Atm Swallowed My Card

[bitterbatter]

I have a terrible habit of getting so excited when I receive cash that I leave immediately afterwards and remember down the road. But it will be eaten in about 30 seconds. I have heard the usual, sorry SOL from the 24 hour bank hotlines many times, but you must be persistent and explain the severe inconvenience of this situation and how it will take up to a month to get a new one.

Successful stories, I have to say retrieving the card from Bank of Ayudhya (yellow), K-Bank (green), have been quite easy to do. What I did is go to either a branch near the ATM, talk to a manager who will then hopefully call whichever agency services their ATM's. Either that or go to a money exchange near the ATM. They sometimes know the service company and can put you through to them. Then find out when that specific ATM is going to be serviced next. They are either serviced daily or weekly, so to be safe do it as soon as possible. You will also need the ATM machine's #, you can find this on any receipt from that machine usually in a bin or on the ground. The number is found towards the top. Find out when they are serviced and:

1- Go to the machine ahead of the time they are supposed to be there and talk to the guys who empty it, and they are usually understanding and lead you to the bank where you will need to verify your identity with a passport or Thai license & get it back.

OR...

2. Contact directly the service company & they will tell you to meet them at their office at a specific time &verify your identity with a passport or Thai license & get it back. .

I went to do this recently, and they had about 10 cards that had been eaten just from this one day.

I now have done it at SCB, regretfully, and so far they have not been very helpful on the call center. I found out that the name of their company that services the machines is SAMCO. Tried to find their phone number online but no luck yet. Found out which was the main branch for that area and will go there first thing in the morning.

In Chiang Mai, the name of the service company for Bank of Ayudhya is 4GS (or 4SG?), located near Wat Jed Yot. Their phone number is 053212122 and they are very nice and gave me back my card no problem. From now on, I am only using ATM's of K-Bank, and Bank of Ayudhya.

Edited December 21, 2011 by bitterbatter

[draftvader]

A long story very short. I had a similar problem at an ATM in Santiago, Chile. I spent the day chasing it down (including a sprint through the centre of the city at closing time) and ended up being looked after by the Director of Security for the bank chain that owned the ATM. My wife was at the ATM with the engineer whilst I was at the Head Office with the Director of Security. One word from him and the card was handed back to my relieved wife. It was also a Nationwide card....coincidence?

[smokie36]

That's an excellent post bitterbatter. Take a deep breath next time though!

[pattayadingo]

If you tell SCB you used a pin number they will refuse to return the card.

An SCB ATM took my card after the machine rebooted. I told them I did not have time to insert a pin number. I got the card back after 2 days.

Each machine has a number. The bank will want that number to be certain they go to the correct machine.

I tried to reply yesterday but TV went down so hope this info is not too late.

[marstons]

i simply find out who the atm branch is go down and they sort through what they have until they find mine, well thats how it used to work, now i only use thai banks, but the branch responsible for the atm machine should have your card. if its outside a shop ask them

[Nickelbeer]

The information given thus far is preposterous. I just had a card retained by a Krungsri ATM. Had my girlfriend talk to them and explain. GF left and the bank calls me back and says they cannot release my card because my bank has an “order” against releasing cards. This was a lie. My bank is closed at this hour because of the 12 hour time difference. Besides, they have released cards before with proper ID.  They simply do not want to help you if you don’t bank with them. I have bills that need to be paid immediately and a replacement card will take at least ten days to arrive. Even getting money sent to my Bangkok Bank account takes two days and costs 30 dollars.  The problems caused by “retaining” debit cards are insurmountable and the banks are a law unto themselves.

Edited September 1, 2022 by Nickelbeer

[Mac Mickmanus]

19 minutes ago, Nickelbeer said:

The information given thus far is preposterous. I just had a card retained by a Krungsri ATM. Had my girlfriend talk to them and explain. GF left and the bank calls me back and says they cannot release my card because my bank has an “order” against releasing cards. This was a lie. My bank is closed at this hour because of the 12 hour time difference. Besides, they have released cards before with proper ID.  They simply do not want to help you if you don’t bank with them. I have bills that need to be paid immediately and a replacement card will take at least ten days to arrive. Even getting money sent to my Bangkok Bank account takes two days and costs 30 dollars.  The problems caused by “retaining” debit cards are insurmountable and the banks are a law unto themselves.

Never a good idea to have just one plastic/debit/ATM card , always a good idea to have a back up card just in case something happens to the first card .

   And if you do have just one ATM card, never , NEVER put it into a ATM machine , as they sometimes do not give the card back 

[Nickelbeer]

12 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Never a good idea to have just one plastic/debit/ATM card , always a good idea to have a back up card just in case something happens to the first card .

   And if you do have just one ATM card, never , NEVER put it into a ATM machine , as they sometimes do not give the card back 

Maybe you can explain to me how to get a “backup” debit card from the same bank. I already checked, can’t be done. I cannot afford two separate bank accounts. I can’t have all my money here because Bangkok Bank will not set up an automatic payment schedule for my credit cards.

Getting money from my credit cards is another “circus of horrors”.

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, Nickelbeer said:

Maybe you can explain to me how to get a “backup” debit card from the same bank. I already checked, can’t be done.

Open up another account with the bank ; Basic account and supersaver account or whatever and have a different  ATM card for each account , then get online banking and you can move money from one account to the other online.

   Keep one card at home and use the other card to make cash withdrawals over the counter , not using a ATM

[richard_smith237]

45 minutes ago, Nickelbeer said:

The information given thus far is preposterous. 

Perhaps it wasn’t so preposterous over a decade ago....  

[Nickelbeer]

5 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Open up another account with the bank ; Basic account and supersaver account or whatever and have a different  ATM card for each account , then get online banking and you can move money from one account to the other online.

   Keep one card at home and use the other card to make cash withdrawals over the counter , not using a ATM

It’s a credit union. None of the services you suggest exist with them. Changing banks is out of the question unless I am present in the United States. No intention of going back. Most likely, I will end up in the Philippines.

[richard_smith237]

9 minutes ago, Nickelbeer said:

Maybe you can explain to me how to get a “backup” debit card from the same bank. I already checked, can’t be done. I cannot afford two separate bank accounts. I can’t have all my money here because Bangkok Bank will not set up an automatic payment schedule for my credit cards.

Getting money from my credit cards is another “circus of horrors”.

Start by removing some of the walls you have erected yourself. 

You can have two bank accounts - a second account does not cost any extra. 

You don’t need to ‘set up an automatic payment schedule’...  You can transfer money across to a Bank here as and when you need it...i.e. every few months (many people do this). 

 

Forget money from credit cards, as you say, circus of horrors and the rates are extortionate. 

 

Simple solution: Open a Bank account here... transfer the money when you need it. 

 

[richard_smith237]

Just now, Nickelbeer said:

It’s a credit union. None of the services you suggest exist with them. Changing banks is out of the question unless I am present in the United States. No intention of going back. Most likely, I will end up in the Philippines.

The open an account here and make online transfers as and when needed.

[Mac Mickmanus]

12 minutes ago, Nickelbeer said:

It’s a credit union. None of the services you suggest exist with them. Changing banks is out of the question unless I am present in the United States. No intention of going back. Most likely, I will end up in the Philippines.

You needed to have got that done before you came to Thailand 

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, Nickelbeer said:

Besides, they have released cards before with proper ID. 

You make it a regular habit, then?  

[DezLez]

58 minutes ago, Nickelbeer said:

Most likely, I will end up in the Philippines.

Why?

[CharlieH]

MOVED to Banking