Howick and Pakuranga
Fox collects big pay day Page 11
AWARD-WINNING VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY – NZCNA Thursday, July 12, 2018
Est. 1972
General 271 8000 ■ Classified 271 8055 ■ Delivery Enquiries 271 8000 ■ Website www.times.co.nz
Vol 47, No 28
Dance showcase worthy of own tour
The annual Dance Showcase held at Pakurang College recently highlighted the incredible talent of the teachers and students at the College, who worked hard to put on an amazing show over two days. It was the third dance showcase for the college and the students involved in this year’s show really stepped up to the challenge. They worked incredibly hard and brought what was originally a small idea to life on the stage. “The dance students at Pakuranga College are very talented and I couldn’t be prouder of what they achieved.” said Natalie Sangster, Head of Dance. Pakuranga College’s Dance Showcase included all of the dance students in one dance piece together.
‘We want our money back’ A
young couple are distraught that they cannot get back $37,777.50 they paid to the wrong bank account. Shirley Li thought she had transferred the amount owed to construction contractors’ and their bank account at Westpac Botany Junction a month ago. She made an error and the money went to someone else. That was on June 7 and now Li and her husband Ivan Soh are anxious that their money has still not been returned. In the meantime their painting and decorating company has had to pay the contractors so they are desperate to have their funds returned. However they’ve hit a brick wall. While their bank - ASB - has been trying hard to have the funds
returned, Westpac doesn’t seem to want to know, she said. A Westpac spokesman told the Times that Westpac NZ does not comment on its customers for privacy reasons. “However, in terms of general advice, in the event of a mistaken funds transfer, a bank does not have the right to withdraw money from a customer’s account without the consent of the customer,” the bank said. “It is a standard industry process that a person wanting to reverse an electronic funds transfer should talk to their own bank in the first instance.” Li said she did that as soon as she discovered her error. She made the transfer at around 10.30am. At 7pm her client called saying they hadn’t received the payment. “I immediately called ASB to make a direct
debit recovery,” she said. “ASB asked me to call Westpac to get them to hold onto the money but customer services said they couldn’t hold onto the funds. “When money goes into someone’s account, Ivan Soh it’s their money.” She was told to “just leave it for the recovery team to sort out” and was calling Westpac every day. Meanwhile after eight days ASB declared it could not recover the money. “Westpac said it’s not their problem. Westpac is not showing any responsibility. They are not doing their job. It’s horrible,” said Li. In frustration she has also been to the police to assist with recovery of the funds. While police
were sympathetic, the investigation appears unlikely to speed up the return of the money. Police could not confirm they were looking into the matter. “In general, police do not respond to requests which seek to confirm whether a specific individual or a specific organisation is under police investigation, or whether specific individuals have made complaints to police,” a spokesperson said. The Times also contacted the Banking Ombudsman’s office. Tina Mitchell, the Deputy Banking Ombudsman – Prevention – said it cannot comment on individual cases. “Usually it’s about sorting out between the banks but that can be a bit tricky,” she said.
We are dedicated to your personal well-being through dental health • Teeth whitening • All ceramic tooth filling materials using CerecAC omnicam, 3D technology • Permanent tooth replacements with dental implants • For gum health and maintenance call our hygienist Shelley Chadwick or Fernanda Flores • All aspects of general dentistry FREE DENTISTRY IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL YOUNG ADULTS
Eligible from Year 9 until their 18th birthday. Contact us today to learn more.
Make the right choice about your dental care
Evening appointments available Call us now on 530 8461 | E: info@whitforddental.co.nz Whitford Village, Whitford KC12142-V3
Rick Parfitt B.D.S. | Dr Alex Lindsay B.D.S. Fernanda Flores R.D.H. | Shelley Chadwick R.D.H.
“Anyone can come to us – we’ll do whatever we can to help.” She pointed to their website guide. “As a general rule, banks can reverse a payment made in error only with the consent of the person who received it,” the site said. “Your bank and the recipient’s bank will need to co-operate to try to recover the payment. This usually involves the recipient’s bank contacting the account holder to ask his or her permission to reverse the transaction. If the recipient refuses, your only option is to take up the matter directly yourself. However, the bank’s responsibility to protect the privacy of the recipient’s contact details may prove an initial stumbling block. “You may wish to take court action if the recipient won’t return the money.”
ORIGINAL JEWELLERY AND GIFTS YOU CAN’T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE
HANDLING YOUR JEWELLERY WITH EXPERIENCE AND CARE SINCE 1984 Workshop on site
09 534 7404 | 59 Picton Street, Howick | villagejeweller.co.nz
JH12387-V6
By NICK KRAUSE