* (INSTRUMENTAL HIP-HOP MUSIC) Tonight ` nature's fury wrecked their town. We lost the tennis courts, the netball courts, Plunket rooms, play centre. So we lost everything. Now Scouting New Zealand is pocketing the insurance pay-out. MAN: We think we have a better use of that money. Are they profiting from misfortune? We are being killed off, really. And a weekend away turns into a fiasco. It was just a complete disaster. They booked a luxury apartment and ended up with this. There was bed sheets in the corner; the sinks were full of hair; the toilets hadn't been cleaned. It is pretty disheartening when people treat you like that. (ELECTRICAL BUZZING) Plus, a story with some real currency. I handed over my �10 note and was told that they don't actually accept that any more. Why are Kiwi banks selling young travellers obsolete cash? A bit shocked really. Copyright Able 2018 Kia ora. Welcome to the show. On November 14th 2016, 150 years of history was shattered in a minute. That was the day a 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook the tiny township of Waiau. Now, the locals are a resilient bunch, but their rebuild plans have been dealt a serious blow by Scouting New Zealand. Here's Gill. (PORTISHEAD'S 'MYSTERONS') This is Waiau, North Canterbury, a battler of a town, up against Mother Nature in the 2016 quake. We were the epicentre. It was worse here than anywhere else. We lost the tennis courts, the netball courts; we lost the school pool; the Plunket rooms; the play centre; we lost the youth club. So we lost everything in Waiau in terms of support activities for children. Add the scouts den to that list too ` munted. But that did get a generous pay-out from insurance ` reportedly $124,000. So, what's the problem? You'd think Waiau Scouting would be pretty happy, but they're not. And that's because while there'll money, and plenty of it, very little of it will be coming Waiau's way. Waiau Scouts feel robbed by ` would you believe ` Scouting New Zealand, who say the money's all theirs. We just thought, 'How the hell can they morally come in and take it all away?' Bring back memories, having a look at it? Yeah, it certainly does. Yeah, we used to be playing in the hedge here. (CHUCKLES) Like many locals, Phil has a long history with the local scouts den. I was a dear little wee scout in the '70s. I got the honour to come back and be a scout leader for around six, eight years. (UPBEAT MUSIC) Ever since the Waiau Scouts began in the 1950s, it's been the community that's kept them running. The land was donated by a local farming family and then the community got to work to build the scout den on it. Yes, I remember that. I remember the joker that built it, Fred Blake, and we gave him a hand. So what did you do? I just helped. (CHUCKLES) Be a bloody nuisance, probably. It was also run by locals. Bruce here was involved. Oh, they had some great times. They really did. Camps ` I always used to go on a camp with them. Locals paid all the rates and insurance premiums too. You raise money, and there's bottle drives and, um... cleaning out wool sheds. So the quake happened. Then who did all the hard work to make the insurance claim? Uh, Miranda. She was the treasurer, so did all the contact with Tower. Here's Miranda. She's a busy woman. I help on the farm probably two, three, four days a week. I work two days at the local medical centre as a receptionist. Um, the treasurer for Waiau Scouting. And I'm secretary for the local A&P show. She's got her own house to fix too, but she still made time for the scouts. My children were in it; that's why I took on treasurer. So what is it that NZ Scouting as national body has actually done for Waiau Scouts? Nothing. Ever? Ever. Nothing. All of the accounts, the insurance, the maintenance, the building, the repairs ` everything has been done by the community since it was built in 1960. I contact the national chief executive on the phone. I'm sure you're familiar with this. I am painfully aware of them. And he says they've helped Waiau in all sorts of ways. They've traded on the brand name of scouting; they've used our programme; they've benefited from our child protection issues. They've benefited from all sorts of stuff that scouting has provided them in kind. What's more, he says, the land is in their name. So, the Scouting Association Act of 1956 says everything belongs to the national association. Still, Miranda thinks they're on shaky ground when it comes to the quake insurance. It's our policy that we've put on building, and we'd paid the premiums for all those years. Um, isn't that what you have an insurance policy for? Tower Insurance aren't even certain who should get the money. Scouts New Zealand owns the land. Waiau built the den and paid the premiums. They've asked the two