KFC - Saving a buck at customers' expense in Australia

PIC: Colonel Sanders
would turn in his grave

BUNDABERG CONSUMER WATCH: Things must be tough financially for Kentucky Fried Chicken as a result of the world economic crisis.

Their Bundaberg store at 263 Bourbong Street must be close to going into liquidation given their latest, drastic cost-cutting methods.
Or maybe they are just an offshoot of a Scottish franchise.

Either way, they are now saving bundles of money by no longer giving out eating utensils such as spoons, or paper serviettes or refresher tissues.

One KFC customer told Consumer Watch that eating potato and gravy or a tub of coleslaw without a spoon was like trying to ride a bicycle without handle bars - next to bloody impossible!

Colonel Harland Sanders would turn in his grave over this second-rate service now being offered by his stores in Australia.

AAMI's gap in service hurts The Gap

Six months ago, a devastating storm across Ipswich's eastern suburbs and Brisbane's inner west caused havoc and massive destruction of homes.

Yet, six slow months later, some residents of The Gap are waiting on the insurance giant AAMI to approve quotes for their roof restoration.

AAMI has pretty slick advertising campaigns and is quick to promise all the service in the world - and take your money quicker than a Penn and Teller disappearing trick.

But when it comes to actually paying claims, AAMI seems to be slower in coming through than an Andrew Johns' apology.

AAMI has tarnished its reputation over its handling of storm payouts at The Gap.

Maybe it should stick to motor vehicle insurance.

Queensland Councils move to control abandoned and runaway shopping trolleys

CR PAUL TULLY


Media Release from Ipswich City Councillor Paul Tully

Queensland councils will have the power to force supermarkets to have coin-operated shopping trolleys under a plan approved by the Urban Local Government Association.

The association which represents 70 percent of Queensland voted to seek greater controls over abandoned trolleys.

Ipswich delegate Cr Paul Tully told the conference Aldi was the only supermarket chain in Queensland which imposed a refundable $2 fee to use its trolleys.

"You rarely see an Aldi shopping trolley in a park or local creek."

Cr Tully singled out Coles and Woolworths saying their corporate responsibility for reducing the visual pollution of abandoned shopping trolleys around Australia was "next to zero".

Cr Tully said Ipswich Council was looking at a proposal to control runaway trolleys in shopping centre carparks.

He said too many cars were being damaged every day by out-of-control shopping trolleys.

"We are looking at requiring a small push bar on each trolley which would automatically activate a brake, similar to the trolleys at airports.

"The days of getting back to your car in a shopping centre and finding a huge dent in the side of the vehicle will hopefully soon be over," Cr Tully said.

Slugs on Gateway and Logan Motorways

Free-flow tolling starts on the Gateway and Logan Motorways on 1 July.

And free-flow charging is also about to begin.

From 1 July, Queensland Motorways is introducing a new suite of charges for unsuspecting motorists.

Manual top-ups of accounts will incur a $1 penalty in the future.

Mailed statements will incur an extra slug of $3 and a 40 cent per use fee will apply to users who accidentally forget their electronic tag.

This 40c charge would apply even if the tag is in the vehicle but does not register for some reason.

Free-flow tolling from 1 July will be great for everyone except for the toll collectors who will be out of a job, people who like to carefully control their finances, drivers who like written financial statements and those who accidentally leave their electronic tag at home.

The good news is that there will be no minimum usage fee.

The bad news is that this has NOT been ruled out as a future option.

NEW SOPHISTICATED INTERNET SCAM HITS QUEENSLAND

WARNING AGAINST AFRICAN INTERNET BANK SCAM
  
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD MOVE TO BLOCK INTERNATIONAL SCAMS
 
A sophisticated internet scam offering Queensland residents $US10 million ($AU13 million) has hit Australia with demands for $US650 ($AU845) to verify recipients' entitlements.
 
Unsuspecting internet users are receiving copies of what appear to be genuine bank cheques verifying their supposed entitlement.
 
The cheques are in the name of the African Development Bank and drawn on the World Bank with the name of person scammed being shown as the legal payee.
 
Supporting documents being sent with the emails include fake United Nations and Nigerian Government certificates certifying the transaction does not contravene anti-terrorism, drug or money laundering laws.
 
A woman from Gailes contacted Queensland Consumer Watch asking if the offer was genuine.
 
After inspecting the documents, Consumer Watch spokesman Ipswich Councillor Paul warned her of the scam and told her to destroy the emails she had received.
 
Cr Tully said it a new twist on the Nigerian scam which has been around for almost a decade.
 
"These documents look genuine and people who have just signed up to the internet could easily be duped by this multi-million dollar easy offer."
 
Cr Tully said this sort of internet scam had reached epidemic proportions in Australia with hundreds of people being conned every year.
 
"The Federal government should require all Australian-based ISPs to block these sorts of emails.
 
"Too many people are hurting, especially in lower socio-economic suburbs around Australia, who don't realise they are being scammed as they jump at the chance to become instant millionaires for $845.
 
 "They cannot afford to fork out this amount on their pensions or other welfare benefits but the ten million dollars being offered is very tempting.
 
"If it's good enough for the Federal Government to stop internet pornography, it should stop criminally-fraudulent emails as well.
The Prime Minister Kevin Rudd would give the people of Australia a tremendous outcome if we became the first country in the world to officially block these sorts of scams on the internet."

 
QUEENSLAND CONSUMER WATCH
COORDINATOR
CR PAUL TULLY
PO BOX 1
GOODNA QLD 4300
 
EMAIL: QueenslandConsumerWatch@gmail.com
 
"Queensland Consumer Watch - Local Members helping consumers across Queensland."

Is the selling of possum legal in Queensland?

The picture tells it all.

Saville's Meats - the Game Meat Specialists - of Harbour Town on the Gold Coast is into unusual meats in a big way.

Besides the usual fare of crocodile, roo and venison, this upmarket butchery offers goat, camel and even possum.

Possum?

Queensland Consumer Watch is not sure of the origin of the possum delicacy on offer by Saville's but it would no doubt be an absolute turn on for the Beverly Hillbillies.

Old Jed would be lickin' his lips at the thought!

Maybe the possums come from New Zealand where they are regarded as a pest.

What do you think about a eating a pot of possum stew tonight?