About Kerbie

Kerbie — Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Kerbie is independent help for buying and owning a car in New Zealand, starting with buying a used car: what to check, what it costs and what to sign. Every figure is sourced and dated, and every guide says when it was last checked.

By Kerbie How this page was made: researched and drafted with AI help; every claim checked against the sources below by a person. Last checked: 11 November 2026

What does Kerbie cover?

Kerbie covers buying a used car in NZ, from a dealer or a private seller, and the first year of owning it. That means the checks before you pay: money owing, the car's history, the WoF. The costs, with official fees kept apart from charges a dealer sets. The paperwork, from change of ownership to rego and road user charges. And what to do if something goes wrong.

New guides are added as they're finished and checked, so you won't find half-written pages marked "coming soon".

Who is Kerbie for?

Kerbie is written for people who aren't car people and don't have someone to ask. If you're buying your first car, you're new to how it works in NZ, or the last time you bought one a mate did the talking, start here.

The answer comes first on every page, then the detail. Terms like CIN (Consumer Information Notice) and PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register) are spelled out the first time they appear.

How are the guides made?

Every guide starts from the official source: NZTA, the Consumer Guarantees Act, the Fair Trading Act and the other government pages a buyer would otherwise have to piece together. Each number comes from a dated data file, not from memory, and the sources are listed at the bottom of the page.

AI tools do most of the research and drafting, and run the first fact-check. Before anything is published, a person reviews every guide and checks its claims against the listed sources. Every guide carries a "Last checked" date so you can see how fresh it is.

What Kerbie isn't

Kerbie is general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, contact Consumer Protection, a Community Law centre or Citizens Advice Bureau. For a large claim or a dispute, get advice before you act.

Kerbie is an independent NZ website and is not connected to any car dealer, car buyer or inspection company.

Why "Kerbie"?

The kerb is where most used cars sit before you buy them: on the roadside with a sign in the window, or lined up on a yard. Kerbie is the guide you read before you walk up to one.

Spotted something wrong?

Tell us at hello@kerbie.co.nz. We fix errors and note the change on the page.

Privacy

Kerbie — Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Kerbie doesn't ask for your name, email or any other details. We count visits with Google Analytics, which uses cookies, and this page explains what that collects. The ad checker on the homepage runs in your browser, so we never see what you paste into it.

By Kerbie How this page was made: researched and drafted with AI help; every claim checked against the sources below by a person. Last checked: 11 November 2026

What does Kerbie collect when you visit?

Apart from what our host needs to deliver pages (below) and any email you send us, Kerbie collects visit data through Google Analytics. That covers which pages were viewed, which sites sent visitors, rough location, browser and device type, how long people stay, how far down a page they scroll, and which links to other sites they click. We also count when someone uses the ad checker (which type of seller they picked and how many lines were flagged, never the ad itself) and which guide links get clicked. We use this to see which guides people read and what to write next.

Google Analytics sets cookies that give your browser a random ID, so repeat visits can be counted. Your browser sends your IP address to Google, which says it uses it to work out rough location and filter spam, then discards it, and never links it to that ID. We mostly look at totals. Google keeps the visit-level data, linked to the random ID, for 14 months; after that only totals remain.

We've switched off Google signals, ad personalisation and Google's data-sharing settings, so Kerbie's analytics isn't linked to Google accounts or used to personalise ads. Visitors from the UK and Europe aren't given Google Analytics cookies. Google processes this data for Kerbie, mostly in the US, where privacy law may not protect it the same way New Zealand law does. How Google uses this data is set out on its own site.

Blocking cookies for kerbie.co.nz stops Google Analytics recognising you on repeat visits, but page views can still be counted. To stop Google Analytics completely, use Google's opt-out add-on (desktop browsers) or a content blocker. The site works the same either way.

Who hosts the site?

Cloudflare hosts Kerbie. Like any web host, Cloudflare handles your IP address and basic traffic data to deliver each page and to block attacks. Cloudflare is a US company and may process this data outside New Zealand. Cloudflare handles this data on Kerbie's behalf. To manage bot traffic or check a visitor is human, it may set a security cookie. Cloudflare's cookie list explains each one.

The analytics script loads from Google (googletagmanager.com). Fonts, images and the car on the homepage come from kerbie.co.nz itself.

What happens to an ad you paste into the ad checker?

The ad checker runs entirely in your browser. The text you paste isn't sent to Kerbie or anyone else, and Kerbie doesn't save it.

Does Kerbie store anything on your device?

Yes. Google Analytics sets two cookies, _ga and one starting _ga_, which Google says last up to 2 years after your last visit. Cloudflare may set a security cookie (above). Kerbie also stores one small note in your browser's session storage so the little car next to the logo only does its entrance once per visit. That note holds no personal information, and your browser usually deletes it when you close the tab.

What if you email us?

If you email Kerbie at hello@kerbie.co.nz, we use your email address and message only to reply, and we don't add you to a mailing list. Emails are stored with Google (Gmail), which may store them outside New Zealand.

What are your rights?

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you can ask whether Kerbie holds any personal information about you, ask to see it, and ask us to correct it. Email the address below and we'll reply no later than 20 working days after we get your request. If we don't agree to correct something, you can ask us to attach a statement of the correction you wanted.

If you're not happy with our answer, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. The Commissioner asks you to raise it with us first.

Who is responsible for your information?

Kerbie holds the information described on this page. Contact Kerbie's privacy officer at hello@kerbie.co.nz.

Changes to this page

If what Kerbie collects changes, this page changes first, and the "Last checked" date above moves with it.

Kerbie