(LAID-BACK THEME MUSIC) - Tonight ` customers shut out. We're on the trail of missing deposits and missing blinds. - What he's done to us, we do not want to see him doing to other people. - Plus ` why are vapes that may be over the nicotine limit still on sale? Has the government dropped the ball? - We know there's kids now who are dependent on these nicotine vapes that didn't have to be. They weren't at risk of becoming smokers. - And clothing rentals ` the new way to shop for a night out. - You choose an item, you choose the date that you want to wear it and you get it sent out to you. - Tena koutou katoa and welcome to the show. Curtains, blinds, shutters ` whatever your preference, when you don't have something covering your windows, you notice, and so, probably, do your neighbours. - Which is why nearly a dozen people have complained to Fair Go about being blind-sided by a company that's taken their money and left them hanging. Here's Kaitlin. - # I always feel like # somebody's watching me, # and I have no privacy. # - Instead of feeling at home, this couple feel on display. - It's been` It's been terrible. It's really like living in a fishbowl. - Going round and around, chasing the Auckland company they paid to put in window shutters. - Never in my life have I been through a similar situation. - With their $6000 deposit still in the control of Kiwi Window Furnishings. Craig and Jenny are one of nine customers who've complained to us; paying deposits for curtains, shutters and blinds that were either faulty or never showed up. Craig and Jenny felt they did their homework, comparing different company quotes, but Kiwi Window Furnishings stood out, both online and in person. - He came across very open and friendly and professional, and we warmed up to him very, very quickly. - He's talking about Vijay Bhosale, the company's owner. - Hey, guys. I just want to show you the difference between your regular primal glass and our system. - The couple paid a 50% deposit. Months passed, and then they were waiting for more than just shutters. - We weren't getting any communication back. - They got hold of Vijay a few times. - ...indicating he'd come around and see us, but it never happened. - What they weren't told was Kiwi Window Furnishings was in trouble. - We found out, to our horror, that the company, earlier that week, had been put into receivership. Oh, wow. Is too. It was a major shock to us. - A debt was paid, and a month later, Kiwi Window Furnishings was out of receivership. But that didn't help customers like Craig and Jenny, who were told their shutters were locked away until KWF paid its supplier. - It was extremely stressful because we had to put sheets up against the windows. At nighttime, you couldn't sleep, because you never knew what was happening around you. - Neither could Fonga, resorting to cardboard for curtains. - If there's no box there, yep, everybody have a good watch. - And like Craig and Jenny, it was a show playing out for months after making that first payment to Kiwi Window Furnishings. The total cost came to $7400. Fonga paid half that night, but was then told it wasn't enough. - She said she make a mistake. - The quote was changed to $9600. Reluctantly, she forked out the extra thousand bucks, but like her choice of fabric, Fonga started seeing a pattern ` missing blinds. - 'How come install one blind and nothing in the other bedrooms?' And she said, 'Oh, they say they make a mistake, 'so they're going to redo your order.' - Then she got a call about her curtains. - ...and say, 'Oh, um, the fabric that you wanted, 'it's... not enough.' - There wasn't the width to make them. - That's when I told them, 'No, I don't want it. If you can't find it, it's better to cancel my order.' - She says she tried to ring Vijay. - He never return my call. He never return my email. - Eventually, she managed to get through to the saleswoman. - Only because I tricked them. I got somebody from work to, um... pretending to make an order. - Fonga says the saleswoman told her to take it up with Vijay. - 'Can you tell Vijay to give me a call please now I'm spoke`' No. Never ever call me. - Did you know the company had gone into receivership? - I had no idea. Why didn't they send me an email to let me know? - Now, she's paid even more for someone else to put up curtains. - I never had anybody treat me like this before. - While Craig and Jenny have spent another 5 grand to put in roller blinds. - It's an awful lot of money to come up with again. - So, where did their deposits go? Kiwi Window Furnishing's website invites people to 'come see us at our North Shore showroom' located at 75 Ellice Ave, Wairau Park. There is no such Ellice Ave, but Ellice Rd does exist, which is where another company's showroom was located ` Beaut Curtain, that had been supplying Kiwi Window Furnishings with materials. Beaut Curtain's manager told us customers would come to its doors looking for Kiwi Window Furnishings. Beaut Curtain has now relocated. It doesn't do business with Kiwi Window Furnishings any more, saying the company owes it more than 50 grand. As for KWF, when we didn't get through on the company number, we contacted its owner, Vijay, directly. It doesn't