The BEST episodes of The Checkout

#1 - Episode 9

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/16/2013

- Tricks of the Trade Mags - Online Terms and Conditions - Complaint Letter: Cadbury - Energy Crisis - Parallel Consumerverse: If Bread Were Houses - Snack Break: Trail Mix - If I Could Say One Thing : Fiona Guthrie - You Beauty - F.U. Tube

#2 - Episode 5

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/18/2013

- Chronic Pain - Swisse Vitamins - Search For The Most Expensive Wi-Fi - As A Guilty Mum : Sleep - Adventures In Fine Print : California Dreaming - Product Vs Packshot : Tom Piper Savoury - - - Mince & Vegetables - Not Appy - If I Could Say One Thing : Barry Schwartz - F.U. Tube

#3 - Episode 10

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 5/23/2013

- High Tunes - Added Info : Coles Feed Your Family For $10 - As A Guilty Mum : Baby Smartness - Adventures In Fine Print : Water Leakage Insurance - The Bald Facts - Instant Roadtest - If I Could Say One Thing : Ian Jarratt - F.U. Tube Episode 10 - Why Is This Song $2.19?

#4 - Episode 4

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/11/2013

- Milking It - Tricks of the Trade Mags - Product Tampering : Strawberry Indulgence - Parallel Consumerverse : If Groceries Were Foxtel - Funeral Plans - The Search For The Most Expensive Water - If I Could Say One Thing : Alan Kirkland - Data Mining - Product vs Packshot : Bubble O'Bill - F.U. Tube : Jetstar and Sam

#5 - Episode 2

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 3/28/2013

- Phoney Regulations - Adventures In Fine Print : Flight Insurance - Product Tampering : Ribena Fruit Drink - Copycats - F.U. Tube - Product Vs Packshot : San Remo Lasagna - If I Could Say One Thing : Teresa Corbin - The Rational Consumer

#6 - Episode 8

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/9/2013

- Snack Break : Dairy Farmer's Yoghurt - Big Cosmetics In Little China - Product vs Packshot : KFC Salsa Twister - Adventures In Fine Print : Ticket Insurance - Cashback Backlash - Beat The System : Fashion Outlets - What's In A Name? - If I Could Say One Thing : Dan Ariely - Borrowing Money From Strangers - F.U. Tube

#7 - Episode 3

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/4/2013

- Returning goods - Restaurants - Salty Cereals - Sea Life - As A Guilty Mum: Germs - Road Testing Electric Cars - F.U Tube

#8 - Episode 6

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/25/2013

- Superfoods - Door Knockers - If I Could Say One Thing : Rod Sims - Down Down Arithmetic - Access vs Ownership - Parallel Consumerverse : If Cinemas Were Gyms - Product vs Packshot : On The Menu Double Cheeseburger - F.U. Tube

#9 - Episode 1

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 3/21/2013

- Complimentary Medicines - Apple iPhone : Advertising vs Reality - If I Could Say One Thing : Catriona Lowe - Complaint Letter : Purina Cat Food - F.U. Tube : Consumers Bite Back - Product Vs Packshot : Coles Strawberries - As A Guilty Mum : Baby Bums - Parallel Consumerverse : If Toasters Were Mobile Phones - Product Tampering : Golden Circle Sunshine Punch - Meanwhile in Afghanistan - Buy Now, Pay Forever

#10 - Episode 11

Season 6 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/10/2018

Craig Reucassel shines a light on solar power, Zoe Norton Lodge on What to Reject When You're Expecting; Breastfeeding, Mark Sutton loses sleep trying to buy a mattress and in FUtube, Europcar takes Alex Lee for a ride.

#11 - Episode 9

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 6/11/2015

Ben Jenkins dips his toes into TV streaming and shows you the ins and outs of all the new video on demand services competing with the ABC for your precious eyeballs.

#12 - Factory Seconds (4)

Season 6 - Episode 16 - Aired 5/15/2018

Zoe Norton Lodge tries to put her mum in a nursing home, Kirsten Drysdale gets the taste for MSG, and Alex Lee cuts through the mumbo jumbo of buying a new TV.

