Very Unhappy Experience With a NAB Staff. Banks to Destroy Our Items, Legal?

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National Australia Bank Group (NAB)

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  retiredfeline on 15/02/2015 - 00:50

  +35

  It's standard policy for the ATM to destroy the card if it's retained by the machine. They don't want any chance of the faulty/stolen/whatever card being used again. Plus the work of having to securely send it back to the owner. So in all cases you will be issued with a new one. The branch staff cannot help you, they have nothing to do with the ATM or the card people. This has been the case for many many years. The card doesn't belong to you BTW, you'll see somewhere that it says it remains the property of the bank.

  Don't worry about the balance. All the transactions are audited and they will detect that the machine didn't issue the cash and reimburse your account. But follow up with them, for sure.

  It's unfortunate that it happened just as you were going to leave. You could ask the card people if they can expedite the new one for you. That's why you should have more than one card for use overseas just in case, and to test them ahead of time before you leave. I had a close shave sometime back with Citibank. Due to a series of badly timed interactions, I ended up getting 3 new cards in quick succession of which only the last one was valid. Fortunately I got that a few days before I left.

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 08:37

    +1

    I fully understand that might be some policies that give them the right to do that. But what made me unhappy was the attitude of the lady. She shouldn't have asked me to leave when I was just asking for explanation.

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 08:57

    +13

    If they explain to me as what u have posted. I wouldn't b this unhappy.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 18/02/2015 - 15:05

      +1

      Some people have very poor interpersonal skills. I'd still be unhappy with whichever company decided that someone with those shortcomings were given the responsibility of a manager.

  • 

    PlagueistheCheap on 17/02/2015 - 09:56

    +1

    Actually bank managers can access the ATM to remove stuck cards I have seen it happen. Do not believe for a second they cannot.

    • 

      retiredfeline on 17/02/2015 - 10:48

      I think this is getting less and less common, perhaps this is still the case in more remote banks. There are several possible reasons for this. One is that ATM operations are usually outsourced to another service, who also deal with the ATMs not in banks. Another is that banks are less and less into handling cash, notice these days the desks are for marketing loans and other financial products and they discourage you from using teller service with charges; self-service is preferred. Giving bank staff access also introduces more risk by and for the staff. Finally the whole card replacement procedure is very organised and takes care of the identity check aspect, even if it means that people (who may not be of the same bank anyway) have to wait a couple of days. So even if staff had the key they probably are loath to spend time dealing with "the ATM ate my card" people. Given that there are so many other ATMs around they'd probably prefer to call ATM operations to deal with a faulty machine.

      I don't think the manager you saw extracting a stuck card would be willing to take a card out of the captured area, if that is indeed accessible; that would require her to verify that the person is the owner of the card.

      Many many years ago I did get a card back from a branch whose ATM swallowed it due to a fault, but only the next day, after I had made a phone report. Like an idiot I tried to get money out of the machine again and it ate the card again. I was without a card over a weekend and had to borrow money. After that I opened another bank account to have a spare card.

  • 

    caitsith01 on 17/02/2015 - 11:23

    +4

    "It's standard policy for the ATM to destroy the card if it's retained by the machine."

    "So in all cases you will be issued with a new one."

    Sorry, but this is simply false.

    I have had my card eaten by an ATM at a branch before now. I went in the next business day with some ID, and they were more than happy to hand it back to me.

    There is no justification for them destroying someone else's card, particularly if it is not a card issued by the bank in question - it is not their property, but rather the property of another bank, and they have no contract with the person to whom it is issued.

    If there is an actual reason to suspect fraud, that might be a different matter.

    • 

      retiredfeline on 17/02/2015 - 11:33

      -1

      Perhaps destroy is the wrong word, it's more likely it will be retained pending investigation. You may be with one of the banks that still offer you this courtesy of returning your card, but I doubt if this practice will survive very long. And it's unlikely they will return a card that is not of the same bank because they will have to make identity checks. Remember that all sorts of cards go into ATMs including foreign credit cards. I don't think banks want to spend time to to follow up for you if you are not their customer, and you instead have to go to your card issuer for a replacement.

