Tonight we're on the chase... You don't need to be a genius to see that it's just terrible. ...of a foolhardy fencer leaving a trail of lies and destruction. For us it was really heartbreaking. So we confront him. You were gonna go away and come back to me with something that said you weren't the Zac that we were after? Yes, but, um... unfortunately... You are not gonna believe what he says next. Plus what makes a contract binding? Why don't we know that ahead of time? The details you need to know to avoid some outrageous charges. That is incredibly revolting. That's unfair. And later ` from despair to delight. We were blown away. Totally surprised. Didn't at all expect that. Your kindness has turned this couple's world around. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2020 Tena koutou katoa. Welcome to the show. You know that bit of the show when we go after ratbags and rogues, there is a certain thrill of the chase that comes with that. Mm, that's right. Once we've taken on your problem, we're desperate to get answers for you, and we keep at it until we do. But ` and there is a big but ` as Anna discovers, sometimes the biggest hurdle is just getting the scoundrels to even admit they were involved. I just don't think that he even understands how wrong his actions are. The state that it's in now, it's just a shocking, shocking job. After finding out that he has done so many shitty jobs, I think it's really, really unethical. Different jobs across different cities, using different aliases, but it's all the work of one man. Hi, Zac. Anna from Fair Go. He's Zachary Max John Shaw, known to his clients as... He told us he was Zac Swift of Swift Lawn Mowing and Landscaping. Green Boys, I think. Yep. And then after us, they were Yard Kings. Zac Green, Zac Shaw, Zac Ratahi, Zac Rataahi with a double A in it. Upright, I think, is the latest Facebook page we've seen? Have I already said Zac Green? Yeah. (LAUGHS) Yeah, and Zac Shaw? But I guess it can be... Yeah, and then it was Zack, and then Zachary. If they seem confused, so too is the man they're after. He might deny being the man responsible, but we know Zach Shaw's left a trail of clumsy, half-constructed woodsheds and fences across Canterbury and Southland, as well as a whole heap of customers feeling ripped off. Oh, steer` steer well clear of him. (CHUCKLES) He's bad news. There's Jason and his slat fence, Ruth and the fence for her miniature horses, John and his partially-mown lawn, Jollene and her woodshed, and Emma who sold him gates ` thousands of dollars gone. Pretty much as soon as he sunk the first post in the ground, I could tell it was just gonna be` it wasn't gonna be a good thing. (CHUCKLES) The Clarkes have spent $850 on these two fences on either side of their house. They're still not finished, and it's going to cost a whole lot more to fix. Uh, the whole gate's on a lean. He hasn't even cut the palings off at the top or the bottom. It's embarrassing, to be honest, just to have this. Zac Shaw ` Zac Green, as he was known to them ` took multiple visits to just get this far. We took photos of everything, and sent it back to him, and said, 'Look.' We were, like, furious. Like, 'What` What is the deal here, mate? Like, what's going on?' A year on, they still want answers and for the job to be finished properly. It's shocking. You don't need to be a genius to see that it's just terrible. Just look how wobbly this one is. But if you think that's bad, take a look at the job he did for Ruth Chiam. She wanted a fence to keep her miniature horses, Pinky and Puzzle, from escaping. He knew exactly what the fence was for. He also told us that they have big horses at home, so two miniature horses wouldn't be a problem. He knows exactly what he's doing. Does he? You decide. The horses can't be kept here until it's fixed. It's not safe enough. Nah, he was... bullshitting. (CHUCKLES) It was just rubbish. The fence is toppling. The horses wouldn't have that strength to push it over, if he had done a good job. Zac's claimed in writing that he's a licenced builder. He's not, and that's not the only thing that he claims. I'm fairly confident that you are the person that we want to talk to. It's on the invoice that you sent out to your customers who've since come and complained to us. Funnily enough, after three days to think about things, the situation changed. Hi, Zac. It's Anna calling back. Very well, thank you. How are you? You were gonna go away and have a think about things and come back to me with something that said that you weren't the Zac that we were after. OK. Good to get that sorted, but as for talk of his customers complaining... Have you received Facebook messages? Have you received text messages? Have you received voicemails? So every single communication that people are providing us copies with, you say you haven't received any of those. Hi, there, Zac. Just leaving another message... We have made phone calls. We have spoken to him. We have left voicemails, text messages. We have used Facebook to message him. We have commented on photos of his to let him know that he needs to get in contact with us. We've used a debt collection agency to make contact with him and chase him up. Zac hasn't just done the dirty on his customers; he's also taken money from suppliers. To be honest, we're just really tired. There's just no end to how much we've tried to get this money out of him, and he has absolutely no intentions, by the seems of things, to pay. The