What can be done to correct ATM issuance mistake?

Question

Requested $200 from a bank's ATM machine while at the beach. Only received $140 but receipt says I got $200. Bank refuses to accept my word that this happened and will not credit the $40.00 to my account. Is there an agency that can help since the bank indicates the case is closed? How would the bank know how much $$ was issued by the ATM?

Answer 1

The ATM would be balanced at regular intervals, that's when they can tell if has dispensed incorrectly.

Do you still have the receipt it issues? If you do it should have the time & date you made your withdrawal, usually with a transaction number, which helps them pinpoint when they next balanced it.

If you still get no joy try going through your own branch & see if they will appeal on your behalf.

Answer 2

Just curious if it was:

1. An atm from the bank your account is with?

2. Another bank's atm?

3. Some other atm not associated with a bank?

The latter 2 may not be as easy to deal with.

Since the bills are often new and often stick together, did you notice this immediately upon withdrawl, or just find yourself short later (maybe you accidentally gave someone too much money).

Answer 3

What you want to do is go to your bank and file a Regulation E, EFT dispute. Per federal law, the bank must investigate your transaction per your request. Just give them the information on your receipt so they can get the paperwork started. If your bank refuses to do this, then you push them to do it, you pay those fee's for a reason.

By filing an EFT dispute, the bank will request for the journal records of that ATM. That journal records every step of your transaction, and it will record if you did get all your money or if the transaction has been reversed back to your account.

This process is the only option you have at this point if the money hasn't been returned to your account. This process can take as long as 45 days.

If your bank has already investigated the transaction, then you have no other recourse. Assuming your bank really did investigate your request, you don't have any other option and unfortunately, you will have to eat that cost.