Withdrawing from ATM machine.. ... - Thorn Tree travel forum

Withdrawing from ATM machine..

Replies: 21 - Last Post: 20-Oct-2008 00:53 Last Post By: rbaj023

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Posted
05-Jul-2004 00:13
by: Chanchao

Posts: 6,533
Registered: 03/11/00

Withdrawing from ATM machine..

---

I just spent almost two hours at my Krung Thai branch office. I'm based in Chiang Mai, but last Saturday I had to go over to Lampang (1 hour ride) and withdrew some money from an ATM at the Tesco Lotus in Lampang.

Came back to Chiang Mai, wanting to withdraw the next day: No luck. "Card suspended, please contact issueing bank".

I got to the bank at lunchtime (always a bad thing because the bank is FULL of customers but bank management don't seem to mind that most of their staff ALSO has lunch between noon and 1 pm... Anyway, the bank girl first wanted to make me believe that the card just went bad (i.e. I broke it) and that I could apply for another one, but had to pay for the replacement. WHAT! If the card is bad then it doesn't get passed the pin code-entry screen, this was definitely different! Also on her screen it looked different 'un-authorized card' it said and she admitted this was different from a broken card.

Anyway, after she'd been on the phone for half an hour she found someone who knew: Apparently the bank has a policy to block cards that make withdrawals from 'dodgy locations', like near the Malay border and all. WHAT!!! Hello! Lampang!!! at Tesco Lotus!!! Muang District! How is that dodgy?? Needless to say we didn't solve all issues relating to the bank's faulty and overly tight security policy right there, but at least I can have my card replaced at no cost and I have to thank the bank girl for getting to the bottom of it. That's about as good as it gets I suppose. Still have to wait 10 days for it!!! This would have f'ing sucked if it had happened after travelling to Bangkok or something without easy access to my home branch!! I will definitley make sure I have two ATM cards from different banks with me for those trips.

I THINK the ATM I withdrew from was not a major bank, but I forgot which one exactly. Maybe one of those generic ATMs.. I can't remember. It most definitely was a major location though, at the Lampang Tesco Lotus. I think I will be sticking to withdrawing form major banks only, and then preferably the issueing bank. (Outside your region a 20 baht charge applies anyway, so normally no incentive to use your own bank when outside your own province)

Cheers,
Chanchao

Check out pics and reviews of all kinds of food at chanchao.fotopages.com. Get the Thai Travel Menu, a printable bilingual menu to help you order great food off the beaten path.

Posted
05-Jul-2004 00:56
by: stef25

Posts: 62
Registered: 19/01/04

1

visa does this quite frequently; when contacted they say its an anti fraud measure, fair enough in principle. they are basically saying "we are stopping you getting at your own money for your own good"; they act as if they want a thank-you card

i have an english credit card that does this all the time, but my belgian one never does. it might help to call ahead to your bank and mention you will be spending money in asia or wherever it is you are going.

Posted
05-Jul-2004 01:28
by: Anil

Posts: 54
Registered: 06/10/00

2

also, if the atm suck in your 'foreign' card, that's it...good bye..no chance of recovery. call to get replacement.

The forecast today is dark and cloudy with a possibility of a drive-by.

Posted
05-Jul-2004 02:08
by: Chanchao

Posts: 6,533
Registered: 03/11/00

3

Are you sure about the sucking in?? I've had a card sucked in before (a Thai one admittedly) for a bank that had it's ATMs set to suck in the card even after ONE failed attempt!!! Rediculous. But anyway I got the card back the next working day, just had to show some ID.

Cheers,
Chanchao

Check out pics and reviews of all kinds of food at chanchao.fotopages.com. Get the Thai Travel Menu, a printable bilingual menu to help you order great food off the beaten path.

Posted
05-Jul-2004 02:47
by: BangkokBoy

Posts: 554
Registered: 17/02/02

4

What a load of bollocks we have to put up with from Thai banks, Chanchao. I believe very little of what they tell me, because mostly they don't know their own systems. Never mind that I'm a guest in their country - they charge me for using my money! I tell THEM what I want done, and why, and so far it's always worked. That's the beauty of this wonderful country - what "can't" be done today "can" be done tomorrow. Trouble is, it often works the other way around, too!

I'm currently having meetings with the big-wigs at Standard Chartered Nakornthon Bank. I like to use their Visa Electron. Twice in two weeks I couldn't pay a bill at a hotel at around 9.30 p.m. It was a pain in the arse, not to mention an inconvenience. Turns out they shut the system down between 21.00 and 22.00 to do all the updating. Great, I said - it wouldn't occur to you to do this between 03.00 and 04.00 when the inconvenience to any customers still awake would be minimal? They're looking at it. TIT!

I do use 2 banks here, just in case.

Had no trouble of the type you experienced though, and I did use the card in 5 countries in 6 days last year with no hitch at all - and I just don't believe it's because I gave my branch manager a copy of my intinerary! Maybe?? Nah!

I reckon you were very lucky to get your sucked card back the next day. Usually the ATM's are run by a contracted company and the branch itself has no right or means of access. I think Anil's comment would be the case most of the time.

They say it's not as bad as they say it is.

