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S U B S C R I B E
Consumer Helvetica
Monday at 7:40 am during The National
A look at issues that affect consumers across the country.
SBB lifts 'zero tolerance' on ticket slip-ups
Monday, 20 May, 2013In 2011 the Swiss Federal Railways decided that every passenger needed a valid ticket before getting on a train. This put a stop to the old practice of being able to buy your ticket on board. Soon, hundreds of fines were being issued every day. Customers were outraged and the complaints were flooding in. Now the Swiss Federal Railways has reacted and wants to be fairer. WRS’s Jo Fahy spoke to Martina Schnyder from Swiss Public Radio DRS’s Espresso programme:
Monday, 20 May, 2013In 2011 the Swiss Federal Railways decided that every passenger needed a valid ticket before getting on a train. This put a stop to the old practice of being able to buy your ticket on board. Soon, hundreds of fines were being issued every day. Customers were outraged and the complaints were flooding in. Now the Swiss Federal Railways has reacted and wants to be fairer. WRS’s Jo Fahy spoke to Martina Schnyder from Swiss Public Radio DRS’s Espresso programme:
Burglaries hike insurance fees
Monday, 13 May, 2013Burglaries are an increasing problem—the official figures have been on the rise for a few years now. This has an effect on the premiums for household contents’ insurances—with some insurance companies hiking fees. Matthias Schmid from public radio’s Espresso programme talks to WRS’s Dave Goodman:
Monday, 13 May, 2013Burglaries are an increasing problem—the official figures have been on the rise for a few years now. This has an effect on the premiums for household contents’ insurances—with some insurance companies hiking fees. Matthias Schmid from public radio’s Espresso programme talks to WRS’s Dave Goodman:
How one man's post got him fired
Monday, 29 April, 2013Do you see Facebook as a place to vent frustrations about your job? In Consumer Helvetica we hear about someone who did exactly that and suffered the consequences…even though he wasn’t Facebook friends with his boss. WRS’s Jo Fahy reports:
Monday, 29 April, 2013Do you see Facebook as a place to vent frustrations about your job? In Consumer Helvetica we hear about someone who did exactly that and suffered the consequences…even though he wasn’t Facebook friends with his boss. WRS’s Jo Fahy reports:
Consumer Helvetica: New site tells you where to invest
Monday, 22 April, 2013Knowing where to put your money for a wise investment isn’t necessarily straightforward. A new website claims to offer independent investment advice. Mydepotcheck.com is backed by the country’s largest consumer group, but who will really benefit from this site and how easy is it to use? Simon Thiriet from Swiss public radio’s Espresso programme told WRS’s Jo Fahy exactly what the website does:
Monday, 22 April, 2013Knowing where to put your money for a wise investment isn’t necessarily straightforward. A new website claims to offer independent investment advice. Mydepotcheck.com is backed by the country’s largest consumer group, but who will really benefit from this site and how easy is it to use? Simon Thiriet from Swiss public radio’s Espresso programme told WRS’s Jo Fahy exactly what the website does:
Consumer Helvetica: Beware the rules of using car dash-cams
Monday, 15 April, 2013Many Russian car owners have installed cameras in their cars—so called dash-cams. The Intention is to be able to document accidents for insurance purposes. These gadgets have only recently become available in Switzerland. WRS’s Pete Forster spoke to Matthias Schmid from DRS’s Espresso and asked him if the rules for mounting a dash-cam were the same as for your average GPS:
Monday, 15 April, 2013Many Russian car owners have installed cameras in their cars—so called dash-cams. The Intention is to be able to document accidents for insurance purposes. These gadgets have only recently become available in Switzerland. WRS’s Pete Forster spoke to Matthias Schmid from DRS’s Espresso and asked him if the rules for mounting a dash-cam were the same as for your average GPS:
Consumer Helvetica: Is the CD dead?
Monday, 8 April, 2013Globally CD sales have decreased dramatically and music shops across the country are being forced out of business. The compact disc seems to have reached it’s date of expiry. WRS’s Pete Forster spoke to Matthias Schmid from Public Radio’s Consumer Magazine Espresso:
Monday, 8 April, 2013Globally CD sales have decreased dramatically and music shops across the country are being forced out of business. The compact disc seems to have reached it’s date of expiry. WRS’s Pete Forster spoke to Matthias Schmid from Public Radio’s Consumer Magazine Espresso:
Consumer Helvetica: How to avoid buying a stolen bike
Monday, 25 March, 2013Spring is on the horizon, and perfect bike-riding weather is just around the corner. If you don’t have one, or you need an upgrade, you might be thinking about paying a trip to a bike fair where you can pick up a second-hand or sometimes new bike, for less than in a shop. The only problem with this is that you might end up buying a stolen bike.and have no idea. WRS’s Jo Fahy asks Simon Thiriet, from Swiss Public Radio’s Espresso programme, if there any signs to look out for:
Monday, 25 March, 2013Spring is on the horizon, and perfect bike-riding weather is just around the corner. If you don’t have one, or you need an upgrade, you might be thinking about paying a trip to a bike fair where you can pick up a second-hand or sometimes new bike, for less than in a shop. The only problem with this is that you might end up buying a stolen bike.and have no idea. WRS’s Jo Fahy asks Simon Thiriet, from Swiss Public Radio’s Espresso programme, if there any signs to look out for:
Consumer Helvetica: Paying too much for a U.S. visa
Monday, 18 March, 2013If you’re not an American but are planning a trip to the United States, at some point you might end up filling out an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), and most visitors to the U.S. have to have one. It’ll cost you a fee of 14 dollars, but there are a number of travelers who are paying a lot more…unnecessarily. WRS’s Jo Fahy spoke to Matthias Schmid from Swiss Public Radio’s consumer show, Espresso:
Monday, 18 March, 2013If you’re not an American but are planning a trip to the United States, at some point you might end up filling out an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), and most visitors to the U.S. have to have one. It’ll cost you a fee of 14 dollars, but there are a number of travelers who are paying a lot more…unnecessarily. WRS’s Jo Fahy spoke to Matthias Schmid from Swiss Public Radio’s consumer show, Espresso:
Deducting health costs from your tax return
Monday, 11 March, 2013Tax returns are never much fun, but if you fill in everything correctly, you could save yourself some serious money. You can make deductions for all manner of things, including health insurance. However, it may not be as simple as it first appears. WRS’s Dave Goodman speaks to Simon Thiriet from DRS’ Espresso programme who answers listeners questions:
Monday, 11 March, 2013Tax returns are never much fun, but if you fill in everything correctly, you could save yourself some serious money. You can make deductions for all manner of things, including health insurance. However, it may not be as simple as it first appears. WRS’s Dave Goodman speaks to Simon Thiriet from DRS’ Espresso programme who answers listeners questions:
Consumer Helvetica: Can you buy real Russian meteorite rock online?
Monday, 4 March, 2013Last month in Russia a large meteor burned up in the atmosphere and fell to the ground. It was like something out of a science fiction film. Within hours souvenirs from the shower began appearing online. So how do you know what you’re buying is genuine or just another piece of rock? Simon Thiriet from Swiss Public Radio’s Espresso program has been investigating.
Monday, 4 March, 2013Last month in Russia a large meteor burned up in the atmosphere and fell to the ground. It was like something out of a science fiction film. Within hours souvenirs from the shower began appearing online. So how do you know what you’re buying is genuine or just another piece of rock? Simon Thiriet from Swiss Public Radio’s Espresso program has been investigating.
