After an anxious wait John and Jenny Nix have got her ANZ KiwiSaver money and can finish paying for their new car.
Mrs Nix rang the Chronicle on Monday, saying the payment had been delayed and the deadline to finish paying for the vehicle was Friday. They were afraid the car could be repossessed.
She is 67 and began the process of getting her $15,000 in the ANZ KiwiSaver Scheme on November 15. But there were hold-ups while she got identification, and then delays from the ANZ because of an IT upgrade.
The Nixes were at their wits' end, and ringing the bank and checking their account every day. Granddaughter Lakeisha, who spent a week with them, wanted to go to Kowhai Park.
She didn't get to go much further than Waverley's Library because they were reluctant to take a car they didn't own out of town.
After the Wanganui Chronicle contacted the ANZ on Monday and Tuesday, things moved quickly. The Nixes got an email from the bank at 10am on Tuesday.
They had a phone call at 3pm, to ask whether Mrs Nix had been overseas in recent years - information missed from her application. Then another phone call at 6pm to say the transaction was nearly finished.
By 10pm that night the money was in Mrs Nix's account, and they made the final $11,500 payment on the car on Thursday.
Wanganui Motors Mazda manager Stewart Payne said there was no danger the car would be repossessed because the Nixes had kept him informed. Banks were quick to charge and slow to help out, he said.
The Nixes' story got eight comments on Facebook. Leanne Gupwell said it was shocking service from ANZ, but Sharon Ellison and Natalie Bray-gunn had no problem withdrawing their KiwiSaver money from the bank.
Two others also had no problems but the ANZ was not their provider.
Sheryl Dean needed an early payment because a medical condition has stopped her working. She felt the bank used stalling tactics on her, and got quite angry.
The situation was stressful for her and her partner, who needed the money to pay debts.
"I do wonder if it is a conflict of interest when the bank you do business with also holds your Kiwisaver funds and ultimately decides if you can have your money. I feel that this issue needs to be looked at by the Goverment," she said.