#13 - Factory Seconds (2)

Season 6 - Episode 14 - Aired 5/1/2018

Craig Reucassel takes the muscle out of engaging a builder, Scott Abbot discovers out how crafty most craft beers are and Kirsten Drysdale untangles the truth about thread count in bed sheets.

#14 - Episode 9

Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/27/2018

Alex Lee rubs mineral makeup the wrong way, Zoe Norton Lodge on What to Reject When You're Expecting; Pain Management and In FUtube Julian Morrow frees a customer from Freedom Furniture.

#15 - Episode 6: Best Before (2)

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/19/2016

#16 - Episode 6

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/27/2014

In this week's episode Craig Reucassel brings free range chickens home to roost, the Loving Pet Owner's guide to pet stress relief, and Kirsten Drysdale discovers insurance companies charging a lazy tax. EGGS When it comes to free range eggs, are we getting what we pay for? Craig Reucassel goes undercover to investigate the cagey world of egg accreditation and labelling. ACTIVE INGREDIENT: NAPISAN Napisan Vanish has changed. The lid is bigger... so you use it up more quickly. No wonder they call it Vanish. PARALLEL CONSUMERVERSE: IF RETAILERS WERE LIKE GOOGLE And you thought you just wanted a simple white shirt? LAZY TAX Watching their advertising we assume insurance companies will reward our loyalty when it comes time to renew our policies. Instead they sting us with a lazy tax. PRODUCT VS PACKSHOT: WEIGHT WATCHERS COTTAGE PIE Seeing this we might all be inspired eat less. Thanks Weight Watchers. IF I COULD SAY ONE THING: JO UCUKALO Complaining in the right way can help get you what you want, says Jo Ucukalo from handlemycomplaint.com.au. THE LOVING PET OWNER: RELAX Zoe Norton Lodge gives us a guide to keeping your pet stress free. F.U. TUBE EPISODE 6 Julian Morrow presents consumer complaints about obtaining a refund from a reluctant insurance company, Coles' "Australian made" sweet and sour chicken with 47.6% Australian water, and the real cost of in-app purchases.

#17 - Episode 10

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 6/18/2015

Kirsten Drysdale retreats from mental health retreats and The Guilty Mum throws a party.

#18 - Episode 5

Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/27/2018

Scott Abbot discovers how crafty most craft beers are, Ben Jenkins shows you how to manage your passwords and in FU Tube, Julian Morrow wrecks the relationship between Apple and RSVP.

#19 - Episode 8

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 6/1/2017

Craig investigates why manufacturers aren't labelling trans-fat in foods; Zoe highlights the normalisation of payday lending & Scott finds out why tapping your debit card instead of swiping can land you with greater fees.

#20 - Episode 4

Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/30/2015

A2 Milk is Australia’s fastest-growing milk brand. What’s the story – clever marketing, or is it really better for you? Kirsten Drysdale brings us up-to-date with the latest bogus developments in milk science. No stranger to milk, Kirsten wrote and presented Milk, White Lies and Permeate for The Checkout in 2013.

#21 - Episode 5

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/20/2014

In this week’s episode Craig phones home and turns the table on reverse charges, a cautionary tale about frequent flyer points, and how 4G affects our mobile data cap. TRICKS OF THE TRADE MAGS Kirsten Drysdale looks at how brands advertise to consumers and their decidedly more honest advertising to retailers. OM4G Australia has the fastest 4G network in the world, but Scott Abbot discovers that with 4G you hit your data cap ‘fasterest’ too. ADVENTURES IN FINE PRINT: SAMSONITE Luggage for carrying things on planes, but without a warranty that covers carrying things on planes. GRIM TALES: JACK AND THE FREQUENT FLYER POINTS Julian Morrow’s fairy tale about mystical items that trick people into taking magical adventures – frequent flyer programs. PRODUCT VS PACKSHOT: MCCAIN HEALTHY CHOICE CREAMY CHICKEN PASTA Mmm, creamy. IF I COULD SAY ONE THING: DR JEANNIE PATERSON Dr Jeannie Paterson, Associate Professor, Melbourne Law School, says not to rely on retail staff knowing what you can and can’t return. PHONE HOME Craig Reucassel (and ET) explore the potential costs of reverse charge calls (and how to avoid them). F.U. TUBE EPISODE 5 Kirsten presents viewer complaints about ‘drip pricing’ and hidden extra costs when booking a rental car online, disappearing frequent flyer points, Apple’s extended warranty ‘AppleCare’ and ‘sugar’ re-branded in McDougall’s Vegan Miso Ramen Noodle Soup list of ingredients.