Posted
05-Jul-2004 02:57
by: Anil

Posts: 54
Registered: 06/10/00

5

Chanchao, a guest had their card sucked in at the bank (SCB) I called up to see if we can get the card back. They said if the card is issued elsewhere, they have to destroyed it. Security measure I think?

The forecast today is dark and cloudy with a possibility of a drive-by.

Posted
05-Jul-2004 04:10
by: westwood

Posts: 9,365
Registered: 21/10/02

6

A couple of years ago, 2 banks, one on KSR, and one round the corner, ate my ATM card. Both times, I got the card back.
The first bank just wanted to see my passport as I showed them an identical card, and got the security guy to open the back of the machine. The second bank made me wait till someone from the bank came back from lunch and she opened the machine.
Message on screen said to contact issuing bank, so maybe I was lucky. Turned out the card was faulty but we had another.

"The trouble with being in the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat."

Posted
05-Jul-2004 08:48
by: roamer

Posts: 22
Registered: 25/05/00

7

Get used to it I'm afraid. Last week First Direct in the UK asked customers to try to restrict themselves to one large withdrawal to last the week rathaer than a series of small ones. The reason being that last years banks lost £39 million in the UK due to "skimming" the data from cards used in ATMs by fraudsters. ATMs are easily compromised with the technology out there...card readers can be fitted over an existing slot...those tiny cameras you see in Panthip can record pins. The data then skimmed onto a blank card. Theory is that the less times you use a cash machine the less your data will be vulnerable to capture. Its up to the banks how they program the system to look for "suspicious" withdrawals but this does now form part of their fraud prevention system now for many banks

Slow down.
Only a horse can run and shit at the same time.

Posted
05-Jul-2004 09:23
by: charleyboy

Posts: 115
Registered: 15/02/01

8

For everyone coming from the UK...............Please take note!
I have lived here for the past two years. I have never paid one baht in bank charges. I have withdrawn up to 20,000 baht per day, consecutaviley (sp). I get just as good rates as anyone else. I once drew out 250,000 baht over a thirteen day period.

GO TO THE NATIONWIDE BUILDING SOCIETY AND OPEN UP AN INTERNET ACCOUNT WITH THEM.

Tony.

Yabba Dabba, Don't!

Posted
05-Jul-2004 18:42
by: Chanchao

Posts: 6,533
Registered: 03/11/00

9

> GO TO THE NATIONWIDE BUILDING SOCIETY

What/where is that? Is that the same as the Nationwide insurance people?

Cheers,
Chanchao

Check out pics and reviews of all kinds of food at chanchao.fotopages.com. Get the Thai Travel Menu, a printable bilingual menu to help you order great food off the beaten path.

Posted
05-Jul-2004 21:16
by: roamer

Posts: 22
Registered: 25/05/00

10

Charleyboy is right, got one too. Chanchao its the same Nationwide,,,CM branch might be a problem ?

Slow down.
Only a horse can run and shit at the same time.

Posted
05-Jul-2004 21:45
by: Chanchao

Posts: 6,533
Registered: 03/11/00

11

What about the CM branch? Used to flirt with the branch manager a bit but I never asked her about Nationwide's services in too much detail.. :)

So... is this like a generic ATM card that you can use in all Thai ATMs but at no charge??

Cheers,
Chanchao

Check out pics and reviews of all kinds of food at chanchao.fotopages.com. Get the Thai Travel Menu, a printable bilingual menu to help you order great food off the beaten path.

Posted
05-Jul-2004 21:53
by: roamer

Posts: 22
Registered: 25/05/00

12

Yep. Its just an ATM card linked to a Nationwide account that has a policy of not charging for overseas atm use. Plus the exchange rates are at least on a par, often better, than other ones I've used. Easy to open but you have to be UK resident...or at least have an address here to get one as they want to see utility bills etc to open an account. Try flirting a bit more...

Slow down.
Only a horse can run and shit at the same time.

Posted
06-Jul-2004 12:46
by: thecauldron

Posts: 28
Registered: 13/06/03

13

Location: Ronda, Spain.
Bank: Unicaja
Problem: I am down to my last 500$ CDN and I try to take out 200 Euro in cash. The ATM goes through all the proper procedures, spits my card back out, gives me a receipt, says "Gracias", and gives me no money. But it removed the money from my account, and even thanked me. The biggest problem was, I was leaving the country the next day, and the bank wouldn't be open until 3 days after that. I was SO mad. I couldn't pay for my accomodation, and I certainly had no way to eat without using my bank card more, but who trusts that after the ATM problem?? Luckily, I am part of the largest bank in Canada, and after one frantic email, they replaced the money in my account and took the matter up with Unicaja on their own time. They even told me not to worry about it any further, and to enjoy the rest of my trip. That's a Canadian bank for you!

Creator, Destroyer

Posted
08-Jul-2004 03:09
by: AndrewSmith

Posts: 1,924
Registered: 17/02/02

14

To #12.

Nationwide Building Society is the largest UK mutual savings and loan institution.
Nationwide Mutual Inurance Company is a US insurer.

These two institutions are unconnected. Its the UK building society with the good deals on plastic cards.

This sort of confusion is quite common. There are UK and US insurers called "Prudential" who have nothing to do with each other. And there are lots of people called "Smith", only a handful of whom have anything to do with me.

Andrew Smith

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