Atm Machine Swallowed By Nationwide Card

[brownrabbit]

Been to the bank but they said card is gone for good (was a random ATM outside a 7-11)

Luckily I've withdrawn enough to last the next week - but the problem is replacing the card - ordered a new one and been quoted 5 working days. Then it needs to be posted out here from the UK.

I am having surgery next Sunday and don't know how I can pay for it without a card. It will cost around 50-70k baht and I've waited a while to get this date for surgery so don't want to cancel.

I did have a credit card but Barclaycard cancelled it as I rarely used it. I've rang Nationwide and there is not much I can do - even to make an online bank transfer you need to type in a code generated by a card reader that necessitates having a card.

One option is to make a one-off transfer from my account to a friend's (I am allowed to do this over the phone). I was wondering how much he can withdraw over the counter in one go? Like I said I may need up to 70,000baht - is it possible to withdraw such an amount over the counter?

Thanks for any advice.

[bytebuster]

Many hospitals (especially big ones) allow direct bank transfers. You may just login your Web-banking and make transfer while you've been waiting for card re-issued.

[Thailand]

Atm Machine Swallowed By Nationwide Card?

[Semper]

Must have been a huge card.

[endure]

When you get your replacement card go online and open yourself another 2 or 3 Flexaccounts. You'll get a different card for each account so you'll always have a spare card. You can transfer money between them online. I seem to recall that you can open up to 5 accounts before they want to know why. Be aware that if you don't use an account they'll eventually close it after giving you notice. All you have to do is shuffle a few quid round occasionally.

[brownrabbit]

Must have been a huge card.

Haha - using a forum is clearly proving to be as confusing for me as using an ATM. Must be the pollution up here today. Was obv meant to read 'ATM swallows card' or 'card swallowed by ATM'. Thou I suppose the heading I gave at least has got noticed.

Anyway anyone know how much you can withdraw over the counter using your card and passport here? If it is up to 70k baht (1500 sterling) then I will use my one-off emergency transfer to send to a mate and then get him to withdraw it. I will ask a bank but would rather know the experiences of others first so I know what to expect.

Cheers

[Pseudolus]

I don't think there's an actual limit in this respect. I know Western Union etc limit it to 1000 USD a day but if you are using your own card issued from the UK, then what you can withdraw is set by them. To up it, you call them and tell them to up it to say 2k a day. recommend you reduce it soon after though in case your card goes walkies again.

On your friends account, I assume this is a Thai bank? If so, then Bangkok Bank limits to 50k without work permit, 100k with it. If he takes his bankbook in though he can take out as much as he likes. It can be done, and the worst scenario is he has to go two times to get the complete amount.

[KHR1010]

I can only speak for myself, not knowing your friends bank or account situation. I have withdrawn more than 100k from Kbank and Bangkok on many occasions with no problem. Another option is for you to get a bank-check made out to the hospital.

[dave2]

re .. anyone know how much you can withdraw over the counter using your card and passport here?

as far as i know nothing has changed sinse i drew over 9 thousand odd quid over the counter in 07

so i dont think youll have a problem getting 70 thousand baht

dave2

ps .. note the exchange rate : ) ... today 48 ish ? : (

[CharlieH]

You can withdraw whatever the account can stand over the counter with passport for ID and valid card.

Charges/fees for this will be dependent on which UK bank its drawn from.

[brownrabbit]

Cheers for all the helpful advice. The hospital have also suggested possibly they keep my passport as insurance and then when I get my card (hopefully not more than a few days later) I can pick it up when I pay. But from reading all the posts I reckon I just move the money on my one-off transfer Nationwide will grant me to my mate's Nationwide account (incurring no fees and it will be instant) then see if he can come to the hospital and pay for it when I'm leaving. Or just move it across and get him to go to the bank and withdraw it in cash. So there are options clearly.

