Bandito ATM Machine - Won't Give It Up!

[Guest]

Well, gents, after 10+ years of using ATM's, in probably 25 countries, with no problems, I finally had my day of reckoning.

 

 

 

Last Friday night, a Compaq brand ATM machine operating under the Krung Thai Bank flag failed to deliver the 15,000 baht I had requested, but went ahead and debited my US-based account anyway. On the Bangkok end, all I got was a "Transaction cannot be procesesed at this time" message.

 

 

 

I visited Krung Thai Bank yesterday, and they politely called up some sort of communication record printout - sure enough, my transaction apperaed, along with an indication that my account as debited, and therefore money was dispensed. I was told that the next step would be to check the cash balance in the machine the next time it is serviced - and that I would need to come back in one week to learn the outcome.

 

 

 

OK -as far as that goes. I guess I can imagine a Thai banking technician making - what, maybe 20,000 baht per month ? - reconciling the cash in the machine and saying "oops, there's an extra 15,000 baht here - above what the computer record says should be here. I better turn the money in and report the problem!"

 

 

 

Hmmmm.

 

 

 

So, anyway,does anyone out there know anything about data logging or event records in ATM Machines? Particularly Compaq ATM machines?

 

 

 

I know a bit about machine logic, and if there is a continuous event log, it should be pretty easy to differentiate between which sequence occurrred, duringa specific 3-4 minutes on time on a given date:

 

 

 

Sequence 1:

 

 

 

Assemble 15 bank notes

 

Eject ATM card

 

Eject banknotes

 

Print receipt

 

Eject receipt

 

Display "Please take your cash, card and receipt" message(s)

 

Return to standard screen.

 

 

 

Alternative # 2:

 

 

 

(Choke)

 

Eject ATM card

 

Display screen: "Transaction cannot be completed at this time"

 

 

 

Anyone with insight into how a failure could be documented is welcome to respond.

 

 

 

I had previously used this same machine (and its predecessors at this location) without incident, on many, many occasions - same ATM card, same withdrawal amount.

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

The Bangkok Butterfly

 

 

[Pom Michael]

What ATM ? I heard about the same problem at the KTB ATM on Suan Plu - also on the 15th of March.

 

 

 

Bank told them to re-contact the bank on the 28th.

[Guest]

The machine that milked me was on Sukhumvit Soi 3 (Bumrungrad side), about 250 meters back from Sukhumvit.

[Guest]

Mite be someone figured out how to jam up the mech. and pull out the bills after you leave.

 

 

 

People are very "creative" when easy money is to be had.

 

 

 

good luck getting your money back out of all this.

 

 

 

some time ago Thai farmers bank machine "ate" my atm card.

 

 

 

when I went in to take care of it, they would not give my my money ( or from my account) as I had a new passport, and the ## was not the same as when I opened the acc.

 

 

 

fortuantly, only about 700 bt was left in the acc, so I just forgot about it. ( excepe to remind anyone that would listen that Thai farmers Bank is still in the stone age.

[Guest]

And now......for the REST of the story!

 

 

 

As instructed during my firsyt complaint visit to Krung Thai Bank, I returned to the same counter location one week later, on 25 March.

 

 

 

The man I wanted to see again (because he spoke at least a modicum of English) was nowhere to be seen. A lady working at the same station seemed to recognize me, and came over to help. I showed her the business card of the man - she then scurried off, evidently to find him.

 

 

 

A long 7 or 8 minutes passed - it appeared to me that I had been forgotten. The lady then mysteriously materialized in front of me, and told me that man was not available, but that my money would be returned to my bank account (in US bank) in "one more week".

 

 

 

The whole thing seemed very loose and informal (and out of control), but I figured "Hey, 'gotta give the system a chance to work (or fail)".

 

 

 

Well, sure enough, checking my banking situation on-line on Tuesday, 2 April, I noted that my erroneously debited funds had been credited back to my account - to the exact penny. Total damage - interest-free loan to KTB for two weeks.

 

 

 

I do wonder what would have happened had I been a visitor who had to fly back to the west a few hours after the Friday night bandito episode. Would "the system" have automatically detected the error, and self-corrected?

 

 

 

Since the kleptomaniac incident, I have used the same ATM several times without incident.

 

 

 

Case closed. And we all lived happily ever after.........

 

 

 

"Let the good times roll!"

 

 

 

"Beaten paths are for beaten men."

 

 

 

B-Fly BKK

 

(aka "lazydj@thelivingroombangkok.com")

 

 

[iuytrede]

the same happened to me several times at different ATMs of different banks.

 

Every time the amount was eventually credited to my account, usually within a couple of days. Only once I had to wait 3 months (that was several years ago).

 

I never bothered to talk to the bank employees - just waited. So far this has been the smart thing to do.

 

But I now usually withdraw money in very small amounts - like 1500 B.

 

 

[Guest]

This has never happened to me...yet! (Knock on Formica!) But it sure seems to happen to a lot of people here. I wonder...HOW many people on a given day or in a given week are going through this? I wonder what the total amount of cash held up in the system would turn out to be? I wonder how much interest the bank(s) would receive annually by this method. ???

[spirit_of_town_hall]

Such a happening would be a disaster if you were in a tight financial happening.

 

 

 

STH

[Guest]

I guess I've been lucky up to now... Only had my ATM cards eaten before... never had a "where's the cash" situation come up... Been denied many times before because the ATM is "off-line" and can't get an authorization.

 

 

 

I'd like to know also if "the system" at KTB would have caught the error and done anything about it.

 

 

 

My experiences with Thai Banks are limited to TFB and I have nothing but excellent things to say about them. Service I receive from them in Thailand is very good (I go only to their main branch @ Ratburana) as well as their overseas office in Los Angeles.

 

 

 

--UPSer

 

[rovineye]

I would much rather have the machine not dish out my 6900 THB than eat my card. Oh the horrors. Sure I have backup VISA cards (expensive cash withdrawls) and travelers checks (a pain at 2AM when heading back to the hotel with my new sweetie).

 

I know many people that have gotten nothing but blank stares from the little slot where the money comes out (NOT to be confused with that little slot where your money goes to) and all have had no problem getting proper credit.

 

I sent an ATM card to an account I rarely use to my GF in Chiang Mai. I told her how to use it and put money in the account for her to buy sme domestic airline tickets for us (long story why I didn't buy them). No problem, a bank guy showed her how to use it. 4 months later, I put a bunch of $ in that account to use while we were on holiday. When I got there, as we were leaving I asked her for the card so we could get some more money. She says, ohhh, I no have card, already use. She had taken the money and not known that the card would then be returned. No problem she says. We go to bank. Well, as soon as we walked in, a man jumps up, digs into his desk, and waves the ATM card at her. After over 4 months. I was amazed.