      As for justification, they already have that, they have agreements between ATM providers on procedures for handling card mishaps. The card itself is worth very little, it's only a piece of plastic with a magstripe or a chip. What's expensive is the work in dealing with mishaps and it's cheaper to go through a standard procedure rather than a "manager's call" even if it means more delay for the users.

      Speaking for myself I'd actually prefer to get a replacement than to have to go back to the branch to collect the old card. I may not be going anywhere near the branch in the near future. With express post, it arrives within a couple of days, and I don't have to line up in a branch. Not to mention there is no branch to go to for ATMs outside. Of course this is no help for people with foreign cards. If the OP had used an outside ATM, there wouldn't even be a NAB branch to post and complain about service, s/he'd have no recourse but the card issuer.

  • 

    abh_gup on 19/02/2015 - 11:07

    • greenpossum, you missed A point - "I might need to fly overseas to apply for a new card"

    • I've worked at 2 banks over several years. I know that many banking policies are made without the most practical or logical reasons.

    • It's often a cover up to make tasks easier for bank employees (some called resources and assets!), whose time can be allocated to other tasks likely more productive to meeting outlined targets as per their role (targets are prime importance!). And the excuses of not doing the most logical act, or the most sensible way is simply overlooked, or just not in the thought process of the institutionalized workers (minions?).

    • So about the card, it can be returned after a thorough (including 100 p) ID check + a handshake cross check between collaborative banks. However, its a follow up with 3-4 departments, starting asap.

    • And yes, many banks make mistakes. The standard procedure is to apologize and carry on; or inform your manager to resolve the issue, with now-a-days 'time' being the main factor. Grievance addressing and customer resolution is a very time consuming process with banks. The customer usually get bored waiting on and following up, so they may just let it be as is (Bank have policies outlined for that, simple in theory, but reality is different)

    • I doubt if the OP would get past the bank Walls. The don't heed to such issues given bank 'policies'.

    • Though consumer serviceability may help, do you really think most banks would implement a process which maybe time consuming?

    • 

      retiredfeline on 19/02/2015 - 13:39

      No, I didn't miss this point. It's one of the things I consider when I go overseas, what I would have to do if I lost my debit or credit card—-what is the service of the card issuer like, do I use a backup card, or will the issuer courier a replacement to me, also will I even be in one place long enough to get a replacement.

      A nice manager policy isn't going to cover all cases. How will say a non-English speaking Japanese tourist explain to a foreign bank that she wants her credit card back from the retention box?

      And card capture could be based on other factors. Maybe a scammer made and used a copy of the card somewhere else and there is a note to capture any cards with that number. In such a case you don't want any copies of the card floating around.

      As a side note, card capture is becoming less essential these days, witness the ATMs that only require a swipe or chip contact to start a session. This means that communication is good enough that they can blacklist a card without having to capture the card. It may have been a good security measure in the old days.

      So when you use a card overseas, try to use a non-retaining ATM, and keep in mind there is always a danger of losing access to your account, due to capture, theft, or physical damage.

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  jc8 on 15/02/2015 - 01:03

  +7

  How about you take a step back, explain the situation and give them adequate time to figure it out. Unfortunate situations occur and it's part of life. This does not give you the invitation to act like an entitled little brat. They are just doing their jobs.

  Does it inconvenience you? Sure. Will you get your money back? Most likely. Are you gaining anything by acting like some sort of wronged victim? No.

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 08:29

    +6

    Did I act like a brat? No. I was just asking for explanations. U can't expect that everyone knows the policy well, can you?

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 08:51

    What the enquiry section does? Can they just ask the customers to leave when they kinda unwilling to give more explanations. I did told them the situation, and the gentleman answered my questions kindly. But the lady, no, she simply said that there s nothing I can do then asked me to leave. Imagine that if it happens to u, will u b happy?

    • 

      Settero on 15/02/2015 - 09:03

      +3

      why can they not ask someone to leave ? how much time should they spend with you telling you the same thing " its bank policy ", they would never give you information about their system , or they dont even have the information as the bank that issued the card is the one that told their system to eat your card. the lady has better things to do than to repeat what her staff member told u.

      now im kind of putting all the blame on you as you are the one complaining and you come off sounding difficult to deal with, but her actions could have been better, leave it at , mutual annoyance, you annoyed her , she annoyed you, she could of acted better , so could you, no one to really blame , but you need to understand that her options where limited and no matter how much she kissed your ass , the result would have been the same, you walking out with no card and no information from them ( call your bank ask them whats up they might tell you.