come as a surprise I'm calling today? - VIJAY: - Why are you disappointed? He admits some mistakes were made with company finances and its communication. He blames his shutter supplier for the hold-ups. But your customers have paid their 50%, right? So, as far as the contract is concerned, they're waiting for you to fill your end of the bargain. This was news to Craig, Jenny and Fonga. And he told us the rest of Fonga's job has been installed, just not her curtains. She says she's still missing two blinds. We checked. They weren't. Vijay's since told us he'll put things right. Well, it's about to get more complicated. One supplier, Shutter Studio, says it's owed around $9000. Shutter Studio's general manager says they're holding on to five sets of shutters that haven't been paid for. Vijay did pick up three sets, after sending this bank screenshot to prove he'd paid for them. But Shutter Studio says the money never showed up. Vijay argues there were problems with products, but both suppliers told Fair Go when there were issues, they either fixed them or knocked it off the price. But they say they still weren't paid. - BEAUT CURTAIN: - We also asked Vijay about advertising Beaut Curtain's address as the place of its own showroom. - VIJAY: - Is that maybe a little misleading? To imply that it is your showroom and your factory? Beaut Curtain told us Kiwi Window Furnishings has never worked out of its workshop. KWF's website and Facebook page has since been updated to its latest address here in Howick. Not much action there, and so far, it doesn't look much different for the company's customers. But Vijay says he remains committed to refunding them. Of all the customers we've spoken to over the course of this investigation, a few were paid back a small amount of money. None have received any payments since we contacted Kiwi Window Furnishings nearly five weeks ago. - I'd like to see him put in a position where he can't operate as a company again, because what he's done to us, we do not want to see him doing to other people. - Very good point indeed. Now, Vijay says he's working to recover debt so he can refund customers. We hope he is working very hard and very fast. - We do. E haere ake nei ` coming up ` are you or your loved ones buying vapes that are stronger than they should be? - Still, we are confused. - Plus ` designer wear for one night only. The ins and outs of dress rentals. - It's definitely gaining popularity, and I think part of the reason for that is price. VOICEOVER: Imagine if you could start thriving. AIA Vitality is a science-backed health and wellbeing program that gives you the guidance, tools and rewards you need to thrive. So get AIA Vitality and start thriving. - Nau mai hoki mai. Welcome back. - After a Fair Go investigation last year, you may remember, hundreds of vaping products were removed from shelves because they contained more than the legal amount of nicotine. - We've since discovered some high-nicotine vapes are still for sale. Could that mean you or someone you love is inhaling more than they bargained for? Garth is back on the vapour trail. - We're buying vape pods, the kind sold at supermarkets... - Thank you so much. - ...or service stations to anyone who looks 18+ or can prove it. - Do you have ID? - Yes, absolutely. - Why shouldn't it be this easy? It's a free country. Well, health advocates are concerned about the strength of vapes on sale. - We've got too-high nicotine content of vapes in this country that's available, and also, the composition of those may not be what they seem. - It's right there on the label in some cases; fine print, but plain as day if you know the rules and the maths ` products that appear to exceed the maximum limit for nicotine in vapes here in Aotearoa. Why would a company print that if it's not allowed? And if it's not allowed, why are these still on sale? - We begin tonight with breaking news ` a nationwide recall of vaping products... - ...sparked by Fair Go's questions that led to hundreds of vaping products being pulled from shelves and retailers rushing to see if they had been breaking the law, for more than year, without knowing it. Fair Go was alerted that high-nicotine vapes are still widely available at service stations and supermarkets, as well as specialist vape stores, like this one. - Still, we are confused. - Because when he reads the labels, it also looks to him like some are still too strong. - There were some company that told us 'Don't sell the product', so we stopped selling it and removed it from our shelves. We saw some product was deleted, which is not famous and which is not popular. Big companies, their product, as I check the ingredient, they are over limited, and when I asked them, they said, 'Don't worry. It is already compliant. No any problem for selling. 