I actually went to the 7-11 and asked about the card this evening (not sure why I didn't bother before - presumed they would have nothing to do with Bangkok Bank's ATM machine outside) but sure enough they had over 30 swallowed ATM cards right there behind the counter. And after going through them all mine still wasn't there! Did make me feel less stupid for not taking my card - I think that particular machine has a reputation for being only too keen to swallow. I presume mine will join the 7-11 bundle of homeless cards in the next week - though that's of little use now.

[MichaelJohn]

I recall you can organise a SWIFT payment either by secure message or by phone with Nationwide.

So, ring them up and get a payment to a Thai bank (if the Thai account is in your name there'll be less questions too)

Then draw the money from your Thai account?

[Rinrada]

but sure enough they had over 30 swallowed ATM cards right there ...????

Must admit never heard of that and would not imagine that Bangkok Bank would allow a 7-11 to in any way touch their ATM (assume BBs)

One of our nieces "lost " one to Bangkok Bank ...same N/W but we just contacted the branch via N/W over here and got the card back a couple of days later...not in her name so she didnt go into the branch.

Re above the idea of an 7-11 having 30 x ATM/Visa /Mastercards /ATMs in a drawer behind the fag counter is" mak" crazy....

[Penkoprod]

This highlights one of the perils of living off, and relying on, for any great length of time, a "non Thai" ATM card.

Not to mention all the fraud, and abuse that could, potentially wreak havoc with both a persons bank balance, and their stress levels.

These foreign ATM cards (foreign to the Thais, that is) should only be used in a situation where there is no other alternative, IMO. Inside a bank, over the counter withdrawal is the way to go

I know, from experience, there are few feelings worse than being 10,000 KMs away from home, and standing there while ones card gets swallowed.

Happened to me once, and i vowed it would never happen again. Luckily for me, the ATM spat it out about a minute later... as i stood there stunned and wondering what to do. A horrible, horrible feeling while it lasted

Good that you are able to get around it, without too much trouble

[Paul888]

Cheers for all the helpful advice. The hospital have also suggested possibly they keep my passport as insurance and then when I get my card (hopefully not more than a few days later) I can pick it up when I pay. But from reading all the posts I reckon I just move the money on my one-off transfer Nationwide will grant me to my mate's Nationwide account (incurring no fees and it will be instant) then see if he can come to the hospital and pay for it when I'm leaving. Or just move it across and get him to go to the bank and withdraw it in cash. So there are options clearly.

I actually went to the 7-11 and asked about the card this evening (not sure why I didn't bother before - presumed they would have nothing to do with Bangkok Bank's ATM machine outside) but sure enough they had over 30 swallowed ATM cards right there behind the counter. And after going through them all mine still wasn't there! Did make me feel less stupid for not taking my card - I think that particular machine has a reputation for being only too keen to swallow. I presume mine will join the 7-11 bundle of homeless cards in the next week - though that's of little use now.

That is shocking. You should definitely report this to Bangkok bank. There is no way that 7-11 employee's should be permitted access to cards swallowed by ATM machines.

Edited February 18, 2012 by metisdead
30) Do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes, added emoticons, or altered wording. Bold and large font resized.

[Pseudolus]

Just open a savings account with Bangkok bank at the Silom branch. Set up in about an hour, transfer to that, go in with bank book and get the cash out.Simplest all together. When I first moved here I got a savings account with my passport along with a house lease contract (which I realised afterwards was not in my name but from the previous tenant) - they accepted it anyway which was weird. Go on a Saturday morning though when the big bosses are playing golf.

@Dave ... 69 baht to the quid! f$%k me sideways I sort of remembered when I first came here that I was getting a lot more for my quid, but lost track when I moved to Hong Kong and exchanging HKD to Baht. No wonder the pensioners are not having fun,

@Paul - I would be massively surprised if the staff there could get into the machine to get the cards; they would also have access to the 2m Baht as well. Only possible way this can happen I would guess is if the people who empty it hand the cards over (non Bangkok bank ones) to the shop because they are farang ones and don't care; which therefore must be a bank policy as well.