groups to sort it out. It's not going well. JOSHUA: The uncomfortable truth is that at the end of the day, I, the National Association, owns the hall outright. And we think that we have a better use of that money to support youth in scouting in North Canterbury rather than giving it back to the community. The locals are really miffed. Why the hell should they take that? Um, we can't quite believe it. Miranda tried reasoning, but as local news reports, all offered only $10,000 out of the $124,000. We understand that's doubled to $20,000, but still, that's a small fraction of the total. It's totally unfair, and the community have been right behind us with this in that ` how can a national organisation come in and take the insurance money which the local group have paying premiums on? So what do you think would be fair? If we could get the insurance money, we would be most grateful. Because to add insult to injury, the national body are selling the den and the land it was built on. They did point out Waiau Scouts were in recess at the time of the quake, and that's true. Like any small town the number of kids varies from year to year to year. But on a good year, Waiau wants to start up again. We know we've been in recess before, and we've come out of it. So, I mean, we can't understand why they want to shut us right off. As far as we can see, they just view us as a pool of money. CHILDREN: Eight, nine.... They need that money to give the new generation the opportunities to get out and do things, just like they had, or even better... The Waiau community are looking at building a Waiau sporting community facility which would house a lot of the local groups that have been displaced because of the earthquake. So we would like to put funds into that, and that would mean if and when scouts comes back into operation, there would be a place for them to go. We try to impress on the national body that we are a community, and we need this. We've been kicked in the guts with the earthquake. Luckily scout law is all about good values. Being honest, fair and having good morals. Perhaps they would help Waiau get back up? MAN: We are happy to entertain a negotiation with this, right? How much would you be willing to give back to them? Well, that's a conversation between the community and myself. After this, Miranda tried to re-engage, but the national body didn't play ball. They refused to budge. So what does Waiau think of the scout law now? We don't believe that the values that they honour have been honoured. We're being killed off, really. I don't think they're looking after their youth and acting in the right way. So they pay the insurance premiums, but they don't get the insurance pay-out? Mm. How does that work? Doesn't seem quite right, does it? No. In a statement, Scouting New Zealand told us they own all the assets, and... They also say they have... Right, time for our true/false challenge. And tonight's question really is food for thought. It's a bit of a bleak day in Christchurch but a good day to try your luck at winning $20. And today we want to know... True or false? After its best before date? Yeah, no. False. By whom? (LAUGHS) By a retailer. There's usually a reduced sticker on it. Oh, it can be. Yeah. You've changed your mind on it? I've changed my mind. I think used by is different to best before. Yep. Best before ` I'd say true. Wow. I'm really conflicted about this, because my mother-in-law, Sarah Hampton, says it's just a guide and you should eat whatever. But I think it's more than a guide. It's the law. I'm saying false ` you can't sell food after its best before. Ooh, you're going against the mother-in-law? I am. We will see. All right. Coming up after the break ` they booked a luxurious apartment and ended up with a bit of a pig-sty. There was bed sheets in the corner; the sinks were full of hair; the toilets hadn't been cleaned. What you see is not always what you get when booking online. It was just a complete disaster. And an SOS from a young girl on her big OE. My friend handed over a �5 note that she had, and the lady there said, 'Sorry, we don't accept those notes.' If you are Maori and 18 or over, you have a choice whether you want to be on the General Roll or the Maori Roll. Your decision is important. But if you haven't decided yet, you don't have much longer, and you won't get to choose again for another six years. If you're still not sure what to do, get in touch today. Now is your time to choose. Mau tonu e kowhiri. Check out the three essentials for a healthy home on our website. Welcome back. I always thought the ultimate luxury in life was freshly cleaned flannel sheets on a winter's night. Ooh yes. But apparently it's not ` it's time. We all have the same amount of it, 168 hours a week, and nobody, absolutely