Wednesday, September 12, 2012 - 10:07 AM

How Not To Get Cash From Your Checking Account

Ken recently posted an article which reviewed the benefits of using an ATM that can accept cash. Some people worry about depositing cash using an ATM in case the ATM jams as one is depositing bills.

This Consumerist article describes what happened when a shopper used her debit card to get cashback at a Walmart self-checkout and the transaction went wrong. The story doesn't say whether the receipt showed the cashback amount or whether the customer's bank account reflected a transaction in the correct amount to reflect the cashback.

Still, it's another example of "cash + machine-only transaction = trouble looking for a place to happen".

pearlbrown1,006 posts since
Nov 2, 2010
Rep Points: 3,862

1. Wednesday, September 12, 2012 - 4:04 PM

Many years ago I tried to make an ATM withdrawal at a local S&L (where I did not have an account) on a Saturday and the machine malfunctioned and I received my receipt showing the withdrawal of like $300, but the machine did not give me any money. The branch was still open, so I went in and asked the Manager for assistance. She was not willing to do anything then and there, so I said I'll wait until you total out the machine or I'll call the police right now. She did total out the ATM and found it over by more than my missed amount, so she did refund me the funds then and seemed worried about others who may come back Monday to demand similar accomodations. What the heck, tthese ATM machine are supposed to know when they have a dispensing malfunction! I was lucky. Made me not want to withdraw from ATMs in the future.

OC Steve

ocsteve13 posts since
Jan 17, 2010
Rep Points: 52