Lost In The System
The Classic Case
Take a look at this recent statement from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
There is $16 billion in lost and unclaimed super across Australia. The ATO says: “If you feel some of the Unclaimed Super Money could be yours or you’re unsure how it applies to you contact the ATO or seek professional advice.”
Did you notice who said this? This is a statement by the Australian government. Did you see the figure? $16 billion is a huge pile of cash. It is held firmly in government hands, but it doesn’t belong to the government. It belongs to individuals in the community. Also, did you notice what the Australian government said? They want to reunite Australians with their missing money.
How Does Money Go Missing?
One in three Australians have money owing to them and they don’t even know it. This happens not only to individuals but even to businesses. How can people lose track of their money?
Unclaimed money comes from a variety of sources. It’s much more than missing money in a superannuation fund. Essentially, it is money that belongs to an account that has become inactive and has been unused for an extended time
How Does it Happen?
These accounts have either been neglected or forgotten about.
For instance, a business may have overpaid an energy provider. The energy provider attempts to reimburse the business. A cheque is sent out to the business but it is never delivered. Why so? Because the business contact details have changed. So the unpresented cheque is never cashed. That’s when the government steps in. Legislation requires after a period of time inactive accounts become the possession of the public trustee
Another example. People often have more than one bank account. They may have had one from childhood. Then when their working life begins they may open one or two more bank accounts. Over time it’s not uncommon for people to have several bank accounts and before long they lose track of them. If a bank account remains inactive for a number of years legislation requires that these funds be transferred to the state. It then becomes unclaimed money.
Another Example
Another example is an unclaimed life insurance policy. A father takes out life insurance and makes his daughter his beneficiary. But he doesn’t tell his daughter about the insurance policy. Later the father dies but his daughter makes no claim simply because she doesn’t know about it. The insurance company attempts to locate the beneficiary but fails to make contact. Again, legislation requires in time the unclaimed funds be transferred to the state.
Other examples to mention a few include rental bonds, uncollected deposits, investments, stocks and dividends, deceased estates, tax refunds, retirement savings, lottery winnings, unused gift cards or money orders. When these funds remain unclaimed in time they are all transferred to the state.
What is a Refund Specialist?
A refund specialist helps people recover their missing money. This is money individuals are entitled to but has been lost in the system.
This missing money is held by government authorities waiting for the rightful owner to make a claim. Government authorities will publish a list of people who have unclaimed funds.
However, the government authorities don’t actively look for the owner of these funds. The Refund Centre does! We fill the gap. We search for the individual. We locate the person and notify them of their missing money. We then offer to assist them to recover their lost funds. For a smooth and easy claim The Refund Centre can assist you.
It’s important to remain engaged with your super fund through all your stages of life, not just when you retire
A Consistent Explanation
What’s the main reason why funds go missing? Simply put people do not keep their contact details up to date. Both individuals and businesses fall short in this respect. In fact, we’re all probably guilty of it. With the fast pace of life, it’s easy to overlook keeping all your paperwork up to date.
Here’s something to think about. Imagine you had a stack of $50 notes sitting on your kitchen table. What would you do with them? You’d probably pick them up, count them out and put them in a safe place. Now think about the promise of payment either written on paper or as a digital record. Which two forms of cash have more meaning to you? Isn’t it true you tend to pay more attention when you have to personally count out each dollar note? So another reason why money goes missing is because of inattention and negligence.
We should be alert and pay attention to all our financial transactions. Both large and small. Such things as: what is it’s source, why is it there, and what do we intend to do with it? Easier said than done evidently.
Still More Reasons
You may have a vague recollection you had an account somewhere in your history. But with the hustle and bustle of life you tend to think I’ll attend to that later. The truth is the last thing you want to do after a day’s work is chase paperwork. It’s not most people’s favourite pastime. We all understand keeping on top of changes isn’t always easy.
It could be a change of address, a change of name, a change of employer, a change of accounts, a family break up or even a move overseas. These changes are not always reported and updated.
Whatever the reason it happens. It happens to one in three people. Large amounts of money go missing and get ‘lost’ in the system. When this occurs what happens next?
Legislation to the Rescue
The Government steps in. When funds remain unclaimed the government takes control. The financial institution or the business may have attempted to locate the owner of the missing money but was unable to do so.
In time these funds are transferred to a government trust account. They remain there until the rightful owner claims the money back. If ever that occurs!
Lost but not completely. You can be confident that all unclaimed funds are in safe hands. State governments are bound by legislation and regulations to be up front and accountable. There are strict rules about reporting and protecting unclaimed funds.
If you believe you are entitled to missing money your should submit a claim. If you make a claim and satisfy official criteria your claim will be approved and you should have your missing money refunded.