nobody, can buy a second more. That's right, which is why, every now and then, it is really good to indulge in a bit of luxury. But be warned ` what you see is not always what you get when you book online. Here's Hannah. (AMBIENT MUSIC) You're organising a big night out in Auckland ` concert tickets booked, flights organised. Now all you need is somewhere to stay. So... what do you look for in a hotel? Shampoo; conditioner; body wash. For some, it's all about cleanliness. For others, it's the little things that matter. Hairdryer. Oh, decaf. And for some people, it's all about the comfort. (EXHALES) How is it? Dreamy. Don't need that, though. Earlier this year, Jaimee was looking for a great hotel, a special place to stay because of a very special man. Ed Sheeran was coming to New Zealand. # Settle down with me. # He's just a one-man band; he can do everything. # Cover me up. # And I rang my sister and said, 'Let's go. I'm not taking no for an answer.' So it was Jaimee and sister Kylie and their partners, Ben and Garry. We got good tickets in a good seated area, close to the stage. The concert was on a Monday night in Auckland, which meant time off work and flights from New Plymouth for Jaimee and Ben, while Kylie and Garry flew up from Wellington. (SUITCASE ZIPS) They'd booked to stay in a luxury two-bedroom waterfront apartment in the Viaduct with beautiful harbour views. Yep, they were really pushing the boat out. We were very excited to be staying in a luxury penthouse. We told everybody that, 'This is where we we're staying.' They'd found the apartment on the Booking.com website. We use Booking.com because it's just the easiest website to use, and it is well known. At almost $600 a night, it was way more than they'd usually spend. Yeah, it was a special weekend away, so we thought, 'Why not? It's just one night, and we'll make the most of it.' So the group got to their Auckland apartment at 2pm on concert day, but then they found they couldn't get in. So we got through to Booking.com, who then told us that they need to contact the hotel provider, which was MyHotel.com. Jaimee had booked with Booking.com, but the property was actually managed by My Hotel. Jaimee said she rang both companies trying to get things sorted, and eventually My Hotel found them another apartment, but they hadn't been refunded for the first place so were reluctant to pay for a second. And we weren't prepared to pay $580, so we got in the car, googled who MyHotel.com was, and realised that they had an office in Auckland, so we decided to go there. And this is where they came ` to an office in this building, where they talked to one of the My Hotel staff members. Yeah, he was quite stressed. What was the explanation of why you didn't have a room at the place you'd booked for? He said that we were forgotten about. Forgotten about? Yeah. And so, yeah, we were kind of like, 'We booked this six months in advance.' And he said that it's just been a really busy weekend. What sort of an explanation is that? Yeah, we didn't take that lightly. He then said all he can do for us is give us accommodation if we pay for it. By this stage, as well, I guess you're really, really running out of time. Yeah, so I was more worried about missing out on a concert that I really wanted to go to, and I said, 'Fine.' We took the key, and so off we went. To an apartment block not close to the harbour, not the same level of luxury, and not, as it turned out, even clean. So there was bed sheets in the corner of the hallway. The sinks were full of hair. The toilets hadn't been cleaned. The kitchen ` stuff was all on the bench; rubbish was still there. Yeah, and beds unmade. So as soon as we got there and it was dirty, we tried ringing, and they didn't answer. At this point, we kind of said to ourselves that our weekend's ruined. Jaimee says they couldn't get hold of My Hotel, so they rang around, found their own accommodation at $600 a night, dropped off their bags and grabbed a cab to the concert. (ED SHEERAN PERFORMS 'SHAPE OF YOU') When we get to the stadium, we can hear Ed Sheeran singing, and we kind of just put it all behind us and enjoyed the rest of the concert ` or what was left of the concert. # Push and pull like a magnet do. # We saw, I don't know` I think it felt like seven or eight songs. # Oh-I, oh-I, oh-I, oh-I # It was amazing, and, yeah, we will always hold onto that memory of those songs. Auckland, are you feeling good tonight? (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) But there was one last disappointment ` the concert pie. So, we all got a pie... (LAUGHS) for dinner. How was the pie? The pie was cold. (LAUGHS) Cold? Yeah. The pie was cold?! I think it had been sitting there for a while; it was very soggy. (LAUGHS) The next morning, they revisited