pharmacies.(Shadow shop: pharmacies)
September 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * Advice given in 58 out of the 87 pharmacies we visited was rated 'poor' by our experts. The pharmacy profession needs to improve the quality of advice being given to consumers. * Speaking to a pharmacist rather than a...

Not all they're cracked up to be: more than half the supermarket eggs tested failed our freshness test.(Test: eggs)
September 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * Even with plenty of time before the 'best before' date, more than half the eggs we tested had weak and watery whites, indicating that they're not fresh. We even found big variations in the quality of eggs from the same box....

Magnetic attraction: proponents of magnet therapy make big claims, but do they stand up to scrutiny? CHOICE investigates.(Report: magnet therapy)
September 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * We couldn't find any conclusive scientific evidence to support magnet therapy. * Despite this, some people are certain it's relieved some of the pain associated with their particular condition. * There's no...

How to get better value: save $$$ with our Best Buys.(Update: hospital insurance)
September 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * We've surveyed 141 hospital insurance policies with about 1600 pricing options to come up with Best Buys--good policies that could substantially cut your premiums. * For an in-depth article, including a bigger range of...

Life in the fast lane: eating breakfast on the run? Will it get you through the day or leave you flagging?(Food: quick breakfasts)
September 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * There's no shortage of options for breakfast on the run--but none is as good for you as sitting down to a bowl of high-fibre cereal with milk. * For those frantic mornings when you've really no option but to grab'n'go,...

Have your say on the insurance code.(hip pocket)
September 1, 2004... If you'd like to have your say on the new General Insurance Draft Code of Practice, aimed at improving consumer protection in the general insurance industry, you need to get in quickly. The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) is calling...

If it sounds too good to be true ...(hip pocket)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Spruikers promoting direct investment in property, such as buying an investment unit, are generally not covered by the Financial Services Reform Act (FSRA). That means presenters of property investment seminars don't have to: * Meet...

Should you DIY your super?(hip pocket)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... Twelve months ago Paul and Shirley McColl, like an increasing number of Australians, used their superannuation savings to establish a self-managed super fund (SMSF). They did this to get direct control over their investments and to try to save...

Phoning home: a phone call from your hotel room overseas could cost more than the room itself. So what's cheap and what's convenient, and can you have both?(Report: phoning from overseas)
September 1, 2004... It's not so long ago that the only options for phoning home from overseas were coin-chewing phone boxes, expensive (and perhaps unaccepted) reverse-charge calls, and the even more expensive hotel phone. These days phone cards--pre- and...

Is your car a lemon? What are your rights if your car spends more time in the service centre than on the road?(Drivelines: 'lemon' laws needed)
September 1, 2004... When you decide to buy a new car rather than a used one, you probably expect to buy the peace of mind of faultless performance for at least a few years. And in the vast majority of cases you won't be disappointed. But every so often a new...

Brush up! There's a large price range, but do bigger bucks equal a better clean?(Trial: electric toothbrushes)
September 1, 2004... Does an electric toothbrush really give you a better clean than a manual one? Until recently most articles on the subject said 'no' --they clean your teeth as well as manual brushes, but not better. But as we first reported in CHOICE, July...

Machines for big and small loads: finally: a big front loader for the larger family.(Test: washing machines)
September 1, 2004... We added the results of 10 newly tested washing machines (five front and five top loaders) to our comprehensive database. Together with the results of previously tested machines that are still on the market, we can give you the results for 43...

Looking at the stars: shopping for a large electrical appliance? Your choice can influence your energy bill for 10 years or more, so check the energy label.(Update: energy rating label)
September 1, 2004... The electricity costs of running a large appliance can, over its lifetime, add up to more than it cost you to purchase it. So choosing an energy-efficient model will save you money. And because most electricity generation produces greenhouse...

Recalls & bans.
September 1, 2004... 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 Federal Treasury website: www.recalls.gov.au. If you don't have web access, call the Consumer Safety...