Consumer Protection

The Consumer Protection team forms part of the Consumer Protection and Standards branch within MBIE. Our aim is to build a consumer ‘community of interest’ within MBIE and across external agencies. This is to ensure Consumer Protection becomes the ‘go to’ place in respect of information about consumer issues and consumer information within MBIE.

When you borrow money, the lender sometimes requires the loan to be ‘secured’. This means that if you default on the loan, the lender can repossess and sell specified items of yours (eg your home, car or other personal asset) to recover the debt. With unsecured loans, the lender does not require you to list specific items for security, so if you default on the loan they can’t take any of your possessions.
Secured loans include:
• credit sales (formerly called hire purchase), ie where you buy products and pay for them later in instalments. The security is the items you bought on finance
• personal loans secured by one or some of your possessions
• mortgages, where your home secures the mortgage loan.
• Consumer Guarantees Act
Your consumer rights if there’s a problem with a product or service you bought.
• Fair Trading Act
Your rights if a business acts in an unfair or misleading way, including sales tactics…
• Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act
This protects you when you borrow money or buy products or services on credit.
• Privacy Act
This makes sure your personal information is kept safe and secure.
• Online safety laws and rules
E-signatures and electronic transactions, plus laws against spam and upsetting digital messages.
• Product safety
Products sold in New Zealand must be safe to use. Report accidents, near-misses, or unsafe…
• Consumer information standards
Notices giving consumers specific information, eg about used cars, water efficiency or country of…
• Other consumer laws and rules
Other rules and laws that affect your consumer rights — Weights and Measures Act, Human…
• Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal annual reports
Cases put to the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal each year from 2012 to the…