#22 - Episode 5: Best Before (1)

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 5/12/2016

Relive some of The Checkout's best segments in this compilation of viewer favourites from previous seasons. Satisfaction not guaranteed.

#23 - Episode 2

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/27/2014

This week’s episode looks at the health claims that are 98% fact free, shows why the owner of Dove and Lynx is a market leader in corporate hypocrisy, and the guilty mum takes on toilet training. HEALTHY LABELLING Craig Reucassel scans the health claims on food packaging to find out what’s 98% fact free. PRODUCT VS PACKSHOT : JOHN WEST ATLANTIC SALMON Looks great on the outside, but what’s on the inside? AS A GUILTY MUM : TOILET TRAINING Kate Browne presents the Guilty Mum’s guide to toilet training. GLUTEN FOR PUNISHMENT Ben Jenkins reports on the price of gluten-free. SIGNS OF THE TIME Amusing signs! Thanks viewers! If you’ve got one send it to us at tipoff@thecheckout.net.au ADDED INFO : NRMA INSURANCE Experience the disclaimer. IF I COULD SAY ONE THING : JAMES ROBERTSON James Robertson from grocerycop.com.au gives some advice on saving money on your groceries. UNILEVER GIRLS Kirsten Drysdale and Zoe Norton Lodge show why the company peddling female empowerment is a real beauty. F.U. TUBE Australia’s favourite way of saying ‘F U’ with Julian Morrow taking up consumer gripes on banks, wedding suppliers and beer.

#24 - Episode 2

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/14/2016

Alex Lee shines a light on sunglasses to find out which ones give you the best protection; Zoe Norton Lodge looks into the debt relief industry & tells you how you can help yourself, for free.

#25 - Episode 8

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/10/2014

In this week’s episode all roads lead to roam... ing fees for mobile phone companies, online dating and scammers make a perfect match, and the loving pet owner's guide to pet fashions. TO ROAM WITH LOVE Ben Jenkins travels the world* and finds all roads lead to roam... ing fees for mobile phone companies.*Via the wonders of television. ACTIVE INGREDIENT: HY CLOR POOL & SPA PRODUCTS Apart from the price, what’s the difference between Hy Clor’s Pool and Spa care products? The word ‘spa’. THE LOVING PET OWNER: LOOKING GOOD Zoe Norton Lodge is the loving pet owner, and this week presents a guide to keeping your pet fashionable. PRODUCT VERSUS PACKSHOT: KIDS WATER TOY Mini kids? Giants? ONLINE DATING Online dating and scammers make a perfect match. COMPLAINT LETTER: L’OREAL INFINITE MASCARA According to Molly, the only thing ‘unlimited’ about L’Oreal’s mascaras are the ridiculous lengths of their marketing. PARALLEL CONSUMERVERSE: IF GARBOS WERE TECH SUPPORT What colour is your lid? IF I COULD SAY ONE THING: UWE DULLECK Professor Uwe Dulleck, Behavioural Economist, talks about credence goods (goods and services where you rely on the opinion of an expert, eg a mechanic or a doctor) and gives some tips about what to do when an expert knows more about the quality a consumer needs than the consumer does. F.U. TUBE EPISODE 8 eHarmony complaints and more from our viewers with Julian Morrow.