How many people actually lodge a claim? You may be surprised to know – very few! But that doesn’t have to be true of you. If you think some of your money is missing there’s a couple of things you can do.
1. Claim it yourself.
2. Get professional help to claim it.
Why Choose The Refund Centre?
Do you want to save yourself the hassle?
Do you want to spare yourself the time-consuming complexities of government red tape?
Do you want the help of someone who specializes in the industry?
Do you want someone who is experienced and trustworthy?
Do you want your claim processed quickly and smoothly?
Do you want your claim done right the first time?
Something to Consider
Australians know about the goldrush era of the 1800s. Gold was discovered and it changed the course of history. We’ve heard about those who searched for gold and found their fortune. However, those success stories were few and far between. For most people there was no overnight success.
You had to work hard to find gold. Many had to leave their home and travel to the goldfields. Some travelled from as faraway as the UK, the US and China. Then when they got there they had to dig for it. In fact, those who rushed to the goldfields were known as ‘diggers.’
This era illustrates a valuable principle in business and in life. The only time success appears before work is in the dictionary. You can’t make money unless first you work for it. It applies to all areas of life. You can’t have a friend unless first you be one. You can’t make omelettes unless first you break eggs.
Could you make a claim yourself? Yes, you could and you should. But will you or would you? The figures speak for themselves. Of all the unclaimed money in Australia less than 5% actually make a claim. It appears that only a few are prepared to search for and recover their missing money.
You can search for it and make your own claim if you’re willing to work for it. That way you won’t have to hire an agent. If you have the time and know-how why not give it a try? The government says they will help you.
Things could go your way. You could get what you’re looking for. However, keep in mind the gold diggers of yesteryear. Be prepared to work for it.
Of course. whenever you invest in something there’s always that element of risk. It’s similar with looking for lost money. Do you know where to look and how to make a claim? Are you prepared to work with government procedures and protocol? Do you have the determination and persistence to see it through? Will your claim be successful?
An Easier Way
You can well imagine many left the goldfields with little to show for it despite their sweat and sacrifice. But you don’t have to walk away empty handed from what you’re entitled to. There’s an easier way.
An easier way is to get someone to do it for you. Ideally a refund specialist who is qualified and experienced. Someone who can work on your behalf.
Anyone who wants to recover their missing money must comply with government requirements. At times this can be like climbing a mountain. It means navigating the rugged terrain of state regulations etc.
You don’t have to worry about that. Not if you get the proper help. You can save yourself the hassle. No need to disrupt your life. As a registered and qualified specialist The Refund Centre will take care of that for you.
The role of The Refund Centre is to search for missing money, locate the owner, get the owner’s approval, lodge a claim and get your missing money refunded. If needed we can access databases and resources that are not readily available to the general public.
10 Steps to Success
Step 1. Contact The Refund Centre.
Step 2. Let The Refund Centre take care of the other 9.
Cost or Investment?
The beauty of having The Refund Centre act on your behalf is that no investment is required on your part. Unlike the gold diggers of the past they had to invest their time and money without knowing the outcome. This is not the case with The Refund Centre. In fact, the reverse is true.
The Refund Centre bears all the risk. No investment is required on your part. All you have to do is grant approval to The Refund Centre to act on your behalf.
How then is The Refund Centre rewarded for their work? They are paid only after you are paid. We work on a percentage fee of the refunded money. It’s the ideal business arrangement. Both parties are rewarded only when the missing money is successfully recovered. What is the percentage fee asked by The Refund Centre? 17.5% is what you can expect to pay for the successful return of your money.
Every prize has its price. Did you ever hear the story of the Italian tailor?
One day he was on the job and a well-to-do woman rushed into his store. He could see she was full of expectation. She hurriedly asked: Can you make me a special hat? I’ve got a very important function on tonight and I want to look my best. The tailor said, sure I can do that for you.
The tailor then reached to the top shelf and selected a brightly coloured ribbon of cloth. He then proceeded to weave it and style it. His hands moved this way and that way. It was something to behold. He knew what he was doing. There was no cutting, glueing or pinning. It was like watching poetry in motion.
The woman looked on in amazement. In a matter of minutes the lady’s hat was ready.
The tailor said: Here you are madam, go to the mirror take a look and tell me what you think. The woman did just that. It’s wonderful she said. I’ve never seen the like of it. It’s simply stunning. How much is it? For you madam it is $799. Aghast, the woman said, $799 for less than 10 minutes work!
With that the tailor didn’t say a word. He simply took the hat and began to unravel his work of art until once again it was the brightly coloured ribbon cloth he’d started with. He then said to the woman, madam the ribbon is yours . . . for free.
