Finding Card Left At Atm

[Daffy D]

This has happened to me a couple of times. The first time the exchange kiosk alongside was open so gave the card to the girl in there. She did not really understand what I was saying so I just left the card with her.

I was hoping if the owner came back and found his card was not in the ATM slot the next obvious place to ask would be the kiosk next door.

It happened again just the other day. This time there was no exchange kiosk or the nearby bank open so what to do? I left the card as I found it hoping the owner would discover the loss and return within sort time and be happy to find it still there.

What would you have done?

I’m no angel give me a role in the great train robbery or the Brinks heist I’m in but to get banged up for credit card fraud is so petty.

[LaoPo]

Brake or cut it in 2 pieces so nobody could harm the real owner.

When he finds out, he will phone the bank to block his account.

Everybody happy.

LaoPo

[Soutpeel]

Brake or cut it in 2 pieces so nobody could harm the real owner.

When he finds out, he will phone the bank to block his account.

Everybody happy.

LaoPo

Agree with LaoPo....chances are once the owner realised he or she has lost her card, they would have cancelled it anyway, so no damage done if you cut it up...

[TEFLMike]

Brake or cut it in 2 pieces so nobody could harm the real owner.

When he finds out, he will phone the bank to block his account.

Everybody happy.

LaoPo

Agree with LaoPo....chances are once the owner realised he or she has lost her card, they would have cancelled it anyway, so no damage done if you cut it up...

Or hand it in to the nearest named bank on the card , that is, if the card was allocated by a Thai Bank

[Daffy D]

Good idea to cut it up.

Had not thought of that. I just imagined the owner realizing the mistake and returning promptly happy to find the card without the hassle of canceling and getting a new one, especially if he was on vacation and really needed the card.

[Maigo6]

Try a few random PIN numbers, maybe I'd strike lucky before the ATM machine swallows it !

[Heng]

If the owner isn't around and there's no bank rep. to hand it to, just let the machine swallow it. It'll automatically be cancelled somewhere down the line. No one has the PIN (unless we're talking about a situation where someone enters their PIN and then decides to wander off for some reason) so there is no risk to the card holder.

[Kerryd]

If it was a Thai card, I'd turn it in to the nearest branch of that bank.

Foreign card, I think I'd leave a note with a phone number at the ATM. The owner could be back in a day or two looking for it.

If the caller can ID the card, meet up and give it back. No calls after a week ? Cut it up and toss it.

I mentioned in another thread about finding a credit card outside a club. I'd seen the owner (of the card) drop some stuff on the sidewalk. A couple minutes later I noticed he'd missed the c/c. Picked it up, went in and gave it back to him. End of story as far as I was concerned.

Couple nights later we ran into each other at a different place. He picked up my bin (though it was fairly large, and I told him there was no need). So, I (and my dad, and a couple of ladies) got a free nights drinking for being honest and taking a minute to think about someone else.

[Scott]

Good idea to turn it in to a bank. This way the owner doesn't have to go through reporting it to the police, before being issued a new one. The same is the case if you get the machine to swallow it and keep it. The banks inform each other, so then replacing it isn't so difficult.

If it's a visa mor master card type card, contact the company.

[phaethon]

Early in the history of ATMs in the UK the banks realized it was a bad idea to give people their money before returning their card. The money is the main objective of the ATM user and once it is in their hand their attention turns to spending it and they are more likely to wander off before they colect the forgotten card. So all UK ATMs return the card first and then serve up the dosh. This is fine, in the UK.

However in LOS many (?all) ATMS hand out the money first and UK users, with their Pavlovian conditioning to "money arrives => walk away" are more likely to leave their card behind.

I did this last trip and got back to the ATM within 20 minutes but no card and the booth next door was closed. Back to hotel, got numbers from website, reported lost and all was well. I assume the machine ate it, if anyone tried any numbers they didn't get lucky. Biggest downside - I had to survive on credit card withdrawals and the accompanying charges (but only for the few days left on my trip).

