On June 20 I went to my neighborhood Bank of America ATM on Otis Drive in Alameda CA to make a withdrawal. I had done this 2-3 times per month for the previous five years, always using the same machines. I live just around the corner.
I put in the card, typed in the code, pressed the buttons for withdrawal, and typed in the amount: $300.00, as I had been doing for years. The machine spit out my card and gave me no money. I tried several more times and the card was spit out repeatedly. Finally it said I was overdrawn for the month!
I went into the bank and spoke to a teller. She directed me to the manager, a woman named Monica. Monica got a person on the phone who took my complaint and my account information, including my mother's maiden name, etc. She said the $300.00 would be reinstalled on the following business day, Monday, June 23 and then I would be able to use the card.
I went back to the machine and tried to use the card on Monday night but it was spit back out at me with no result. On Tuesday afternoon, I went back to machine and the card did not work. I went into the bank and Monica did something with the card behind the counter and gave it back to me. I went outside and used it again and was able to withdraw $300.00. So far so good. But now my account showed two withdrawals of $300.00. The $300.00 that I had supposedly withdrawn but had been unable to get still showed as a withdrawal! I went back home and called up the B of A Customer Service and the guy who answered the phone said that a count had been taken of the funds in the ATM machine on the 20th and there was no $300.00 surplus; I must have received my money. My claim had been closed. I was still out $300.00.
The man on the phone said there was nothing I could do but write a letter to the Claims Department if I had any "new evidence" to present about the incident. What "new eidence" could I have with an ATM? I wrote the letter suggesting that someone in the branch must have taken the money out of the ATM because I did not get it. I'm still waiting for a reply.
The only thing I can figure is someone in the branch overheard my complaint that day, checked the stats for transactions, and took the $300.00 out and pocketed it, figuring no one would know the difference. I also rememebered later that I had received $10.00 bills in that machine before on one occasion. Since the machine only counts bills it won't know if it's giving you $10s or $20s so you're losing $10.00 for every $10 bill it gives you. That should have tipped me off that all is not well at that branch.
Any readers have this happen before? Any suggestions on how to proceed? I don't want to just close my account in protest because I fear I'll lack standing if there's any hope of getting that money back, either inside or outside their system.
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