      • 

        Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 10:52

        +7

        Can't we ask why when we have doubt? Or the customers have to accept whatever overlord provisions from a organisation.

      • 

        Ughhh on 15/02/2015 - 11:43

        +16

        @Jasonkyky:

        I'm guessing you were asked to leave because you kept asking why why why when you were already told what they could tell you, and refusing to accept what they said, followed by more why's.

        Investigations need time.

      • 

        Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 11:53

        @JLove:
        I asked the staff once and expressed my concerns.

      • 

        tomclancy on 15/02/2015 - 14:22

        +14

        @Jasonkyky:

        I asked the staff once

        No, you asked the first gentleman and as much as you claim "he couldn't give me an answer" I'd bet he gave you the answer and it was you who didn't like it and asked to see a manager. She no doubt answered the question the same as the first gentleman.

        So I'm guessing you asked at least twice and as Settero mentions above you sound like a difficult person to deal with. Like a complaining little so and so. In fact, I bet you asked at least 10 times and got the same answer 10 times.

        But its not the answer you wanted to hear so you come on OzBargain to whinge a bit more hoping someone might validate your side of the story.

        Wrong move.

      • 

        Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 15:54

        -3

        @PBG: don't guess. How can I ask 10 times in less than 5 mins. If u do want to twist the story, so b it.

      • 

        Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 16:00

        +3

        @PBG: I would post this to a general forum instead of financial one, if I want more ppl to b in my camp.

      • 

        This Guy on 15/02/2015 - 21:07

        Nevermind. I read the whole thread.

      • 

        caitsith01 on 17/02/2015 - 11:26

        +3

        So it's ok for the bank to arbitrarily deny this guy the return of his own ATM card, but not ok for him to take up a few minutes of staff time trying to explain the problem this creates to them and reason with them?

        It's pretty reasonable that something which could have this severe of an impact on someone means that the bank is expected to spend a significant amount of time dealing with the consequences of their position.

        By the way, bank "policy" is not law. It is not reasonable for them to take an arbitrary position and then act as though there is no justification for any attempt to negotiate to reason with them.

  • 

    Jebediah_Kerman on 16/02/2015 - 22:33

    +9

    I've seen a lot of threads on ozbargain and other sites where the OP needs this kind of reply. So many OP's could benefit from working in customer service for a while and learning a thing or two about the world. It's obvious that a lot of people make these posts to vent and end up painting themselves as an a-whole. BUT, I don't see it here..

    Nothing in the original post indicates that Jasonkyky was rude or abrasive, or even that this interaction lasted longer than 5 minutes.

    I didn't know that ATM's destroyed cards on site, and if I was in Jasonkykyky's position and I was asked to leave, I would feel like I needed validation. Being asked to leave is not that serious legally (if you cooperate), but it can be quite serious (and even humiliating) socially to be asked to leave.

    Obviously there is nothing that can be done about the policy of the card being taken. But I don't think it was necessary for the staff to ask OP to leave. I have worked many years in customer service and have been told by others that I am exceptionally patient (so maybe my view is skewed). I have also been asked to leave a business' property simply for questioning a policy. I have seen this situation from both sides.

    My opinion is that you should only be asked to leave if you are acting aggressively or just wasting time. I do not see and indication of either of these in the OP, so it could be quite startling. Unless there is something that has been left out of the post, I believe the staff acted out of line here, and that OP has every right to feel ill-treated, even if it doesn't change the situation with his card.

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  Adz81 on 15/02/2015 - 08:00

  +5

  Those cheeky sods… Destroying a card that, for a yet to be determined reason was retained by their ATM… Imagine them destroying it to make sure it wasn't being misused!! For shame on them…

  I am curious though, if it was from a different bank, how would NAB actually verify who's card it was?

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 08:33

    -7

    I many other countries, u can ask the other bank to issue a statement. Then u go back to the bank which retains ur card along with the statement and ur ID. The s the way to get ur card back.

    • 

      DJ on 16/02/2015 - 19:33

      so this happens to you often then ?

