Help - the ATM ate my lunch money!

Help - the ATM ate my lunch money!

Most people use ATMs to withdraw or deposit cash without any problems at all, but the Banking Ombudsman Scheme has just published a new Quick Guide about ATMs which highlights some of things that can go wrong.

“We have recently dealt with a number of interesting cases involving transactions in which both deposits and withdrawal amounts have been incorrectly recorded by the machine.

“In one case, a large amount of money got stuck in the back of the machine and the complainant’s claim the machine was hiding her money was only proved correct when the funds were found during routine maintenance,” said Banking Ombudsman Deborah Battell.

The new Quick Guide covers security precautions people should take using machines such as shielding their PIN entry, and clarifying how fees and charges can be applied to ATM use.

What you should do if you ever have ATM trouble is also covered off.

“Most problems are easily sorted out between customers and their banks so the first thing is to complain to your own bank. This is the case even if you have used another bank’s ATM.

“On rare occasions, the situation may be more complicated and customers can ask the Banking Ombudsman to help if they are not satisfied with the bank’s response.  Two of these cases, both of which resulted in customers getting lost money back, are described in the Quick Guide,” said Ms Battell.

Complaints investigated by the Banking Ombudsman Scheme have involved its investigators obtaining security video footage to observe what happened and seeking proof from banks that their machines were accurate.

The Banking Ombudsman Scheme has also updated its Quick Guide on looking after credit and debit cards and PINs and added case studies about problems people have had.

ENDS

© Scoop Media