Latest news with #PeterBarnes
1News
23-07-2025
- Business
- 1News
Bank warns of multimillion-dollar 'subscription trap'
New Zealanders are losing millions of dollars a year to "subscription traps", one bank says. Westpac said it had helped to stop more than $25m in unwanted charges being processed on to the cards of unwitting customers. Westpac NZ head of customer care operations Peter Barnes said many overseas-based websites were selling goods and services that hooked customers into recurring subscription payments. The bank implemented a block in April 2024 and had stopped 20,000 customers from making these sorts of payments within the past three months. Barnes said the block was implemented after a spike in customer complaints and feedback on overseas subscriptions. Many were businesses based in Europe and the UK, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Barnes said it would only apply to businesses who misled customers and then made it extremely difficult to cancel recurring payments. Fine print "These types of businesses aren't necessarily acting fraudulently, because they do disclose the subscription details in their fine print, but typically they don't offer this information up front," Barnes said. "It's not normally until the following month or two when [the customer] sees the recurring fee from a credit card account that they actually twig that something's not quite right." The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including Ozzy Osbourne dies, a worrying find on Rakiura Stewart Island, and new Coke coming. (Source: 1News) He said it was an unethical way of making money but was seen in everything from gift boxes, shoes, clothing and accessories to sportswear and digital content. "This is not just a case of someone signing up for a free trial and forgetting to cancel before the subscription kicks in. Typically, once someone has made a purchase through a merchant like this, they only realise they have signed up to a subscription when they see further charges on their credit card. ADVERTISEMENT "When they contact the merchant to dispute the transaction, it can often be difficult and time-consuming to cancel the subscription, and sometimes the merchant may be completely uncontactable. Customers may eventually resort to cancelling their credit card to stop the payments, which can be disruptive and inconvenient. "Blocking these types of payments is another way we can help protect customers, on top of initiatives like rolling out a confirmation of payee service and enhancing our fraud monitoring systems with biometric technology." He said a block would also stop customers' details being made available to unscrupulous third parties online. Westpac was working with other banks on the problem. "While this payment block has been working well so far, we encourage New Zealanders to be careful when transacting online, including reading the fine print when making purchases. "If something doesn't look or feel right, take a step back and check whether the payment you're making is legitimate."
RNZ News
22-07-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Westpac warns of multi-million-dollar 'subscription trap'
Customers often only realise what is happening when they see the recurring fee from a credit card account. File photo. Photo: 123RF New Zealanders are losing millions of dollars a year to "subscription traps", one bank says. Westpac said it had helped to stop more than $25m in unwanted charges being processed on to the cards of unwitting customers. Westpac NZ head of customer care operations Peter Barnes said many overseas-based websites were selling goods and services that hooked customers into recurring subscription payments. The bank implemented a block in April 2024 and had stopped 20,000 customers from making these sorts of payments within the past three months. Barnes said the block was implemented after a spike in customer complaints and feedback on overseas subscriptions. Many were businesses based in Europe and the UK, he said. Barnes said it would only apply to businesses who misled customers and then made it extremely difficult to cancel recurring payments. "These types of businesses aren't necessarily acting fraudulently, because they do disclose the subscription details in their fine print, but typically they don't offer this information up front," Barnes said. "It's not normally until the following month or two when [the customer] sees the recurring fee from a credit card account that they actually twig that something's not quite right." He said it was an unethical way of making money but was seen in everything from gift boxes, shoes, clothing and accessories to sportswear and digital content. "This is not just a case of someone signing up for a free trial and forgetting to cancel before the subscription kicks in. Typically, once someone has made a purchase through a merchant like this, they only realise they have signed up to a subscription when they see further charges on their credit card. "When they contact the merchant to dispute the transaction, it can often be difficult and time-consuming to cancel the subscription, and sometimes the merchant may be completely uncontactable. Customers may eventually resort to cancelling their credit card to stop the payments, which can be disruptive and inconvenient. "Blocking these types of payments is another way we can help protect customers, on top of initiatives like rolling out a confirmation of payee service and enhancing our fraud monitoring systems with biometric technology." He said a block would also stop customers' details being made available to unscrupulous third parties online. Westpac was working with other banks on the problem. "While this payment block has been working well so far, we encourage New Zealanders to be careful when transacting online, including reading the fine print when making purchases. "If something doesn't look or feel right, take a step back and check whether the payment you're making is legitimate." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Daily Mirror
15-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
'My neighbour's bamboo forced me to demolish my conservatory'