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  ShannonIngram on 15/02/2015 - 08:53

  +1

  Normally an incorrect transaction will automatically reverse. You may need to raise a dispute with your bank if it doesn't do so in a day or so though.

  Just as an insight into why the cards may be automatically destroyed - sometimes the ATMs aren't serviced by the branch staff and rather by an external security company. They have a policy of destroying all cards as they have no means to verify anything. Even if they are serviced by branch staff, I can't recall the banks policies when I was still there (was at ANZ around 5 years ago) but I'm pretty sure the policy was to destroy all non ANZ cards and then call ANZ customers etc. Most of the ANZ cards that were captured were reported lost/stolen or had incorrect PINs entered - it was very rarely a physical fault (eg bent card) or something else that caused the card to be captured.

  In terms of fixing it, I'd call your bank. If it was a Mastercard or Visa they both have emergency card replacement programs that can be couriered to you overseas.

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 09:25

    +2

    Many thanks. This is the explanation and solution that I was expecting when I was in the bank.

    • 

      Davros on 15/02/2015 - 09:52

      +2

      They are not YOUR bank and you are not their customer.
      If you want an explanation and a solution contact YOUR bank.

      • 

        Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 10:20

        -4

        How come? I received a service from their ATM, mate.

      • 

        Davros on 15/02/2015 - 11:58

        -5

        @Jasonkyky:
        Did you?
        If you received the service then what is the complaint?

      • 

        Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 12:52

        +2

        @Davros: wasn't it a incomplete service from ATM?

      • 

        retiredfeline on 15/02/2015 - 13:24

        @Jasonkyky: Obviously I need to post about me getting incomplete service almost everyday from Cityrail, etc.

      • 

        01011010 on 16/02/2015 - 11:12

        +1

        @greenpossum: why, did they destroy your card?

      • 

        retiredfeline on 16/02/2015 - 12:43

        +1

        @binaryactions: Well the trains and buses are often late, and there was the time the bus was held up on the harbour bridge for an hour because of road works on George Street. Surely that's incomplete service.

        The point is the ATM is working as designed for security reasons and it's just one of those things in life. OP should just deal with it and move on.

      • 

        humdogg on 16/02/2015 - 15:32

        +1

        yeah scanned through OP post and missed the fact that it wasn't your bank. It was another Bank's ATM and you are kicking up a stink with them. Now you are even further down on the ignorant and annoying continuum.

  • 

    caitsith01 on 17/02/2015 - 11:29

    "They have a policy of destroying all cards as they have no means to verify anything."

    Of course they have a means to verify things.

    For starters, they have a person whose name matches the card, describing the correct time and circumstances in which the card was taken by the machine.

    Secondly, they have the ability to swipe the card in one of their readers and see what information comes up.

    Thirdly, the person in question can presumably supply enough ID to pass whatever standard of ID check is required.

    If they "have no means to verify anything" then they couldn't process your card in their ATM in any circumstances.

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  whooah1979 on 15/02/2015 - 08:58

  most of the frontline bank staff that i've dealt with over the year have been nothing but polite and courteous. however, they will ask customers to leave the premises if the customers display offensive behaviour.

  did you recorded this alleged event?

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 10:17

    +1

    The gentleman sure is polite. But the manager, no.

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  verio on 15/02/2015 - 09:00

  +14

  Banks to Destroy Our Items, Legal?

  The card does not belong to you from a legal point of you, therefore it is not your item. Sorry about that, but it is true.

  Just wanted a explanation of this unfair policy.

  She shouldn't have asked me to leave when I was just asking for explanation.

  These are two different things, mate. You asked about the reason why your card would be reissued. They told you the reason - this is according according to their policy (every bank has the same rules in case if a card is retained by the ATM). You wanted an explanation why such a policy is in place. NAB employees are not the ones who create policies at their bank. They could not possible tell you anything except the fact that they are sorry.

  Your situation is incredibly frustrating but it has nothing to do with a customer service at a particular bank. It is about common bank policies in case if a card is retained by the ATM.

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  Nutrino on 15/02/2015 - 09:13

  +20

  You sound annoying. There is more to this story, did you ask them to do something they could not do?