Edited February 18, 2012 by AdamBanks

[dddave]

I hope you have made sure that once your new replacement card arrives, you will be able to activate it here. When my card was swallowed (my fault) by an ATM and I went to replace it, I ran into several difficulties. First of all, the bank would only send it to my home address in the US, with an activating PIN code sent in a separate letter. I had to have my sister Fed-Ex it to me here. Then to my horror, I found that I needed to enter a six digit PIN to activate it: Thai ATM's only transmit four digits and I could not do it by phone from a country other than the USA. I ended up having to cancel that card and get yet another replacement card which my sister then activated before sending it to me.

That's when I finally smartened-up and got a Bangkok Bank card which is same day replaceable and only use that card in local ATM's.

[Pib]

Regarding the 30 swallowed ATM cards right behind the 7-11 counter, I bet you people who had just used the ATM left without grabbing their card, a honest person was next to use the ATM and noticed the card left behind/sticking out the card slot, and then the honest person turned it into 7-11 staff. Now why in the world would that 7-11 hang onto to so many cards for more than a day is beyond me...destroy them or turn them into the police (for further use).

[salavan]

its worth remembering that if you use nationwide to transfere money to thailand that it will cost you 45 pounds at least 25 pounds from the n/w and another 20 pounds from HSBC which nationwide use to do the transfere but they wont admit this and definitly wont tell you

[Chivas]

Cheers for all the helpful advice. The hospital have also suggested possibly they keep my passport as insurance and then when I get my card (hopefully not more than a few days later) I can pick it up when I pay. But from reading all the posts I reckon I just move the money on my one-off transfer Nationwide will grant me to my mate's Nationwide account (incurring no fees and it will be instant) then see if he can come to the hospital and pay for it when I'm leaving. Or just move it across and get him to go to the bank and withdraw it in cash. So there are options clearly.

I actually went to the 7-11 and asked about the card this evening (not sure why I didn't bother before - presumed they would have nothing to do with Bangkok Bank's ATM machine outside) but sure enough they had over 30 swallowed ATM cards right there behind the counter. And after going through them all mine still wasn't there! Did make me feel less stupid for not taking my card - I think that particular machine has a reputation for being only too keen to swallow. I presume mine will join the 7-11 bundle of homeless cards in the next week - though that's of little use now.

Yes same situation happened to me years ago and the Hospital just wanted passport as security..........I actually went and paid bill some 2 weeks later even though I had the cash, and they didn't bat an eyelid.

[endure]

Regarding the 30 swallowed ATM cards right behind the 7-11 counter, I bet you people who had just used the ATM left without grabbing their card, a honest person was next to use the ATM and noticed the card left behind/sticking out the card slot, and then the honest person turned it into 7-11 staff. Now why in the world would that 7-11 hang onto to so many cards for more than a day is beyond me...destroy them or turn them into the police (for further use).

ATM machines are programmed to reswallow cards that are left in the slot.The default time is 30 seconds.

[afx]

I know it's easier said than done -- but always try and use proper bank ATM's. As long as you pitch up with your passport they'll give you the card back.

I've done it half a dozen times over a few years at various bank ATM's and always been given card back. I think the reason (other than careless stupidity) is we are programmed from decades of non Thai ATM use that once you have your money you've already got your card -- easy to do if your head is somewhere else, as Thai ATM's work back to front, money first and then card and therefore isn't too difficult to walk away and have the machine swallow the card.

[KIWIBATCH]

I know it's easier said than done -- but always try and use proper bank ATM's. As long as you pitch up with your passport they'll give you the card back.

I've done it half a dozen times over a few years at various bank ATM's and always been given card back. I think the reason (other than careless stupidity) is we are programmed from decades of non Thai ATM use that once you have your money you've already got your card -- easy to do if your head is somewhere else, as Thai ATM's work back to front, money first and then card and therefore isn't too difficult to walk away and have the machine swallow the card.

Exactly correct.......good post