1

First thing you do is call the number on the back of your card. I sure hope you didn't need to come here to get that advice. Make sure you're comfortable and relaxed, with food and drink within easy reach before you call. Take full names and direct phone numbers of anyone you talk to, always ask for specific times you'll hear back from them and/or when you'll receive written confirmation by email or letter, keep a log of all attempts and actual contacts, etc. etc. etc. This is all basic operating procedure.

I once didn't grab the money quickly enough at an ATM in Senegal--it got sucked back into the machine just as I reached for it. I asked inside the bank, filled out some forms, came back the next day and signed some more forms, whereupon they gave me the money. Sometimes everyone is as honest as the day is long and it all works out.....but I wouldn't have left the country without verifying my balance, as you did. I always save receipts, too--including the ones which say "Unable to perform function" or "transaction cancelled."

In any case, I'm suggesting you contact the bank directly as well. Try to get as far up the hierarchy as you possibly can, and try to mention people you've talked with about the issue, making them sound as important as possible: "I spoke at length with the Vice president in Charge of Consumer Complaints at the Mumbai office, who promised to help in any way possible" sounds more impressive than "I called the free number and talked with whoever picked up the phone."

In the end, it's just a couple of hundred dollars. How much did your ticket cost?

Hope that's helpful.

Good luck.

Mark

2

That is really unfortunate, I would definitely try to get it resolved. Maybe its because I've mostly been a volunteer overseas, but even if it was $50 I'd work to get it back. It's not right.

Dashen Bank has a web site - find their contacts through that. http://www.dashenbanksc.com/contactus/index.htm

3

Dear Valued Customers,

First of all thank you for using Dashen Bank Terminals while you were in Ethiopia, Dashen Bank is always helpful in supporting its customer as well as international customers/cardholders to be filled valuable as our Bank has the biggest network for international branded cards for Visa. MasterCard and UnionPay acceptance and, sorry for the unfortunate thing happened while you are using our ATMs in Harar, 600 km away from Addis Ababa.

Let us get your card masked using the below secured mail and I will investigate same. In the mean time you should also know at any time you can claim if things are genuine in the card world always there is a rule that govern issuer and acquirer and if the cardholder has got any issue and if he is away from acquiring bank as somebody stated in the suggestion you can call using the back of your card or compliant raised form and raises the issue with your issuing bank. Anyway let’s got the issue using the info@dashenbanksc.com mail by stating Dashen Payment Card Department and we will investigate same. However, since you are not in the country(Ethiopia) we will not credit you directly if found that the issue is genuine what you need to do is raise with your Bank the issue and there is a direct channel b/n issuing and acquiring Bank to maintain this kind of dispute therefore your should raise the issue via that channels.

With Regards
Payment Card Department
Dashen Bank S.Co.

4

I couldn't have said it better myself!

5

I had something similar happen to me last year in Tanzania. I reported via e-mail to my home bank in Europe, they made a complaint via the banking system and I was reimboursed for the amount that was charged even though I did not receive the money from the ATM.
I think if you have a half decent bank service at home, then they should do the investigation for you and reimbourse you.

6

With regards to the letter above purported to be from Dashen Bank I suggest everyone be VERY cautious about handing over thier credit card number to a poster coming to this site offering an apology. Just use your heads. Banks DO NOT respond to customer complaints in online forums. This letter is extremely unusual and it should probably be deleted by Thorn Tree moderators unless it can be proven to be genuine. I smell a scam.

7

The exact thing happened to me in Harar on December 14. I'm belatedly working the issue now through my bank.