Peter Barnes spotted green shoots sprouting in his conservatory but was shocked to discover the cause Homeowners who spotted green shoots sprouting through the wall of their home were left facing extensive repairs, including the demolition of their conservatory. The couple had settled in after buying their detached home near Brighton a year earlier when they suddenly noticed leaves appearing through the floor of the conservatory and from a crack in a wall. Not knowing what it was they dug up a path only to discover it was bamboo running from the house next door. And they quickly realised it would be a bigger job than first thought after seeing just how far the network of bamboo rhizome - or stem of the plant - had spread. The conservatory is now being demolished with the neighbour's building insurers picking up the bill under a liability damage claim. The householder, who has asked to remain anonymous, explained how he noticed the plant when viewing the house but hadn't thought much of it. He said: 'There was a large stand of bamboo growing next door when we bought the property, but we didn't think anything of it and nothing came up on the survey. When we first saw the green leaves emerging inside our conservatory, we thought it was some kind of grass, but then pretty quickly we realised it was bamboo. "We hoped that if we dug up the rhizome underneath the path between our properties, that would solve the problem, but it quickly became apparent that it was much more serious. When the conservatory floor was taken up and we saw the mass of bamboo underneath, we couldn't believe it.' So-called "running" varieties of bamboo can spread further and faster than the notorious Japanese knotweed. It can cause serious damage to properties if planted directly into the ground, according to invasive plant specialist Environet. These varieties have evolved to spread rapidly with roots often travelling over 10 metres. Their shoots are strong enough to pierce tarmac, paths, cavity walls, and exploit cracks in concrete or gaps in brickwork. Some varieties of bamboo actually have a higher tensile strength than steel - 28,000 PSI compared to steel's 23,000. However a YouGov survey of moe than 2,000 people conducted in March 2025 showing that 54% of people are unaware that it can cause problems such as property damage or legal disputes. Bamboo remains popular for its hardiness, beauty and screening qualities in overlooked gardens, and is still sold by garden centres and plant nurseries with minimal warnings or advice. Emily Grant, director of Environet, said, 'We're receiving significantly more calls about bamboo infestations than Japanese knotweed these days, and in most cases the damage caused to property is far greater. There was a particular craze for bamboo around 15 - 20 years ago and where it's been planted into the ground rather than in a pot, those plants are now fully mature and causing havoc. 'We've seen it growing out of living room skirting boards, kitchen floors and even sprouting out from behind an oven. In most cases the only way to deal with it once it's found its way into a building is to dig up the floor and remove every rhizome. In this case, the conservatory has had to be completely demolished, through no fault of the homeowner's. 'If you do decide to plant bamboo in your garden, it's your responsibility to make sure it doesn't spread into adjoining properties. Choose a clumping variety and plant it in a pot lined with a bamboo-proof root barrier. "If bamboo is present on a property you want to buy, or on the boundary, it's a good idea to get a bamboo survey so you understand any risk you're taking on and ensure there's no chance of a legal claim against you as soon as you move in.' Last year, Environet launched the UK's first insurance-backed guarantee for bamboo removal, in response to growing demand for bamboo excavation services which has more than doubled in the last five years. It typically costs around £3,500 +VAT to remove bamboo from a residential property, although costs often exceed this.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
I had to demolish my entire conservatory because of my neighbour's bamboo... we couldn't believe our eyes when we first discovered it
Peter Barnes and his wife had been happily living in their detached property in Brighton for a year when they started to notice green leaves growing inside their conservatory. They assumed it was grass from their garden but as the plant started to emerge from the walls and floor the couple realised they had a bigger problem on their hands. Their neighbours had planted bamboo and the trendy weed had blasted its roots underground, growing between the two properties. After lifting sections of the conservatory floor and removing plaster from the walls they discovered the bamboo had been lurking under its concrete base, inside the cavity walls and extending into the brickwork of the house. 'There was a large stand of bamboo growing next door when we bought the property, but we didn't think anything of it and nothing came up on the survey,' Mr Barnes explained. 'When we first saw the green leaves emerging inside our conservatory we thought it was some kind of grass, but then pretty quickly we realised it was bamboo.' Bamboo grows rapidly and can be stronger than steel, giving it the ability to punch through walls and turn over entire patios, making it the fastest-growing plant on earth. Mr Barnes added: 'We hoped that if we dug up the rhizome underneath the path between our properties that would solve the problem, but it quickly became apparent that it was much more serious. 'When the conservatory floor was taken up and we saw the mass of bamboo underneath, we couldn't believe it.' Bamboo spreads through underground stems called rhizomes, and Mr Barnes discovered an intricate network of them. The rhizomes are 'aggressive' and can form a colony, creating new shoots, sometimes meters away from the original plant. Bamboo is removed by excavating the root ball from the ground and getting rid of every plant stem, including those that have been severed to prevent new shoots from emerging. The only way to deal with their invasion was to demolish the entire conservatory – a cost which is being borne by the neighbour's building insurer under a liability damage claim. But on average the price of removal is hefty - costing between three and six thousand pounds per residential property. The demand for bamboo removal has skyrocked in the past through years, explained Emily Grant, director of Environet. 'We're receiving significantly more calls about bamboo infestations than Japanese knotweed these days, and in most cases the damage caused to property is far greater,' she explained. Despite this increasing demand homeowners and gardeners continue to underestimate the risk posed by bamboo. In fact, 54 per cent of people are unaware that it can cause problems such as property damage or a legal dispute, a YouGov survey found. There was a craze for bamboo in the late nineties and early 2000s, and only now are we seeing the repercussions, explained Ms Grant. 'There was a particular craze for bamboo around 15 - 20 years ago and where it's been planted into the ground rather than in a pot, those plants are now fully mature and causing havoc.' Bamboo is still a popular plant because of it is considered a great screen in gardens. Unfortunately, it is sold in garden centres and plant nurseries with minimal warnings or advice. Ms Grant said: 'If you do decide to plant bamboo in your garden, it's your responsibility to make sure it doesn't spread into adjoining properties. Choose a clumping variety and plant it in a pot lined with a bamboo-proof root barrier. 'If bamboo is present on a property you want to buy, or on the boundary, it's a good idea to get a bamboo survey so you understand any risk you're taking on and ensure there's no chance of a legal claim against you as soon as you move in.'
