Latest news with #Barnes
1News
6 hours ago
- 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."
NZ Herald
8 hours ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Westpac warns of multimillion-dollar ‘subscription trap'
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. Westpac said it had helped to stop more than $25m in unwanted charges being processed on to the cards of unwitting customers. Photo / 123RF '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.' - RNZ
IOL News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
From Delft to Namibia: Theodore Barnes shines at the Special Olympics
Theodore Barnes of Delft. Theodore Barnes of Delft. Image: supplied 'You have to lose to win. Those are the words of 21-year-old Theodore Barnes from Delft, who represented South Africa at the Special Olympics Region 5 Youth Games in Namibia, where he claimed second place in the 100 metres and fourth in the 200 metres. Barnes was one of 12 Team SA athletes competing in the Special Olympics category. Barnes is no stranger to the competitive track, in 2022, while being a learner at Be-EL School in Kuils River, he was also selected to be part of the Special Olympics held in Limpopo and came back home with gold. This time around, Barnes, who coached and trained himself, thanks to the support and love from his family, achieved second place in the 100 metres and fourth in the 200 metres. Theodore Barnes of Delft was welcomed home by his family. pic supplied Theodore Barnes of Delft was welcomed home by his family. pic supplied Image: supplied Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ He is already wanting to prepare for the 2026 games, perfecting the sports craft and finding ways to improve. He is appealing for a coach and a club to belong to. 'I am just tired, it was an amazing experience for me,' said Barnes who returned home on Saturday and received a hero's welcome from his family, who were armed with banners and a celebratory gathering with cake and tea. 'I actually prepared myself mentally and physically. I am training myself at the moment, I do not have a coach. 'It was such a wild experience and it felt different, you have to lose to win. 'I also want to improve on where i can 'I trained three times a week. 'I am keen to participate again. I did coaching for rugby. 'I want to thank my mother and sisters, they were biggest supporters 'I am going to join a club to prepare myself for the games.' Barnes' sister, Zudith Parish said they were proud of his achievements. 'We are trying to get sponsors for his training and he is keen to have a coach and join a club as there are none in Delft and we have to consider the transport.' What makes Barnes even more special is that he is an avid and dedicated sportsman who has done coaching in rugby and is a runner, swimmer and soccer player and has ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which he does not let stand in his way. Earlier, the Western Cape MEC of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie said he wished Barnes well. 'He is a true example of what can be achieved through hard work, commitment and belief. Sport has the power to bring hope and joy to our communities and he is spreading that hope to others. He is a true role model for other athletes.' Cape Argus
Nahar Net
18 hours ago
- Health
- Nahar Net
Bees have some ways to cope with warming Earth, but researchers fear for their future
Sweat covers Isaac Barnes's face under his beekeeper's veil as he hauls boxes of honeycomb from his hives to his truck. It's a workout in what feels like a sauna as the late-morning June temperatures rise. Though Barnes was hot, his bees were even hotter. Their body temperatures can be up to 27 degrees Fahrenheit (about 15 Celsius) higher than the air around them. As global temperatures rise under climate change, scientists are trying to better understand the effects on managed and wild bees as they pollinate crops, gather nectar, make honey and reproduce. They noticed flying bees gathering nectar avoided overheating on the hottest days by using fewer but harder wingbeats to keep their body temperature below dangerous levels, according to a study published last year. Scientists also say that bees — like people — may also cope by retreating to a cooler environment such as the shade or their nest. "Just like we go into the shade, or we sweat or we might work less hard, bees actually do the exact same thing so they can avoid the heat," said Jon Harrison, an environmental physiologist at Arizona State University and one of the study's authors. But that means the bees aren't able to do what they normally do, said Kevin McCluney, a biology professor at Bowling Green State University. "They're not going out and getting more nectar. They're not mating. They're not doing the things that bees would otherwise do," McCluney said. Heat is just one challenge for critical pollinator Generally, most bees are heat-tolerant, but as the climate warms, some experts think their ability to fend off disease and gather food might become harder. And habitat loss, increased use of pesticides, diseases and lack of forage for both managed and wild bees are all listed as potential contributors to the global decline of bees and other pollinators. "If you're not well-fed, and your body is intoxicated with pesticides and you have lots of diseases in your body, you're going to be less heat-tolerant than if you were healthy," said Margarita López-Uribe, a pollinator health expert at Pennsylvania State University. Earlier this year, preliminary results from the annual U.S. Beekeeping Survey found that beekeepers lost almost 56% of their managed colonies, the highest loss since the survey started in 2010. Almost all of the managed honeybee colonies in the U.S. are used to pollinate agricultural crops such as almonds, apples, cherries and blueberries. Fewer pollinators can lead to less pollination and potentially lower yields. "It's a very fragile system if you think about it," López-Uribe said. "Because if something goes wrong, you have these super high-value crops that won't get enough bees for pollination." Losing hives at Honeyrun Farms Back at Barnes' hives in Ohio, thousands of honeybees fly around as he gathers boxes to take back to his farm for honey production. Nearby, a couple of his bees land on milkweed flowers, a rare bit of plant diversity in an area dominated by corn and soybean fields. For Barnes, who operates Honeyrun Farm with his wife, Jayne, one of the challenges heat can pose to his 500 honeybee hives is fending off parasitic mites that threaten the bees. If temperatures get too hot, he can't apply formic acid, an organic chemical that kills the mites. If it's applied when it's too hot, the bees could die. Last year they lost almost a third of the 400 hives they sent to California to help pollinate commercial almond groves. Barnes thinks those hives may have been in poor health ahead of