It would have been nice to find someone standing there waiting for my return, but I'm not sure I'd be happy to call a number, the card could have been used/cloned or I might be forced to give up my PIN. Rather report it and wait for a new one.

[AmeriThai]

If the cardholder was just before me, and still around, I'd make an effort to yell at them to get their attention and get the card back to them. I know I'd sure appreciate it. Otherwise, I'd either turn it into the card's bank (if possible), or call the card company. There are toll-free phone numbers printed on the back of cards to report finding lost cards. Accidents can happen sometimes, but people still need to remember to get their card back after making a transaction.

Edited September 13, 2008 by AmeriThai

[AmeriThai]

If it was a Thai card, I'd turn it in to the nearest branch of that bank.

Foreign card, I think I'd leave a note with a phone number at the ATM. The owner could be back in a day or two looking for it.

If the caller can ID the card, meet up and give it back. No calls after a week ? Cut it up and toss it.

The problem with leaving a note with phone number on the ATM is that some clown is likely to tear it off and toss it.

[CWMcMurray]

Why not just call the 24hrs service number that's on the back of the card and just tell them what happened.

[Samuian]

Try a few random PIN numbers, maybe I'd strike lucky before the ATM machine swallows it !

try this 3 x times and the atm will retain the card anyway, but u might be digitally recorded too!

cut it up or turn it into the next bank/exchange booth!

[Cuban]

Although this is probably of little use to this particular case, did you consider doing a Google search on the name on the card. Although a long shot it might turn up a means of contacting the person. I know with mine you can get an active email address at least.

[myauq]

i went to withdraw money near my house one day only to find that someone had left their card in the atm. i tried to explain to the people standing around what had happened, but they were very slow on the uptake. i asked them who the last person to use the atm was, and each person pointed in a different direction. one bloke figured it out, but then tried to claim it from me, so i finally went into the adjoining 7/11 to hand it in.

i had the same problem in the shop trying to explain what had happened - no one had any idea what i was talking on about. one woman, in very good english, told me not to worry about it. i asked if she had a pen so i could write down a note explaining the situation. when she opened her purse, she realised her bank card was missing. then she told me it was hers. i asked to look at the signature, and what do ya know...

she was very grateful, but i wish all of these people involved were a bit sharper.

the card-holder said something quite revealing in her gratitude - 'you people are just so good'. tells you something about the level of trust in thai society.

[Daffy D]

The first card I found was obviously a Farang credit card and by my handing it into the exchange kiosk alongside felt I had done the best thing. If the owner realized his loss before the end of the business day there was a good chance he would get his card back and happily continue his vacation.

The second card was obviously Thai, issued by the same bank that the ATM was adjacent to. It was after hours so neither the bank or exchange kiosk was open. I looked for a letter box slot in the bank but I guess they don’t have these in LOS (come to think of it I don’t think I have ever seen one).

My first thought was to take it so no one else could but worried about the security camera identifying me as a thief.

In retrospect I should have taken it and handed it into the bank next day. This would have been no great inconvenience as it’s only a short distance from where I live.

Ain’t hind sight marvelous?

[Maigo6]

the card-holder said something quite revealing in her gratitude - 'you people are just so good'. tells you something about the level of trust in thai society.

Haha.....

And of course, you trust all of your own countrymen without exception.

If you could speak Thai, I'm quite sure Thai people would have understood you !!!

[myauq]

the card-holder said something quite revealing in her gratitude - 'you people are just so good'. tells you something about the level of trust in thai society.

Haha.....

And of course, you trust all of your own countrymen without exception.

If you could speak Thai, I'm quite sure Thai people would have understood you !!!

no, of course i don't.

but if a japanese guy handed my card back to me the same way i did for this woman i wouldn't repeatedly say 'you people are good', like they are from another planet or something. i would think that they were just being helpful. i wouldn't attribute this good will to their racial background, or to them being fundamentally different from me - as in 'you people'.

thai society does not reward honesty and goodwill.