It’s true it took the tailor less than 10 minutes to make the hat. But that’s all the woman saw. What she didn’t see were the many years of dedication and hard earned skill it took to be the master of his craft.
The main thing you need to remember with your refund claim is that you don’t pay any money upfront. No money comes directly out of your pocket. You pay only after you have recovered your missing money.
In effect it costs you nothing because The Refund Centre is paid out of your recovered funds. Your agent gets paid only after you are paid
Is it a Scam?
You have good reason to ask this question. Scams proliferate today. Cyber-crime is at an all time high. But this is no scam! The Unclaimed Money industry is well documented in official government records. It constitutes a huge sector of finance held by the Public Trustee.
The Government Public Trustee holds billions of dollars. The government is the custodian of the missing money but legally it belongs to the people in the community. You can check this out yourself by going to government websites and other government publications. It is published and available for all the public to see.
What makes The Refund Centre special?
What’s the advantage of getting a licensed professional do the work on your behalf?
The Refund Centre follows a tried & true process. Since its inception 25 years ago this system has been refined and updated to a fine art.
Practice makes perfect and a well-trained refund specialist will expedite your claim quickly and smoothly. Besides know-how, he does what it takes, and he gets your money back where it belongs —in your pocket.
How to Identify a Scam
Genuine businesspeople communicate openly and publicly. They allow you the freedom to choose. You should never feel compelled or rushed to make a business decision. Genuine businesspeople allow you the time to consult with a third party. A genuine refund consultant will be qualified and registered.
A genuine business will be visible and accessible. You should be able to visit a website and get a full explanation of their role and responsibility. The website should include terms and conditions. These terms and conditions should clearly state the obligations of both parties. A real business should be reachable. You should be able to make a phone call and speak directly to a real person.
What’s the biggest difference with an honest business and a scammer? A genuine businessperson will never ask you upfront for your personal details. That will come when you are ready.
Then if you decide to proceed with a claim both you and the specialist will put it in writing. A written agreement will give both you and your specialist the confidence and protection to go ahead.
These are the hallmarks of an ethical business. Both parties enter a business relationship based on respect and trust. Nothing is left to chance. Each party knows exactly what to expect.
What if You Don’t Want to Claim?
As strange as it may sound not everyone wants to claim their lost funds. People have their own reasons for that. If that’s true of you here’s another option for you. You could donate your funds to a charity of your choice. You’d then have the satisfaction of knowing your funds have been put to a worthy cause.
Something more than money
Claiming what is rightfully yours is not always just a financial matter. It can be a journey back into your life’s history. This is especially so when you discover a relative or a close family friend has made you a beneficiary of some kind.
Finding ‘missing money’ can be an exciting and rewarding experience both financially and emotionally. For many it is a wonderful opportunity to connect with the past
The Claim Process
As you go about the claim process be thorough, be patient and be persistent.
Of course, The Refund Centre will do the heavy lifting for you but don’t forget you must provide the required documents. We will guide you through the necessary steps. Follow the direction, do what’s asked and let each step lead you to a successful claim. Remember your reward may be just a few steps away
Here’s What The Refund Centre and You Must Do
- Search for and locate your missing money
- Grant approval for your agent to act on your behalf
- Verify your identity
- Collect supporting documents
- Prepare and submit a claim
- Wait for verification
- Pay attention to any updates
- Maintain communication with your agent
- Expect additional information may be needed
- Expect a successful recovery
Why pay The Refund Centre to recover your missing money?
You pay no upfront costs. You don’t pay a solitary cent in advance.
The Refund Centre bears all the risk. You simply approve The Refund Centre to act on your behalf.
Only after your money is successfully returned do you pay the agreed fee. Your refund specialist is paid only after you are paid. No refund . . . no fee!
In effect it costs you nothing because The Refund Centre is paid from the recovered funds.
You pay only for results . . . not promises!
Be The Next Success Story
Success stories abound. Individuals even after many years reclaim their missing money. They remind us it’s never too late to recover what was lost. It is a journey and it’s not without its moments but for those who persist it is a rewarding experience.
If you’ve been notified you have unclaimed funds now’s the time to take the first step. Begin the journey of discovery and recovery. You could be the next success story waiting to happen.
The Time Has Come . . . Recover What Was Lost
In many cases money has been missing for years. You may have grown used to not having it. Because you’ve been so long without it you may think: Does it really belong to me? But look! If you’re the real owner, it’s time to put it back where it belongs – in your pocket.
Get professional help and allow us to proceed with your claim. Take the first step and approve the Authority to Act Agreement and we can get started right away.
Do you have anything to lose? Yes, you do. No action means no refund.
Remember you don’t have to invest a solitary cent. The Refund Centre takes care of all that. Get what’s owing to you. For a smooth recovery let us act on your behalf.
To Your Success