the My Hotel office. He explained that they had a nightmare of a weekend, and his manager was away sick, and so he was having to deal with everyone's complaints. We left there only because we were confident that we were getting a refund. How long ago was that? That was March 27th. Any refund? No. That's 11 weeks Jaimee's been chasing up the refund. It was just a complete disaster. Yeah, we were kind of left out on the street with no accommodation and half a concert. Look, Ed Sheeran ` great concert. But bad accommodation is still bad accommodation. Exactly. Since we got involved, My Hotel have refunded the cost of the original apartment, and they've offered $500 as compensation. They say they are... ...and admit they... My Hotel's... They say... Booking.com say their job is to... But they do... They are... They have... That's a pretty good outcome, actually. Nice outcome. Right, coming up after the break ` a banking transaction lacking some real common 'cents'. We were a little bit surprised. A bit shocked, really. They're stranded in a foreign land with money they can't use. I handed over my �10 note and was told they don't actually accept that any more. And how good is your consumer trivia? Food can be sold after its 'best before' date. * Welcome back. We are fast becoming a cashless society. Yes, especially me when it's my round. But anyway, debit and credit cards are good on the home front, but it pays to have some local currency when travelling overseas. It does. But don't assume the bank always knows what it's doing. Here's Garth with an SOS from some young Kiwis in the UK. (UPBEAT MUSIC) big OE. That sounds great. ...we've still got a while, yeah. She and her buddy Cassie worked hard at their local supermarket to afford it. She went to the Whangarei branch just before she flew out. But when she got to the UK, she found what the bank had given her back here wasn't the full quid any longer. It was the same at KFC, Inverness. What did you make of that? paper, Charles Darwin on the back. I found mine at the bottom of my travel bag. But what's a bank doing selling out-of-date money to a traveller? The UK stopped using these in May last year, yet, remember, these tenners just last month. We wanted to check this out for ourselves, so we visited a suburban High St with four banks. So from three of the major trading banks here, one, two, three perfectly brand-new and useable �10 notes. Westpac wouldn't sell me an English tenner because I didn't have ID ` something about the anti-money laundering laws. Hadyn had more luck in the 'Naki ` local hero and all that. It has on it a woman. I think it's Jane Austen. Same down South for our mate John off the news. Here at the ASB in Mosgiel, they've got the new ones. So all good. Looks like the new notes have even reached Takaka. They just said to me that they had only just got some more of these in over the last week, so pretty recent, but all good to go. Thanks, Kaitlin. After charming a Scottish bank teller, Ruby and Cassie got their hands on the new notes too. And even better... (RING TONE) ...we got to deliver some news from their banks back home. ...said ANZ. Westpac added... OK. That's good. That's nice. (LAUGHS) And better yet ` both banks decided to refund them in full ...said Westpac. That's so cool! ...said ANZ. Sweet. Thank you. Thank you. Bye. See ya! Well done, Garth. Cos I'll tell you what ` �10, when you're travelling, that's, like, four meals at least. It's a lot of noodles. Oh yes, when you're a young traveller, absolutely. OK, time to put you out of your misery and reveal the answer to this week's True/False challenge. Now, dedicated followers will know... And there has to be at least 180 days between rent increases. Also... How am I going? You are at 50%. What? You are up against your mother-in-law tonight. Oopsie. So let's see how you go. Food can be sold after its best before date. That was today's True/False question. True or false? Oh, you were confident. Also studied hospitality. And that study paid off, because it is true. Sorry, so how did I do? You were wrong, and your mother-in-law was right. Ooh, Christmas is gonna be interesting this year. (LAUGHS) But just to clarify ` 'best before' is not the same as a 'use by' date. It is illegal to sell food with an expired use by date. I was a former freezer manager at Gore New World. You'd think I'd know this. Anyway, that's the show, but we're always here to help. Our programme is all about you at home, so if you've got a wrong you want made right or you feel like you're not getting a fair go, drop us a line. We're on Facebook, or you can email us ` Or write to us ` Thank you for watching. I've gotta go check my fridge. I've got some items that may have some best before issues. Until next week,... BOTH: ...po marie.