Eaten on Air NZ just now. It wasn’t very good.
Category Archives: NZ Business
A reskinning is not a panacea: Dick Smith
Dick Smith just reskinned their site. Well they have at least since the last time I went there. My summary is that this is nice but will add little to their site statistics. The look has changed slightly but the real work has yet to be done. Here is the Australian one: and the NZ …
Continue reading “A reskinning is not a panacea: Dick Smith”
Your application is ready for sale
Your application is ready for sale, originally uploaded by LanceWiggs. Dealing with the app store for Apple iPhone applications can be a little painful at times and for some, but when the process works it is great. My hats off to them for managing over 100,000 apps – and of course for releasing the latest …
Governance of tax issues for directors
I’ve just run across this nice cheat sheet by the ATO – a tax governance guide for directors of large companies. It’s got some handy hints for directors of smaller companies as well. I maintain that at least one person on each board needs to understand this stuff well, and that everyone on the board …
Never buy the Warranty: Repair it yourself
This is the second in a series on Warranties – the first was Never buy the Warranty – Repairing is cheap So now let’s look at the option of self-repair. These days most people have never learned how to take things to pieces and put them back together again. But that’s pretty much all the …
Continue reading “Never buy the Warranty: Repair it yourself”
Never buy the warranty: Repairing is cheap
Well done Magnum Mac Wellington My MacBook Pro 17 died on Friday. It failed to restart after running the software upgrade for the magic mouse. I tried the usual tricks (Apple has a good knowledgebase) and then twittered the failure and headed for Magnum Mac, Mac in hand. I’ve been there plenty of times, but …
Continue reading “Never buy the warranty: Repairing is cheap”
A lesson in volatility
This year to date my US-based stock portfolio is up 44%, well above the benchmark S&P500: Yippee! Actually – not so fast. Last year my highly levered (lots of options) portfolio went down a stunning 66%. I got caught out selling my shorts too early (I was short Citibank amongst others) and bet on the …
Guest Post: Glen Wiggs on Minimum Pricing of Alcohol
Another post by my father Glen Wiggs. In this one he refers to a Scottish study where imposing a minimum price of alcohol did nothing to reduce sales of ready to drink products (sold to younger folk), but did reduce spirits, wine and beer sales. So the older voters get to drink less while the …
Continue reading “Guest Post: Glen Wiggs on Minimum Pricing of Alcohol”
Excess pay and excess bloat
Fairfax execs to feel shareholder ire on pay, originally uploaded by LanceWiggs. A nice juxtaposition – this Sydney Morning Herald article reporting complaints about former Fairfax senior execs earning too much in payouts is accompanied by a video ad. I think Sankar and David’s payouts were justified – and that shareholders should be questioning why …
Let me buy stuff Apple
Cart – Apple Store (New Zealand), originally uploaded by LanceWiggs. A rare mishap on an Apple site – this the Store.Apple.co.nz site. I would like to buy the new mouse, but when I try to view the cart I get this. Tonight is the second time I have tried.
Alcohol minimum pricing – Reversing the Facts
A PRESS RELEASE FROM MY DAD. Plenty more to come on this topic I feel Website: http://www.ffar.org Email: gwiggs@ffar.org Media Release Box 776, Noosa Heads Queensland 4567 Australia ALCOHOL MINIMUM PRICING – Reversing the Facts The Scottish Government is actively pursuing the introduction of a policy of minimum pricing for alcohol. The proposed minimum price …
Continue reading “Alcohol minimum pricing – Reversing the Facts”
Why not switch to the BNZ Global Plus Cards?
ccselector.html, originally uploaded by LanceWiggs. Technebish and Adam suggest I switch to that I switch to the Global Plus Platinum Card. Here, straight from the BNZ website, is the comparison table between the Global Plus, Platinum (mine) and GlobalPlus Platinum cards. They all show Air New Zealand AirPoint Conversion. Why would the other two stay …
Continue reading “Why not switch to the BNZ Global Plus Cards?”
An open letter to Air New Zealand
Dear Air New Zealand Why are you walking away from the revenue provided by people with bank rewards programs – and stopping conversion to Air New Zealand Airpoints Dollars? I refer of course to the recent notification by BNZ and other banks that they will no longer support Airpoint Dollar conversion. It puzzles me I …
An open letter to BNZ Credit Cards
To/BNZ Credit Cards Wellington, New Zealand CC/ a few other folks. Dear BNZ Credit Cards; I am very upset. The other day I opened this message in my BNZ internet banking inbox (good to see the newer website by the way): In this letter (which I assume you have also sent to my address, which …
The stupid American Express “prove you are you” policy
My phone rings – it’s a blocked call. I answer, and then a pause before I hear: “Hello Mr. Wiggs It’s so and so from American Express and this is a courtesy call. Can you please answer a question to prove that you are indeed Lance Wiggs?” “Umm – can you please first supply me …
Continue reading “The stupid American Express “prove you are you” policy”
Lance Wiggs 