Tillmans started up their own business a few years ago handcrafting gates. They offered Zac trade terms. In return, he ripped them off to the tune of nearly 1300 bucks. I can't imagine running a business like that ourselves. I think I would just be terrified all of the time that I'm ripping people off, and they know who I am. They know where I live, and I just continue doing it. Emma and husband James have been chasing the debt for a year, and in case you're wondering, yep, they've also emailed him. Oh, yeah. Emailed him, and I know his email address off by heart. The rule is in our favour. Yep. She's not the only one. John used it to send Zac a copy of the Disputes Tribunal ruling against him for this really bad lawn mowing job. There's a principle involved here. You know, he needs, sort of, to be held accountable, you know, but he's just blatantly lying now. Zac owes john and his wife, Kim, nearly $1000 for the lawn and real estate photos that had to be re-shot. So you're not going to comply with the court's decision? Don't worry, we checked with John and Kim. He still hasn't paid. Zac's trail of deception has taken him across Canterbury and as far south as Invercargill, where Jollene is still waiting for her woodshed to be built. The wood will be getting a bit wet this winter. For us it was really heartbreaking, because we'd already had a really rough time, and it was just like... someone kicking you when you're down, and that's what got me the most. But no amount of pleading with Zac would get the job done. He says he's never even been to the southern city. Sure, but you say one thing, and then, like, three days later, I'm talking to you, and you're saying another thing. Why did you deny it was you on Friday? Like the rest of his customers, Jollene reckons Zac and her money are long gone. Oh, just gutted, I think, and to be honest, I'm not expecting to get our money back. We'd love to be surprised, but we think she might be right. Wow. Right, now, you be Zac. You be Zac. Mm-hm. I'll be the truth. I'm way over here. Here's the truth. (LAUGHS) And here am I. Exactly. Here's Zac. It's like a long-distance relationship. It is frustrating. Look, if you're feeling as frustrated as we are ` come and sit down ` we do have some promising news. As you saw in Anna's story, Zac's been calling himself a licensed builder, but he's not, and that's important, because it's an offence to say you're an LBP if you don't have the paperwork to back it up. So now MBIE has been alerted to Zac Shaw, or whatever he's currently calling himself. They're looking into it, and we will let you know what comes of that investigation. We will. Now, you know, you can do a lot in 20 minutes, right? You can go for a run, cook a meal, and even, it seems, rack up some of the craziest charges we've ever seen. Just over $2000. Mm. Say what? A $2000 bill racked up in under an hour. I cried. Amber cried. I think I would've cried too. Worst of all, it's completely legal. Find out how you can avoid falling into the same costly trap. Then later ` We were totally surprised. Didn't at all expect that. An extraordinary result for this heartbroken couple. It was pretty overwhelming, eh? Yeah, so much positive support. It's been incredible. Kia ora, nau mai, hoki mai. Welcome back. Now you often tell us about ridiculous extra charges that you've encountered. That's right. In fact, not so long ago, we did a whole series on the dumbest ones. But this one might take the cake, not only because the amount of money involved is staggering, but the time frame will blow your mind. Here's Gill. So you're looking for somewhere to rent, and you know there's likely to be some pretty big charges, but what if they're not just big; they're outrageous. Like... Just over $2000. Mm. At least that's what it ended up costing Amber and Izzy. So all of that money, and you never actually moved in? No. We looked through that house for about five minutes. Yeah. The saga began in 2018, before little Hudson had made an appearance. At that time, we were living, like, in like a flatting kind of situation, I guess, and we were pregnant, so we wanted to move into a house. They liked the look of this one, marketed by Click Property Management, and knowing how houses fly off the books, Izzy quickly got himself into the office to sign. I got to the end of the thing, and I was like, 'Oh, actually, can I take it to my partner? She's at work, 'if that's all right, and we'll go from there'. And she goes 'Yeah, nah, that's cool as'. I'm the boss. (LAUGHS) It took about 10 minutes to reach Amber at her work and only five more for her to get cold feet. Well, I just looked at the bond. It was extremely high, and we just didn't have that at that time, cos all our money was going on things for the baby. That, plus a letting fee. The houses that we had looked for before then didn't have a letting fee, but they did. So Izzy says he contacted a Click manager straight away. Izzy here. We just wanted to, um, confirm that we are no longer going ahead with the` with the property. Would have been, like, 15 or 20 minutes. 