What to do if an ATM eats up your savings?

Standing in front of an ATM that has just eaten your cash without crediting your account or issuing a receipt can make you feel helpless and even desperate. Just ask Linda Murray Billard, who recently found herself in this situation.

“A terrible experience!” Says Murray Billard, who owns a business consulting firm in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Billard eventually got the credit, but he had to work fast. If an ATM takes your money, you can do it.

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Stick to your position and contact your bank.

Your first step is to alert your bank or credit union, which will investigate your account before crediting. Although some people don’t know it naturally, the name of the game is cooling you down. For Murray Billard, that meant staying and getting to his bank right away.

“When he chewed my money, I refused to move before I could contact the bank and talk to a living person,” she says.

I refused to move before contacting the bank and talking to a living person.

Linda Murray Billard, Chattanooga, Tennessee

“The lady assured me that it would be fixed the next business day and as soon as it was fixed someone would call me. They did what she said, and my deposit was collected.”

»If you use ATMs frequently, here are the top banks to avoid ATM fees and get refunds

At this point, it is not known what he will do after leaving the post. According to the group’s chief executive, Michael Lee. The ATM Industry Association does not have data. To show the extent of the problem. It says “has not heard of a single reported case of this incident.” Is.” The American Bankers Association did not respond to requests for comment when asked about such incidents.

However, Murray Billard is certainly not alone: ​​based on numerous online message board discussions. On the subject, cash-hungry ATMs are not a completely unheard-of phenomenon. And given that 68% of Americans use an ATM at least once a month, according to a 2014 Nelson study, it’s important to know how to respond to this potentially frustrating situation. ۔

Verify that your bank investigates.

Shane Allen, director of media relations at Personal Trainer Food. A Fort Worth-based company that helps consumers create healthy eating plans, found herself in a similar predicament a few months ago when she switched to the Capital One cash machine. Tried to submit $ 800.

“The ATM took the cash and printed out a receipt stating that something had gone wrong and that I should call a specific phone number,” Allen said.

His bank assured him that he would review the situation when he called and credited his account at that time.

“They told me they were going to look at all deposits that day,” says Allen, “and they would remove any low deposits from my account.”

A month later, Allen received a letter in the mail stating that the bank had completed its investigation and determined that it had in fact deposited $ 800.

I think they handled it well overall,” he says. Capital One did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

All transactions are logged, and we use our logs to investigate these transactions. If there is a problem with an account’s fees, we will credit their account for those fees.

Christopher Dahl, spokesman for Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo spokesman Christopher Dahl says if an ATM consumes your savings, you should contact your bank immediately. This will investigate the incident.

“I am unable to share more information about the investigation process, but we use the logs to investigate the transactions,” Dahl says. These events are rare. “If the problem with the ATM is the result of any account fees, we will also credit those accounts for those fees.”

Make a note of the transaction time, and gather evidence.

In addition to cash, ATMs swallow checks on the spot, as Natalie Nicole Gilbert can confirm.

“If you need to use an ATM and it goes bad, note the time of failure to deposit,” says Los Angeles-based musician Gilbert. A Los Angeles-based musician who Recently attempted to submit a check for approximately $ 1,000.

Gilbert says that because she did not normally use this particular account. To make deposits of this size, the transaction “tripped over a security feature that was suspected of potential fraud,” Gilbert said. Is. As a result, his financial institution froze his funds in an attempt to verify the validity of the check.

“It was especially painful because I intended to pay my rent this month with this check, and my rent,” she says.

It is very important to respond immediately.

Although faulty ATMs can make you feel extremely helpless, the ball is in your court to fix the situation. Work quickly to get credit for your money.

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