Sarah Sharples

Australia

Investigations Editor at News.com.au

Finance editor @newscomauHQ. Email: [email protected] Opinions are my own, not my employers

Articles

‘Dead cheap’ trip through Qantas-owned holiday website TripADeal ends in $3.2K shock

1 week ago | nypost.com | Sarah Sharples

When an Aussie couple booked a dream holiday, including scoring business class flights for just $1,000 ($644 USD) each through a travel site owned by Qantas they were ecstatic – but things took an unexpected turn when they later learned an extra $5,000 ($3,200 USD) could be added to their bill.
Qantas-owned holiday website ‘backflips’ after couple complains about TripADeal issue

1 week ago | news.com.au | Sarah Sharples

When an Aussie couple booked a dream holiday, including scoring business class flights for just $1000 each through a travel site owned by Qantas they were ecstatic – but things took an unexpected turn when they later learned an extra $5000 could be added to their bill. Rod Gaynor had booked a holiday with travel website TripADeal, which included three nights in Fiji, an 18-day cruise through the islands down to Sydney and business class flights back to their home town of Perth.
Aussie loses $20k in ‘horrible’ way

2 weeks ago | news.com.au | Sarah Sharples

When an Aussie dad uncovered that he had lost $20,000 after making four simple transfers, he was left feeling “horrible”. The money was to pay for legal fees and Brett D’Souza said he only uncovered the disaster the transfers had unleashed two weeks after it happened. “It is a lot of money with all the legal fees,” he told news.com.au.
Sinister reason man’s salary slid from $200k

1 month ago | news.com.au | Sarah Sharples

When Leah* was with her ex-husband he was a high-flying executive earning $200,000 but his salary suddenly plummeted when it came to paying child support after a horrific divorce. Her ex-husband now claims he only earns $24,000 a year, amid a growing epidemic of men under-reporting their salary to get away with paying little or no child support. Australians owe approximately $1.7 billion in unpaid child support.
ANZ bank accused of ‘tortuous’ action over mortgage error

1 month ago | news.com.au | Sarah Sharples

It’s a scenario many Australians have dreamt of, a bank error in your favour, with your entire mortgage wiped. It actually happened to Maria*, but she did the right thing and informed her bank. It was a decision she would live to regret. Now, eight years later, she is still tied up in never-ending court action that has been described as “disgraceful” and has left her psychologist questioning if it qualifies as “torturous” in a damning letter.
Major brand Ally Fashion could owe as much as $58m after collapse

1 month ago | news.com.au | Sarah Sharples

A major Australian retail chain that was ordered into liquidation could have racked up a massive amount of debt — amounting to $58 million – as a court case launched by the company’s owner was recently thrown out. News.com.au broke the news of Ally Fashion’s demise when it was ordered to be wound up by the Federal Court of Australia at the end of February due to insolvency, with liquidators moving quickly to shut down 51 stores and axe hundreds of jobs.
‘Mess’: Horror friendship break-up over $75k

1 month ago | news.com.au | Sarah Sharples

An acclaimed producer who had hit shows at the Sydney Opera House and other festivals has left a trail of debt impacting struggling artists along with a series of bitter bust-ups. Despite saying that a “lump sum” was headed to performers by Christmas last year, none of the artists that had spoken out had been paid. News.com.au exclusively broke the story about the huge amount owed by producer Bass Fam but recently uncovered the debt now sits at more than a quarter of a million dollars.
Shock reason two homes left to rot in Adelaide as Genius childcare in crisis

1 month ago | news.com.au | Sarah Sharples

The fallout of a collapsing company has exploded onto the streets of one Aussie suburb, with neighbours of a proposed site enduring break-ins, dumped rubbish and terrifying encounters with criminals. The childcare chain Genius has been beset by a crisis with 25 current centres across Australia under administration. It came amid mass staff walkouts and centres abruptly closing after educators were owed weeks of wages.
Genius Childcare in crisis with 25 centres now in administration

1 month ago | cairnspost.com.au | Sarah Sharples

An embattled childcare chain has had another 12 centres placed into administration, with the provider’s debt bill now expected to stretch into the millions, as the company has been accused of “chaos and calamity” that has caused “incredible distress”. Genius Childcare’s troubles have recently been playing out publicly with mass staff walkouts and centres abruptly closing. One of the provider’s companies, Vertical 4 Pty Ltd, was forced into administration on Monday, impacting 13 centres.
Genius Childcare in crisis with 25 centres now in administration

1 month ago | news.com.au | Sarah Sharples

An embattled childcare chain has had another 12 centres placed into administration, with the provider’s debt bill now expected to stretch into the millions, as the company has been accused of “chaos and calamity” that has caused “incredible distress”. Genius Childcare’s troubles have recently been playing out publicly with mass staff walkouts and centres abruptly closing. One of the provider’s companies, Vertical 4 Pty Ltd, was forced into administration on Monday, impacting 13 centres.