[Aries74]

First I would fill up my gas tank for my truck.

[Maigo6]

but if a japanese guy handed my card back to me the same way i did for this woman i wouldn't repeatedly say 'you people are good', like they are from another planet or something. i would think that they were just being helpful. i wouldn't attribute this good will to their racial background, or to them being fundamentally different from me - as in 'you people'.

thai society does not reward honesty and goodwill.

Then again, talking of Japanese... I found a purse on a train station bench in Tokyo, the women had left it on the bench and was walking towards the train doors, I could have just sat down next to it and had it away before anyone was any the wiser, I didn't, I attracted the attention of someone who attracted the attention of this women, the wallet was packed with money.

On the train there was a glass door seperating the carriages, I was in the next carriage and this woman was bowing to me for the whole journey from Ichikawadai to Gotanda and judging by the other Japanese peoples stares to me, she had told them the story of the good gaijin.

I actually felt pretty good, better than I would have felf if I had pocketed the money in fact !

[richard10365]

When I found an ATM card at the ATM machine I called the bank. Gave my name and phone number. They deactivated the card. They tried to call the owner of the card to get the owner to call me. If the owner doesn't call, they said to destroy the card. The owner never called so I destroyed the card.

[thaipod]

Found a expensive wallet 3 day's ago by an ATM near our house ,had a check for 600000 baht ,5 credit cards ,cash and other cards .

Had my staff to track down the owner which she contacted us to pick it up this morning .

The thing that amazed me was she didn't seem to care and a quik kop khun kha and off she went.

[fred2007]

Try a few random PIN numbers, maybe I'd strike lucky before the ATM machine swallows it !

[uhuh]

"When I found an ATM card ... I called the bank. Gave my name and phone number. They deactivated the card. They tried to call the owner of the card to get the owner to call me."

Same here.

Owner called me within 10 minutes and got her card back.

It was Christmas Eve, BTW.

Most banks have a 24 hours hotline.

[LtCol]

Call the Bank on the rear of Card , if no immediate result, Break it , so at least it can't be used. (Or you could call Maigo6 for assistance)

[astral]

...........before the ATM machine swallows it !

The machine will only swallow the card if it is issued in Thailand.

More that 3 PIN tries will block an overseas card, at the issuer.

However the card will still be returned.

[soundman]

...........before the ATM machine swallows it !

The machine will only swallow the card if it is issued in Thailand.

More that 3 PIN tries will block an overseas card, at the issuer.

However the card will still be returned.

I'm not so sure this is a hard and fast rule.

My mother's card (issued from an Australian bank) was swallowed (not blocked) after three incorrect PIN attempts in two seperate machines (apparently the number of times you can enter a wrong PIN is cumaltive, not machine specific) in Bkk last May.

Before anyone asks - it was a recently issued card and my dear mother thought the machine was playing up, not herself getting the number wrong.

[Heng]

What's amusing are the folks that expect a ticker tape parade for basic honesty. A "thank you" is more than adequate.

[AmeriThai]

...........before the ATM machine swallows it !

The machine will only swallow the card if it is issued in Thailand.

More that 3 PIN tries will block an overseas card, at the issuer.

However the card will still be returned.

I'm not so sure this is a hard and fast rule.

My mother's card (issued from an Australian bank) was swallowed (not blocked) after three incorrect PIN attempts in two seperate machines (apparently the number of times you can enter a wrong PIN is cumaltive, not machine specific) in Bkk last May.

Before anyone asks - it was a recently issued card and my dear mother thought the machine was playing up, not herself getting the number wrong.

I agree. I had an ATM card swallowed after only one attempt at SCB off Suk, across from Soi 8, although it was many years ago. The bank was closed but I got the card back the next day.