Have a pizza, pay when you’re dead
Yep, that’s pretty much the essence of a new offer from New Zealand-based Hell Pizza (remember this?). To quote from the promotion website:
As the heat turns up on ‘buy now pay later’ schemes trapping a growing number of Kiwis in spirals of debt, we're launching AfterLife Pay, where customers don’t have to pay for their pizza until they’re dead, with no late fees or penalties.
Those chosen will be invited to sign a real amendment to their wills, allowing the cost of their pizza to be collected upon death. No interest or fees will apply, and the agreement is legally binding.
AfterLife Pay came about after we were approached by buy now pay later (BNPL) providers who wanted HELL to offer the service to their customers
“We’re seeing a growing number of people using the schemes to buy essential items like food, and we think it’s taking it a step too far when you’ve got quick service restaurants like ours being asked to offer BNPL for what is considered a treat — especially when you consider people are falling behind in their payments and 10.5 per cent of loans in NZ are in arrears,” Ben Cumming, CEO of HELL, says.
“An investigation from Consumer NZ describes the schemes as ‘addictive’ and says being approved is easier than getting a credit card - when you add in the late fees and penalties, people can get into debt fast. We don’t think people should do this for their pizza - we would prefer they purchase HELL within their financial means”.
Initially, a trial, anyone interested in AfterLife Pay can apply at afterlife.hellpizza.nz, with 666 people then selected; the offer has also been extended to 666 people in Australia. They will then sign an online legally binding agreement, amending their will, for the total of their chosen order.