Can we get a full refund when the price is wrong? Ask Susan

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We keep getting wrong pricing and or quantity pricing from a variety of retailers - are we entitled to refund and free goods from all retailers or just certain supermarkets?

A shop doesn't have to advertise or display a price, but if they do, they can't charge more than the displayed price. This can be a breach of the Fair Trading Act.

If a shop charges you less than it meant to, it can't ask you to pay extra later unless you knew there was a genuine mistake and it was much less than it should have been.

When you're charged more than the advertised price, you're usually entitled to a refund of the difference.

Supermarkets have a policy of refunding the full cost, but they don't have to do this.

My 24-year-old son asked me if I had income protection insurance, which I don't, however I do have life insurance that has some serious illness cover and also health insurance. I'm a 58-year-old woman in reasonable health. Genetics are not my sons' friend. His father, paternal uncle, three of four grandparents and several cousins of mine, have all had cancer which has killed everyone but his father and one grandparent - both sides of the family, his dad's and mine. He was born with gut issues and luckily we started health insurance as soon as he was born so he is covered for pre-existing conditions, he has had several investigations recently that didn't show anything nasty except some gall stones which were later removed.

My son owns his own home with a smallish mortgage, he is a qualified mechanical engineer, has a good job and is very fit and active. He has a will that leaves his assets to his sister if he died. However, he is aware that at any time he may be diagnosed with serious illness and may not be able to work while undergoing treatment. So this is where the income protection insurance could be useful.

Do you think income insurance would be a good idea? He's had quotes of about $15 a week for 50 percent of his income which would probably cover most of his normal living costs.

I asked Tim Fairbrother, of Rival Wealth, what he thought of your question.

He said thinking about solutions for loss of income should be something everyone considers.

"A homeowner would never consider buying a house and moving in without getting insurance, with the average value being $912,000. Yet Kiwis don't seem to put importance on protecting their most important asset - the machine that prints the money. The average salary is $81,000, so for a 35-year-old that never gets a pay rise, that will be $3.2 million over 40 years of work.

"So yes income cover is a great idea for plan B, but it will depend on what the risk is as to how much cover you need."

He says opting for a longer wait period before any payout begins can save up to 40 percent on the premium.

I'd recommend talking to an insurance adviser. You'd also want to make sure that any pre-existing health conditions he has are dealt with appropriately in the cover.

Wind power is on offer, often. Is it a good idea?

Paul Fuge, Powerswitch's general manager, says domestic wind systems aren't something he hears a lot of people asking about.

"There are products available, but in practice I suspect they're a bit more of a faff for households compared to solar. They're also more likely to raise issues around noise or visual impact with neighbours in built up areas - so council restrictions and neighbourly considerations could be a barrier.

"That said, they could make more sense where other options are limited - for example in remote locations like Great Barrier Island, or for rural households where grid supply is less reliable. In those situations, having a mix of generation sources can be really useful, in particular for people looking to go off grid or be more self sufficient - or just have a more reliable supply. A small wind turbine could complement solar nicely - particularly on cloudy days or at night when solar isn't producing but the wind may still be blowing. But from what we are seeing it's still a niche option at this stage."

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