The house at the centre of the Suicide Reduction Trust 'Win a House' promotion earlier in the year. Photo: RNZ/Katie Fitzgerald
The man in charge of the charity planning to raffle off a $2 million house says all raffle participants have been paid back after the raffle folded.
The Suicide Reduction Trust (SRT),which does not appear on the Charities Register, had planned to give away the house as prize for the raffle, but announced on 25 June the competition was cancelled due to insufficient public interest.
SRT founder Dave Jaques told RNZ in May the house sale was conditional on money raised from the raffle covering the cost of the property.
This meant at least 100,000 tickets needed to sell to cover just the property.
At the time, Jaques said further proceeds from the raffle would fund the charity.
"If the raffle generates $5 million for example, then the raffle proceeds can be used to purchase the house.
"If the raffle only generates $1 million off proceeds, then you're better off to cancel the raffle and refund everyone's money than you are to complete an exercise that didn't work out."
On Wednesday Jaques told RNZ the raffle had raised around $350,000 and all had been paid back using the software that took payment for the raffle.
"Apart from one gentleman that posted me a $20 note in cash, everyone else purchased their raffle ticket through stripe.
"When you want to refund them, it's as easy as pushing the refund button and as long as you've got enough money in your bank account, stripe will give it all back to the place where it came from.
"The $20 note guy, I posted it back to him."
Jaques said a further $10,800 was spent covering the fees stripe charged on top of payment as well.
He said some people asked for their money to be kept as a donation, but that was to complicated to facilitate so they were also refunded their money.
Some people had complained directly to the trust they had not received their money yet, Jaques said that had been handled.
"Half a dozen people have emailed, 'where's my money', I've gone and checked each one and given proof back to them.
RNZ contacted some participants who mentioned on social media they were still waiting for refunds, they confirmed the money had since arrived.
