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Just Been Robbed By An Atm


xandreu

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I just used one of those mini ATM machines outside a 7-11 to withdraw 14000Baht. Everything went as expected until the little flap opened, and instead of being presented with a nice neat pile of notes to remove, some of the notes were at a weird angle. When I went to take it I had to really pull the notes to get them out, like pulling out paper that had got stuck in a printer. I managed to get them out just before the flap closed but knowing that something hadn't gone quite to plan, I counted the notes straight away and there was only 13000 there. I looked through the plastic flap and saw the corner of a 1000 Baht note sticking through one of the rollers, but I couldn't open the flap again to get it.

I went in the 7-11 to see if they could do anything (I knew they wouldn't but I guessed there was a slim chance they might be able to open the flap somehow) and was greeted by the not-so unusual blank stares and general unhelpfulness. They didn't seem to want to know, so I went back to the machine and, well, basically stared at it for 5 minutes trying to think of what to do. I wondered if I waited until someone else used the machine, maybe I could use that to get to the note, but I soon realised how odd (and possibly frightening) that would look to the person using it. My Thai is nowhere near good enough to explain my situation to them.

So I've basically come home, extremely angry at just being robbed by an ATM. I'm on a bit of a budget out here and can't afford to just throw 1000 Baht notes around. I didn't even get the ATM slip as I always click "no" when it asks if I want one out of habit. I guess I could go down a lengthy route of compaining to this person and that person but at the end of the day it's not worth the hastle for 1000 Baht.

I guess I should make some sort of point to justify this post, rather it sounding like a rant (which it is) so be cautious of those midget ATM machines you find outside 7-11's that don't look like proper ATM's anyway.

GRRRR.......

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Contact your issuing bank, especially if its in the UK.

I was in India and a similar thing happened. I was simply required to sign an affidavit once back in the UK and the money was refunded.

Thanks. It was from my UK bank but I'm not planning on going back to the UK anytime soon. I can send them a message through my internet banking though and see what they suggest.

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It would have been just too easy to withdraw 1000 more and get the former missing note right ?

People are funny, especially when they don't take a slip...

:-)

The reason I withdrew 14000B is because like most banks in the UK there is a 300GBP daily limit on what you can withdraw which equates to 14000Baht. It was the only card I had on me so I wouldn't have been able to withdraw any more.

Plus I'm not sure if I'd have wanted to take the gamble. It was the notes on the top of the pile which were harder to pull out and I'm quite sure it was the last note which got stuck.

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It would have been just too easy to withdraw 1000 more and get the former missing note right ?

People are funny, especially when they don't take a slip...

:-)

The reason I withdrew 14000B is because like most banks in the UK there is a 300GBP daily limit on what you can withdraw which equates to 14000Baht. It was the only card I had on me so I wouldn't have been able to withdraw any more.

Plus I'm not sure if I'd have wanted to take the gamble. It was the notes on the top of the pile which were harder to pull out and I'm quite sure it was the last note which got stuck.

Did you miss the Jedi Knight classes at school????

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Maybe you should have taken a photo of the note sticking out of the machine on your mobile phone, at least you would have evidence of it being stuck in there

I did, but the plastic flap reflected the flash back to the camera and there was just a white light where the flap was. I tried without the flash but you can't see the note in there as it's too dark.

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Mechanical failure is hardly robbery. That is like calling it robbery when your car breaks down when still under warrantee. Anything mechanical can break down. It only takes one situation that you put yourself in and you learn a lesson to always deal with an ATM attached to a bank during banking hours. At least that way you can attend to the problem immediately with someone who WILL listen. The second best scenario is an ATM attached to a bank in off hours where you can deal with a situation the next day..

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Why didn't you try to wothdraw another small amount 100 baht or so it might have released the 1000 as well.

That was my first thought, sort of like those vending machines with the wire roller thing that the product sometimes gets stuck on. But the OP indicated he'd already maxed out his card for the day (although surely 100 or 500 bt would have been ok). Too late now anyhow...

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My goodness what a load..

What would you do in your home country, or any country for that matter? You contact the bank that operates the ATM. There's usually a phone number on the thing, or otherwise it's not that hard to track down. State the particular ATM location, and then the amount is credited back.

Happened to me once, but it didn't occur to me to go cry on an online forum to help the situation. Strange that.

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You have to wonder about the attitudinal state of a person who presents something which is obviously a mechanical error as a 'Robbery by an ATM machine'

Jeez, man. Call the freakin bank. What else do you think you should do? Call Batman?

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My goodness what a load..

What would you do in your home country, or any country for that matter? You contact the bank that operates the ATM. There's usually a phone number on the thing, or otherwise it's not that hard to track down. State the particular ATM location, and then the amount is credited back.

Happened to me once, but it didn't occur to me to go cry on an online forum to help the situation. Strange that.

Not all of the younglings have the patience to master their inner bovine nature Winnie.

The path of Zen Khwai is long and arduous, many try and fail.

Edited by necronx99
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I once tried to take money out of ATM machine in a foreign country, and the first bank: No joy. second bank: No joy. third bank (Citibank don't let you down) - plenty of money. Unfortunately, one of the first two banks had charged my account with the amount I had tried to withdraw.

I complained to my bank, and you know - I can't remember what the final result was. I think I got the money back. Of course, it was difficult, as I'm not sure I could actually remember which banks I'd tried, and I certianly didn't know which of the two had charged my account. There's always a delay of several months while everything gets reconciled...

Of course one problem for the OP is that his money has actually gone astray. Should someone else be lucky enough to receive that bonus 1,000, there will be no evidence of where the money went anywhere in the system. No doubt the recipient will hand it in, but where to, if the guys at 7-11 can't receive it on behalf of the bank?

SC

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I was once by an ATM and this Indian guy said I had a long life. He just stared at me.

I gave him 1000 baht to go away.

It sounds like the W****r that does this in central world. 4 times he's tried it on me. No money exchanged just FOC.

Edited by arthurwait
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