Daily Record
20-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
'Plant dubbed new Japanese Knotweed destroyed our home causing £60k worth of damage'
A couple have told how their neighbour's bamboo plants invaded their home forcing them to demolish their conservatory and a £60,000 repair bill. The encroaching bamboo began emerging from the floor and walls of their extension and they realised it was coming next door. Bamboo, which has been dubbed the 'new Japanese Knotweed' because of it's invasive properties, is becoming a growing issue in the UK after a trend for planting it in the nineties and noughties. And so called 'running' varieties of the plant can spread further and faster than the notorious Japanese Knotweed, warn experts. Homeowner Peter Barnes and his wife noticed leaves sprouting from the floor of the threshold between the garden and conservatory where it joins the main house last year. There were also leaves emerging from a crack in the wall. Initially, the couple who live in a detached house in Brighton, were unsure what it was but quickly realised that the source of the plant was their neighbour's garden. Peter dug up a garden path and found a mass of bamboo rhizome, but worse was still to come. On lifting sections of the floor and removing sections of plaster from the walls, discovered an extensive network of mature bamboo stems beneath the concrete base of the conservatory, growing inside the cavity walls and extending into the brickwork of their house. The conservatory is now being demolished – a cost which is being borne by the neighbour's building insurer under a liability damage claim. Peter told the Telegraph the estimate for that rebuild is £60,000. Peter said: "There was a large stand of bamboo growing next door when we bought the property, but we didn't think anything of it and nothing came up on the survey. "When we first saw the green leaves emerging inside our conservatory we thought it was some kind of grass, but then pretty quickly we realised it was bamboo. "We hoped that if we dug up the rhizome underneath the path between our properties that would solve the problem, but it quickly became apparent that it was much more serious. When the conservatory floor was taken up and we saw the mass of bamboo underneath, we couldn't believe it.' Running bamboo varieties have evolved to spread rapidly, colonising vast areas of ground with roots often travelling over 10 metres. Their spear-like shoots are strong enough to pierce tarmac, paths, cavity walls, and exploit cracks in concrete or gaps in brickwork, according to invasive plant specialists Environet. Some varieties of bamboo actually have a higher tensile strength than steel - 28,000 PSI compared to steel's 23,000. Yet homeowners and gardeners continue to underestimate the risk posed by bamboo, with a YouGov survey of over 2,000 people conducted in March 2025 showing that 54 per cent of people are unaware that it can cause problems such as property damage or legal disputes. Bamboo remains popular for its hardiness, beauty and screening qualities in overlooked gardens, and is still sold by garden centres and plant nurseries with minimal warnings or advice. Emily Grant, director of Environet, said: 'We're receiving significantly more calls about bamboo infestations than Japanese knotweed these days, and in most cases the damage caused to property is far greater. There was a particular craze for bamboo around 15 - 20years ago and where it's been planted into the ground rather than in a pot, those plants are now fully mature and causing havoc. 'We've seen it growing out of living room skirting boards, kitchen floors and even sprouting out from behind an oven. In most cases the only way to deal with it once it's found its way into a building is to dig up the floor and remove every rhizome. In this case, the conservatory has had to be completely demolished, through no fault of the homeowner's. 'If you do decide to plant bamboo in your garden, it's your responsibility to make sure it doesn't spread into adjoining properties. Choose a clumping variety and plant it in a pot lined with a bamboo-proof root barrier. "If bamboo is present on a property you want to buy, or on the boundary, it's a good idea to get a bamboo survey so you understand any risk you're taking on and ensure there's no chance of a legal claim against you as soon as you move in.' Last year, Environet launched the UK's first insurance-backed guarantee for bamboo removal, in response to growing demand for bamboo excavation services which has more than doubled in the last five years. It typically costs around £3,500 +VAT to remove bamboo from a residential property, although costs often exceed this.