15 minutes after. So, good people of Dunedin, what would you expect Click's response to be? What costs, if any? In my heart, I'd say no costs, but I would expect` expect they might wanna charge an admin fee. So how much do you think? Not more than $50? Uh, none at all. Don't think you should be liable for any. If partner doesn't want it, it's all over. Well, this is what Click told Izzy. So we'll be liable for the rent and the break lease fee? I cried. Amber cried. Just because at that time, like, everything... (HUDSON CRIES) ...was, like, a big financial stress. Yeah. Click sent a letter saying they'd settle just for rent to cover the time the property was untenanted, but still, that's nearly $500. What for?! That is incredibly revolting. That's unfair. I'd stomp out and tell them to bugger off; that's what I would do. (LAUGHS) Yeah, that's just not showing manaaki. The couple thought they were safe anyway. We looked into it,... Yeah, we` we called. ...and for contract to be legally binding, there needed to be BOTH: two signatures, and this was a contract between Izzy and myself. Yeah. It wasn't just Izzy. I hadn't signed it. But wait for it. Click said one signature was enough. No, that's crazy. Don't tell me that's` that's the law, is it? Uh, yes, it is. Scotney, a property management consultant, knows tenancy law inside out. Tenancy law, um, has it's own peculiarities. Like... You can have two people on contract, but only one needs to sign to make it binding. And so that's different from a lot of contract law? Yes. Contracts for the sale of land, for example, for signing for mortgages, where there are more than one person on a contract, they do sign, and they're required to sign. And even more peculiar... In some cases, you don't need to sign at all? A verbal agreement to rent a house would be binding. CHUCKLES: Do you think many people know that? No. I suspect they probably don't know that; that's the reality. He's right. Why don't we know that ahead of time? In other words, 'These are the rules. Now, let's go from here, 'right? otherwise we'll trap you'. Amber and Izzy sure felt trapped. They firmly believed they shouldn't pay, so they didn't, which is why Click says it had to take them to the Tenancy Tribunal. And you were happy with that? Yeah, I was. I was happy with that. Because he thought they'd win. They didn't. The Tribunal ruled the couple had to pay the $483 in rent, and it gets worse. Click added other costs ` the letting fee from the original contract and a partial break lease fee, making the total over $1300 for a contract lasting less than an hour. Click sent us a statement saying they sympathise with the tenants, but that people need to be aware of the consequences of breaching a contract. The couple still feel the charges are excessive, and reviews show Click has other dissatisfied customers too. Amber and Izzy were resigned to repaying and say they verbally agreed this with Click, but before payment started... They were saying that they've taking it to the debt collection agency, so that's where all the other money was added on top of it as well. (EXHALES) Two... 2000... 100 and something? Which they're now paying. It's week to week. (CHUCKLES) Yeah. Pretty rough going. Yeah. So unlike Hudson's favourite book at bedtime, this story doesn't have a happy ending. It's more of a cautionary tale about the clauses agencies can use if they put money before manaaki. I don't know. I just don't understand how people can sleep at night knowing that they're just taking money from good people. Mm. You know what? I've got a message for Click Property Management. That may be legal, but that is mean. You guys are mean. That is no good. I'm not happy. I'm gutted for them. Look, the good news is that laws have since changed, and now rental companies are no longer allowed to charge letting fees. Which is superb, but legal or not, Click Property Management, they were taking the old (WHISTLES), weren't they? They were taking advantage. Yeah. Look, actually, speaking of that, it really is true that in times of crisis we see the best and the worst in people. And unfortunately, Covid-19 has meant a whole new batch of scams doing the rounds. So how can you keep yourself safe? # Money. # Money. # (CASH REGISTER CHIMES) It's not a stretch to say it's never been harder to keep track of what's legit and what's not. You might ask yourself, 'Well, who are these dumb people who are falling for` for scams?' That's not the way it works at all. Anybody can be a victim of a scam if they are going through something. And with Covid-19 and it's economic after-effects, we're all going through something, which means as far as scams are concerned, we all need to be on Alert Level 4. Basically everything can be faked, and I've seen some incredible, mindboggling, gobsmacking fakes that are out there ` entire bank websites, entire ads. So if everything can be faked, if we're not on our guard, we're going to get fleeced. It's a Wild West online. (GUNSHOTS) That's right, so be particularly wary of any Covid-19 advice or offers that don't come from official sources, and that have been sent to you unexpectedly. Pretty much the question to be asking yourself is, 'Is this for real?' and that` that can be used in a variety of different situations. If you ever get cold called for an investment, just hang up. But another great way is to hang up and actually call that organisation that you think you're getting contacted by. Hang up, and call on a listed number on a website that's listed. You can just double check for yourself. Scammers will tempt you with promises of secret deals and warn you not to tell anyone, when actually what you should be doing is telling everyone. Scammers, uh, they come through with this pitch that it's just for you. It's a special thing. It's secret too. Pippa, don't tell anyone about it, OK, because, you