pollination because they were unable to ward off mites when it was hot months earlier. "Dead hives aren't pollinating the almonds," he said. "It's a real ripple effect that stems back from the heat in the summertime." Sometimes the heat helps. Here in Ohio, Barnes' hives last summer produced a bumper crop of honey as they feasted on nearby soybean nectar as the plants bloomed in the heat. Still, the lack of diverse plants for bees to forage in an area dominated by corn and soybean fields isn't ideal. And even the native blooms are appearing erratically, Barnes said. In autumn, his bees search for food on goldenrod, but those blooms are appearing later. And even then, he has supplemented his hive with additional food to keep them healthy into the winter. "Every single plant that blooms is something that the bee can use," Barnes said. "And every single plant is affected by climate change." Research that may aid bees is in peril It's only in the last decade that people have become aware of the magnitude of the pollinator decline globally, said Harrison, of Arizona State University. Data is limited on how much climate change and heat stress is contributing to pollinator decline. "It's a relatively new focus for biology," he said. "I think it's super important, but it's not being studied a ton." The Trump administration's proposed budget would eliminate the research program that funds the USGS Bee Lab, which supports the inventory, monitoring and natural history of the nation's wild bees. Other grants for bee research are also in jeopardy. U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon said America's pollinators are in "grave danger," and he'll fight for the federal funding. Pollinators contribute to the health of the planet, the crops we grow and the food we eat, he said. "Rather than taking bold action to protect them, the Trump administration has proposed a reckless budget that would zero out funding for critical research aimed at saving important pollinators," he said in a statement to The Associated Press. Harrison said his research on this topic would come to a halt if cuts are made to his federal funding, and it would be more difficult in general for scientists to study the disappearance of bees and other pollinators and improve how they prevent these losses. Not being able to manage these pollinator deaths could cause the price of fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee and chocolate to jump or become scarce. "Hopefully, even if such research is defunded in the U.S., such research will continue in Europe and China, preventing these extreme scenarios," said Harrison.
Business Journals
19 hours ago
- Business
- Business Journals
Strategic redevelopment partnerships drive growth along Pearland's SH 35 Corridor
Pearland is a top destination for industrial and manufacturing development in the Greater Houston area, with its State Highway 35 corridor poised for long-term growth. Thanks to a proactive strategy, strong infrastructure investment, and a collaborative approach to business, the city is creating new opportunities for companies seeking high-quality industrial space and access to a skilled workforce. At the center of this momentum is Edge Industrial Park, a new 36-acre business park developed by Houston-based Stewart Development. Located at the southwest corner of SH 35 and McHard Road, the park offers nine freestanding, crane-ready buildings ranging from 20,000 to 34,000 square feet, designed to meet the needs of light manufacturing and distribution users. The first three buildings are expected to be completed later this summer. 'Pearland is a strategic choice,' said Brett Barnes, Vice President of Stewart Development. 'You've got great connectivity, a strong workforce, and a city that really understands what it takes to make projects successful.' That success is no accident. The Pearland Economic Development Corporation (PEDC) and the City of Pearland have invested heavily in the State Highway 35 Corridor Redevelopment Strategy —a multi-year effort aimed at revitalizing this long-established business corridor and strengthening Pearland's economic base. The strategy covers the corridor from Beltway 8 to the city's southern limits and focuses on infrastructure upgrades, development incentives, and proactive business recruitment. 'From the beginning, the collaboration with PEDC felt more like a true partnership,' Barnes said. 'They saw early on that there was a gap in the real estate market for smaller-footprint, Class-A industrial buildings and helped us move this project forward.' In March 2024, the City and PEDC finalized a development agreement with Stewart Development to support Edge Industrial Park's construction. The public-private partnership included site development assistance and infrastructure coordination, accelerating timelines and creating a clear path from vision to reality. That hands-on support proved critical in navigating challenges around timing, permitting, and utilities. Rather than slowing progress, the development team and local officials rolled up their sleeves and worked side-by-side to keep the project on track. 'We had a few hurdles, but the team stayed focused and solutions-oriented,' said Barnes. 'It's been one of the more efficient and collaborative experiences we've had.' The area surrounding Edge Industrial Park is already home to long-established businesses like Kemlon and Profax-Lenco, which have been part of the Pearland community for decades. Pearland's strategic position—just minutes from Beltway 8, William P. Hobby Airport, and the Port of Houston—makes it a natural hub for industrial tenants who rely on transportation access and regional connectivity. Barnes called Edge a 'long-term play' for Stewart Development and noted rising demand in the South Beltway for modern space that meets both operational and logistical needs. The speculative buildings currently under construction will give companies immediate options to locate in Pearland, while the pad sites offer room for build-to-suit expansion. With more than 130,000 residents and a strong pipeline of workforce talent, Pearland is increasingly viewed as a city that's ready for business. Through the SH 35 strategy and partnerships like the one forged at Edge Industrial Park, the city is laying the groundwork for sustainable growth. 'These projects help diversify Pearland's economy, create jobs, and strengthen the tax base for the city, county, and local schools,' said Valerie Marvin, Vice President of PEDC. 'It's about building something that lasts—not just for today's businesses, but for the future of Pearland.' Established in 1995 by the voters of Pearland, the is the leading economic development group for the thriving, business-friendly community of Pearland, Texas. PEDC focuses on business attraction, retention, and marketing; transportation, mobility, and infrastructure; developing Lower Kirby; corridors and beautification.