'If been any issue, we will let you know'. No any issue now, so we are still selling them. - He won't say which companies, but we know some big ones have been pushing back against the alert and the Vaping Regulatory Authority that issued it. British American Tobacco has its Vuse vaping product in stores nationwide, and its 4% Vuse pods are one of those products we asked authorities to check five months ago. BAT says it complies with the law, but it's told the government that it thinks the Vaping Regulatory Authority is getting that law wrong and it's warning it'll go to court, if necessary. - 'In December, we supplied the VRA with all information requested 'as part of their review of more than 2000 vaping products, 'and all Vuse products currently available remain notified for legal sale in New Zealand.' - But the Vaping Regulatory Authority has said notification alone doesn't make a vape product legal. When Fair Go checked, the VRA refused to say if the 4% Vuse products are legally allowed to be sold. - 'The Authority has ensured the products identified by Fair Go 'are part of its ongoing product investigations, 'but no information on any individual products will be provided 'while our investigations continue.' - Fair enough, but how long can it take when the label and the law seem to be at odds, and when it's not just one company but 14 that the VRA says are on notice that some of their vapes could yet be cancelled. - It needs to be a priority. - The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation is worried that it's not. - I think it's safe to say that a lot needs to be improved. The Vaping Regulatory Authority is made up of less than three people, from what we understand, and I don't see how they can actually monitor and regulate over 1200 specialist vaping retailer stores that we have now and the numerous amount of ingredients that we have, so I think it's challenging. - Fair Go has found the Authority cut staff in the past year, from three-and-a-half full-time equivalent positions to two-and-a-half, with a manager paid for just 10 hours a week. That's as 10 of the biggest vaping companies, including British American Tobacco, asked the Health Minister to wait 12 months before cancelling any products for having too much nicotine in them. The Vaping Regulatory Authority says that request has not been granted, but it can't say when its investigations will be complete. - 'The Authority continues to carry out its product investigations as quickly as possible.' - Just to see it proliferate and not be taken as seriously or resourced in the way that it should be is frustrating. - And concerning. - We know there's kids now who are dependent on these nicotine vapes that didn't have to be. They weren't at risk of becoming smokers. - Look up at me. - That's how Fair Go first got involved ` youth vaping. We ran mystery shopping checks in Gisborne last year. We showed that a 14-year-old could buy vapes at a dairy with no trouble, and that those stores were getting no trouble from the authorities. - Polar mint? - I think that there's just not enough resources put into this space and regulations are only any good if they're enforced, as well. We've seen a huge trajectory down, through education, of cigarette use, but now we've got, on average, around 20% of our 15-year-olds vaping. - There might be different reasons for starting, but there's a big one for carrying on ` - They are so strong. You know, 50mg of nicotine in a disposable vape equates to over a pack and a half of cigarettes. - That 50 is at the heart of this. The regulator says it's the legal limit for a nicotine salt, and that's pure nicotine mixed with an acid, meaning the actual nicotine content could be about half that. But some companies say not so. The rules, the discussions around them when they were written, even the system used to record vaping products ` the companies say that all of that suggests to them that the 50 refers to how much actual nicotine you're allowed to have in the product. That's what Alt NZ told us when we asked 'Are your 4% pods legal?' - 'It contains a total of 105.2mg of nicotine salt 'and has a nicotine strength of 4% or 40mg/mL. 'The labelling of this product complies.' - And that it's also based on... - '...the government's position that smokers should be supported to switch to vaping 'as it is "substantially less harmful" than smoking'. - How can you develop a smoke-free policy listening to people who have a vested interest in an alternative product? - Something that may be dawning on the regulator. - 'The Authority has identified potentially significant levels of non-compliance across the sector, 'and it is moving to a more proactive approach, which will be resourced accordingly. 'However, this change in approach cannot be achieved overnight.' - Until then, consumers will just have to rely on companies and retailers to work out what they really need, or grab one while filling up or getting groceries and try to work it out for themselves. - We put this to the shops we bought those vapes from. Most say they rely on suppliers to tell them what's allowed. But Mobil says it's taking it seriously and has gone back to its supplier asking for more evidence the 4% vapes do meet guidelines. - E haere ake nei ` coming up ` we're talking... - Clothing. - Yes, ever thought of renting that outfit rather than buying? - So you don't waste your parents' money. - (CAR ENGINE DRONES) - (HUMS) - BOTH: # Ooh, yeah. - # Chicka-chicka oh, oh, oh, yeah. - (BOTH SCAT) (BOTH SCAT) - Magic. Oh no! Oh, they spilled out. Thank you, Dad. (BEEPING) Whoa! ECHOES: Voila! - Nau