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 09:45

    +2

    I did ask them is there any way that they can return my card. That s what the gentleman was unsure about, therefore turning to his manager. But the manager was kinda unwilling to communicate and ask me to leave.

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 09:49

    I told the gentleman I understood his position and he hasn't done any thing wrong. What I asked is more explanation and whether they can do any help for me. Is this rude or offensive?

    • 

      tomclancy on 15/02/2015 - 14:31

      and he hasn't done any thing wrong

      Why would you say something like this? Did you scream at him and this was an apology?

      There is far more to the story then you are giving and its all the details about your behavior that are missing. Its clear to me and everyone else that you are very much in the wrong on this.

      • 

        Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 15:27

        +1

        No, I wasn't rude at all. That s just what I spoke to the man to express my understanding.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 19/02/2015 - 00:01

    Nostradamus and his 21 mates

• 

  [Deactivated] on 15/02/2015 - 09:47

  I know why you are pissed. I bet it's a UnionPay card from China or something similar.

  It's a pain in the neck to get a replacement card when overseas. The costs are quite prohibitive and you require internet banking because you cannot send activated cards across the courier system (apparently you remain uninsured for any transactions completed, but the question begs, they can still write down your CVC and card number and when you activate, boom, they steal money.).

  What is worse, is if there is no courier and no local branch as not many banks have physical overseas operations. The policy needs rethinking.

  I know in the past the NAB guys would just pull my card out of the machine and return it to me, somewhere along the line something f up and changed, because the card is already disabled after 3 wrong PIN entries. Then you just need to reactivate it somehow, but without actually needing a new "Physical Card" resent from halfway around the globe.

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  Davros on 15/02/2015 - 09:49

  +12

  "A lady who was claimed to be a manager then came to me, said there was nothing she can do and asked me to leave, or she would call the security."

  Sounds like you were getting abusive and threatening.
  Calm, sensible people never get asked to leave.

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 10:34

    -1

    I didn't stay in the bank for long, 5 mins, I suppose. Spoken a couple of sentences to ask why. I thought I was acting in a sensible way.

    • 

      Davros on 15/02/2015 - 11:57

      +5

      Sure you were, thats why she "asked me (you) to leave, or she would call the security"

• 

  [Deactivated] on 15/02/2015 - 10:36

  +1

  The NAB ATM in West End Brisbane wouldn't always eject cards property and would keep your card and keep your cash.
  It ruined my week once (kept my cash and took a week to sort out) and a year later was still doing it to people.

  Don't put your card in a NAB ATM.

  • 

    retiredfeline on 15/02/2015 - 10:41

    That's one reason all other things being equal, I prefer an ATM where you swipe the card rather than insert it. But these days I seldom use an ATM, I just get cash out at Woolies and you only have to insert the card halfway so the chip can be read, so no chance of being swallowed.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 15/02/2015 - 10:46

      Same. I eftpos with cash out to avoid ATM troubles now.

      • 

        denuto on 17/02/2015 - 13:24

        I only use the ATMs that you swipe your card in and out (i.e. you keep the card) wherever possible. Once the machine/bank has your card, it's like squirrel grip. They might let go, but they might not!

    • 

      Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 10:55

      I agree

  • 

    jackary on 15/02/2015 - 17:49

    +3

    You speak truth! Have been a NAB customer for ~8 years. In that time I've had 2 (both NAB-branded) ATM's swallow my card. Most recently was actually last weekend at an ATM on Roma St. Was definitely an interesting experience having to arrange getting my car out of the multi storey carpark I was yet to pay for…

    Sounds kinda like this fellow got a little aggressive towards the staff. But I can totally understand how much it stinks being inconvenienced over something that's entirely not your fault.

• 

  Baysew on 15/02/2015 - 10:46

  +2

  What am i supposed to do to have my money back?

  Contact the card issuer.

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 10:58

    +2

    I did. But the sys shows that the trans has been done from the other end. I might need to make a call to NAB to find out whether they can deal with it from the discrepancy.

    • 

      Baysew on 15/02/2015 - 11:01

      +3

      If there is any sort of dispute, the card issuer would handle the investigation.

      Who is the card issuer ?

      What sort of card is it ?

      • 

        Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 11:33

        +2

        A Chinese bank. They wouldn't do that for their customers.

