Friday, August 24, 2007

Nice ATM

Some lucky backpackers in New Zealand have hit the jackpot thanks to an unusually generous ATM in the South Island ski resort of Queenstown.

Queenstown has earned a reputation as New Zealand's most expensive stopover for those on a tight budget.

So when word spread through the ski village that a particular ATM was on the blink, backpackers made a run on the bank.

A contractor mistakenly stacked $20 notes in the $10 box and vice versa and by the time authorities were alerted hours later, scores of visitors had cashed-in - some making dozens of withdrawals.

A bank spokesman says it is unlikely it will pursue them but it is arranging to reimburse the unlucky customers who got short-changed by the same mix-up.

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