mai hoki mai. Welcome back. Have you ever bought a dress for one occasion... - Nope. - (LAUGHS) and then felt guilty as it hangs in the closet attracting dust and those little moth-thingys? - Oh, yes. - Well, stop feeling bad, friends, because there is a possible solution. - We are talking about clothing rentals. They're a growing consumer trend where you can have a fabulous outfit for one night and then return it for someone else to enjoy. But how does it work? And are there any snags? Alistar went to find out. - You can pretty much rent anything these days, from the obvious... to the odd. But the rental industry that's really on the rise is ` - We have an abundance of clothing on this planet. - And she means an abundance. Amanda Butterworth's from Fashion Revolution New Zealand, a global not-for profit-movement. It advocates for ` - a fair and just and equitable fashion industry around the world. - Part of that is making sure fashion is sustainable, because, globally, the fashion industry is responsible for more than 40 million tons of textile waste a year. Here in New Zealand, in 2021, 180,000 tons of textile waste was sent to landfill. This is fast fashion ` cheap to make, mass-produced. Not surprising in this age of disposable fashion. - Some studies show that one in three young women consider a garment to be old after only one wear. - I have daughters like that. - We asked people how much they wear their gear. - Cos I don't really buy any new clothes. - You hand-me-down either to your little brother or younger sister, so you don't waste money. - T-shirts, I wear them until they're broken. - So you don't waste your parents' money. - I wear it for one season, maybe like once a week. And I keep it for next year, but normally I chuck it out. - I think the key word is reduce. Buy less, buy well, wear it more, wear it for longer. - And that's where rentals come in. - It's definitely gaining popularity, and I think part of the reason for that is price. - Depending on the garment, rentals could cost anywhere from about $20 to $300. Take this Versace dress ` it retails at $4100, but on the day we looked, the rental price was around $250, a fraction of the cost. And you could rent this Coop dress for 50 bucks; it retailed at $140. Or what about this Zimmermann dress? Rent for 150 when it's normally bought for $1200. - You choose an item, you choose the date that you want to wear it, and you get it sent out to you or you might collect it from a store. You wear it just for the one occasion and then you send it back. - Imagine sending a dress to a royal address. Even Princess Kate rents ` her gown from a UK-based company known as the Airbnb of fashion, Hurr. - You get down to it with clothing rental, and it's increasing the number of wears and extending the life of a garment. You're wanting to rewear and share. - But don't worry. The garments are cleaned. - In a lot of cases, rental companies will actually use more green eco-friendly wet cleaning. - Most fashion rental companies are online, but some have stores too. - So you could go to their showroom and try on, but for others, you could order online and you just pay a fee for a try-on. What those ones will do is put a little tag on, just so you can't wear it out and get a cheaper rental. - If you are unsure of sizes... - You can pay a little bit extra and get it sent to you in another size, or you can pay and have an additional dress sent out to you as well, as an alternative option. - But what if things arrive damaged? - Most clothing rental companies will be really good to refund you if something arrives faulty or dirty. They will be quite good about refunding if they've sent the wrong size and made a mistake. - Or they can offer a credit. And what if you damage the item? Each rental company has its own rental agreement, so make sure you read before you rent. If the garment is damaged beyond repair, you might have to pay to replace it. That cost is determined by the company. Some places offer a damage waiver that covers things like broken zips, ripped seams, or, in some cases, stains that can't be removed. Just double-check what's included. And if you return an item late, you could be charged late fees. Dress rentals isn't the ultimate sustainability fix, but Amanda says it's one way we can help. - Clothing rentals is not the be-all and end-all. It is part of the solution. - So remember, sharing really is caring. - This is great information cos I actually have a party this Saturday, and I wasn't sure where I was gonna get my frock from, but now I know I can just rent it for one night only. - You can't dress yourself, Hay-do. - (LAUGHS) - Right, that's it from us, but if you only caught part of the show, you can catch all of it, plus past episodes, on TVNZ+. - How do you know that? Remember, our programme is all about you at home, your issues ` consumer, mostly, is what we work with. No matter if they're huge or small, please get in touch. - You can get us on Facebook and Instagram. You can go to our webpage ` Email us ` Or write to us ` - Thank you for watching. Until next week` I think I was going for a` maybe a hazel frock, maybe some olive to match my eyes. Until next week, po marie. - ...po marie.