know, it's just available for you, and we know that that's a tactic. You know, if you think it's just for your world and there, and you don't really talk to anyone else about it, you're more likely to fall for a scam. Now, look, if you think you've been taken in by a scam or recognised one, you can go to cert.govt.nz. That's a government-run website that's across covid-related scams, and tells you what steps to take next, and of course, we'll put that address on our Facebook page. Righty-ho. From heartbroken to hopeful. Why our couple who got jilted by their wedding venue are now over the moon. We were totally surprised. Didn't at all expect that. Covid might have cancelled their special day,... We were saving for two, two and a half years. Yeah. Two years? But now the hard work and the heartache is totally worthwhile, and it's all thanks to you, Aotearoa New Zealand, you guys. It's been incredible, and just generosity, and the amazing feedback. Really reassuring. (BABY BABBLES) Who made parenting so complicated? At Karicare Toddler, we believe good doesn't need to be complicated, especially when it comes to nutrition. That's why we put in the ingredients that matter and leave out the added preservatives and artificial flavours. Karicare Toddler milk - only what matters. What makes you happy? How about taking care of business smarter with a specced-up Hiace ZR? Packed with Toyota Safety Sense tech, like Autonomous Emergency Braking. That's smart. Plus Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Ooh, handy and smart. Touchscreen with built-in sat-nav. And now with Auto Limited Slip Rear Differential. Clever van. All that and more gives it the 2019 5 Star ANCAP safety rating Domino's new Chicken Parma pizza is deeply irresistible. Huh? With 22 succulent chicken pieces and crispy rasher bacon. Try it on new deep pan from just 15 bucks delivered. * Kia ora, nau mai hoki mai. Welcome back. We want to end the show on a high, and it doesn't get much better than this. A couple of weeks ago, you may remember, we brought you the story of a couple who were locked in a battle with their wedding venue, after Covid-19 saw their nuptials get put on hold. And as Gill explains, your reaction was incredible. Aoraki Mt Cook, Coatesville, Waimauku, Pirongia, Matamata, Rotorua. This might sound like a tour of Aotearoa New Zealand, but it's actually just a few of the places where venues have been offered up to Jordan and Emma for their wedding from you, our very generous viewers. We were blown away. We were totally surprised, didn't at all expect that. You see, Emma and Jordan were meant to get married in early April, and then... Covid cancelled our wedding. Jordan's parents gave them this space so they could store all the alcohol, flowers and decorations they'd pulled together. We were saving for two, two and a half years. Yeah. Two years? And most suppliers were happy to hold deposits for any new date. We didn't take any money back from them. We just asked to hold it in a credit, cos we still want to use them. But the venue set conditions that took the couple by surprise. Having paid $6500 to the venue, they were given four options before Level 4 lockdown. They were either way too soon, or they'd lose their money altogether. We think it's unfair, cos we've got nothing for our money at this point in time. But the venue owners, who don't want to appear on camera, see things very differently. They're a family business. They've been hit hard by the fallout from the virus, and they see the deposit as helping them with their costs, so that's a battle that'll be seen in the Disputes Tribunal. It turns what should be a happy, fun, loving experience into something that's... negative. Well, it did, until this happened. Covid cancelled their wedding, so why is the venue keeping their cash? After our story went to air, offers to help came flooding in. So much kindness, and just things that we hadn't thought about and hadn't seen. It was just` It's just been just a really nice warm fuzzy, eh? Venues we didn't even know were there. Yeah. (BOTH CHUCKLE) Yeah, it's really amazing. Lots of kind venues,... I'd like to show them around our venue, and make sure they have a day to remember. We would like to help them out by offering free venue hire, as well as $1000 towards the refreshment tab. We would love to see if there's a way we could help them have their special day. ...wedding planners, even a top notch tailor. And that's just some of the offers. We were blown away, and we weren't the only ones. Definitely reinstates faith in people, eh? Yep. It just totally surprised us. We did not expect that at all. So just to sum up, if I may, Zac and Click Property Management ` not so kind. You guys at home ` kind. Yeah, incredible atawhai. Incredible kindness. Thank you to all of you. Now Emma and Jordan say they're gonna look at all the offers and make some decisions. We will let you know what they choose. We will. Right, that's it from us, but as always, we're always here to help. Our programme is all about you guys at home, funnily enough, your consumer aches and pains. No matter if they're huge or teeny tiny, please get in touch. Yes, we're on Facebook and Instagram. You can go to our webpage, which is tvnz.co.nz. Email us ` fairgo@tvnz.co.nz, or write to us ` PO BOX 3819, Auckland, 1140. Our TikTok account is pending. Until next week, thanks for watching. Be kind. BOTH: Po marie. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air.