M
500 days ago

Banking Regulations and Large Corporates - Beware

Mike from Papanui

Found out some pretty shocking information.... I cancelled my insurance policy with AMI and they owed me a refund.
Instead of paying the refund, they set up a direct debit on my bank account with BNZ without my authority and withdrew the amount they were supposed to refund me.
Called the bank to find out how that could have happened and they told me that "a number of large organisations were allowed to set up direct debits without any authorisation from the customer".
I called the Banking Ombudsman and they confirmed that was correct. They said it was done to "reduce the amount of paperwork for the organisations and they depended on the fact it would reflect badly on these organisations if they abused the plan" to prevent any issues.

So anytime they want, telcos, insurance companies electricity companies, etc can set up a direct debit on your accounts and deduct money. If you want to dispute it, you have to go through a disputes resolution process, so there goes hours, days or months of your time to get your money back.

Unbelievable!!!!!

More messages from your neighbours
7 days ago

Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.

We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?

Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.

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Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
  • 53.2% Yes
    53.2% Complete
  • 46.8% No
    46.8% Complete
2065 votes
3 days ago

Poll: Pedestrian access is being extended to the Ōtakaro Avon River - good idea?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Pedestrian access from one of Christchurch’s favourite streets is being extended all the way to the Ōtakaro Avon River. This new 12m-wide pathway will give you a direct, easy route from the street to the river promenade ... perfect for a stroll, a coffee run, or just soaking up the riverside vibes.

We want to know: In your view, what makes a city people-friendly?
What else should our urban areas be doing to support better community connections?

Curious about the full plans? You can check them out here.

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Pedestrian access is being extended to the Ōtakaro Avon River - good idea?
  • 92.9% Yes
    92.9% Complete
  • 7.1% No
    7.1% Complete
56 votes
5 days ago

A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?

Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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