According to the 2026 New Zealand Consumer Survey, almost half of New Zealand consumers experienced a problem with a product or service in the past 2 years, showing the importance of understanding consumer rights and knowing where to go for support when issues arise.
The Government has announced that it will introduce new product safety standards for corded window coverings to prevent harm to young children.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is aware of the research and provided some funding to Associate Professor Dr Terri-Ann Berry at the Auckland University of Technology to study whether asbestos in sand becomes airborne when the sand is interacted with.
In May 2026, the Government introduced the Fair Trading Amendment Bill to provide a strong deterrent for unfair and misleading conduct, introduced a new ‘safe harbour’ statutory defence to support the takedown of scam websites, and makes changes to enable product safety standards to be kept up to date.
The Government recently reviewed consumer credit law as part of a wider reform process for financial services. Information about this process, as well as previous reform processes, is accessible below.
Changes were made to section 99(1A) of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA) in 2019, following a review of this provision. The changes are found in sections 95A and 95B of the CCCFA, which expressly enable a court (on application by the lender) to vary or remove the effect of section 99(1A).
The Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs is proactively releasing the titles of documents received from MBIE.
Titles of documents the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs received from MBIE in 2020.
The New Zealand Anti-Scam Alliance’s 2026 work programme, published today, is a comprehensive set of actions that will help protect Kiwis from scams.
The Consumer Protection team conducts biennial New Zealand Consumer Surveys (NZCS) to find out what adult New Zealanders know about consumer laws and it explores how they behave when they experience problems with products and services. The surveys provide national level insights on the health of the Consumer & Commercial regulatory system, and enable changes to be monitored.
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