      • 

        Baysew on 15/02/2015 - 13:29

        +3

        @Jasonkyky: Does the Chinese Bank have a name ?
        Is the card Mastercard or Visa ?

        They wouldn't do that for their customers.
        I might need to make a call to NAB to find out whether they can deal with it from the discrepancy.

        They are not showing much customer service if they expect you to contact the Nab over the transaction.

      • 

        Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 15:46

        +2

        @Baysew: it has, HuaXia bank. According to Chinese policies, u have to bring ur ID to them in person to have this solved out. Yes, their customer service is sometimes a joke.

      • 

        stringbean402 on 17/02/2015 - 16:58

        +3

        @Jasonkyky:

        So shouldn't you be pissed at your OWN bank for those inadequacies and shortcomings causing you much inconvenience ?

• 

  outlander on 15/02/2015 - 10:55

  +15

  God that pisses me off. You do everything right, and then a machine malfunctions and takes your ability to access your cash.You try and get a human to understand, only to find they're dumber than the machines, and tell you to get stuffed when you rightly get upset.

  It should be a relatively simple fix. The staff manually open the machine and retrieve the card, and check it against a drivers license or something. For gods sake they have cctv on atms, just check the security footage. Unfortunately when everyone punishes reasonable behavior and rewards assholism, these sort of hassles are going to happen more often. Ultra liabilty-averse practices get enshrined into 'policy' which low level staff are only too happy to hide behind, and you get stuck high and dry.

  But, what can you do? Not like you can take a crowbar to the machine and get your money back. Unless you want to pursue legal action, all you can do is complain. Send letters to the manager, the branch manager, the district manager, everyone and anyone. Ask for reimbursement for the cost and time of getting a new atm card.

  Can't for the life of me understand the vitriol directed your way. I think valentines day gets people a little cranky.

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 11:04

    +7

    These were exactly what I asked them. They could have explained more to me instead of asking me to leave. What really pissed me was the lady's attitude, not the policy though.

  • 

    MATTDAMON on 15/02/2015 - 13:23

    -7

    Huh? there is no cost of getting a new card sent out, especially in the case of the OP. As for being left without cash, unless your an inept idiot, why only have 1 card/1 account? a smarter person would have a backup/redundancy to which you can xfer money across to continue your spending whilst waiting for a replacement card.

    That or an emergency credit card.

    Lastly since he was at the branch, he could go in and get money out, but the thought of human interaction must be frightening.

    • 

      outlander on 15/02/2015 - 14:05

      +1

      First sentence man. read it

    • 

      Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 15:38

      +2

      It s not the case for a overseas debit card, man. Plus other cards don't give u the access to this account, do they.

    • 

      caitsith01 on 17/02/2015 - 11:32

      +1

      Please tell us more about how you can walk into NAB with no ATM card and get cash out from a Chinese bank.

  • 

    tikei on 16/02/2015 - 00:59

    +4

    I don't understand why people here are blaming the op either, not like we know the full story of how he behaved. People just assume that he was rude and that bank managers are always polite and right.

    Op, if you really feel wronged just make a complaint on the nab site. They should have a complaints page where you can lodge your experience and they'll look into it.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 19/02/2015 - 00:09

    Yep. There are limits but a good starting point is for a staff member to try and put themselves in the position of the complainer/enquirer. Even more important that a manager does so.

• 

  petey on 15/02/2015 - 11:19

  +8

  The reason they don't give the cards back is because they don't know who you are and they have no legal obligation to ask you for ID and even if they could they still wouldn't know if you're the same John Smith that owns the card since ATM cards do not have photos on them. Think about it. Imagine the same fraudster being able to recollect their stolen card and being about to keep trying pins until they get the correct pin.

  Your card issuer is able to lodge a recall of the money if you did not receive the money, standard practice.

  Bank staff have no idea about ATMs and if they are really playing up, they send a report for a technician to come out and look at it.

  I agree with some others, if you were being polite why did the bank member you first spoke to find you too difficult to deal with he went to get his manager. Maybe he didn't know the answer to your question but I highly doubt it.

  Also there is Visa Emergency Cash http://usa.visa.com/personal/includes/vgcac_phone_popup.html or Mastercard Emergency Cash http://www.mastercard.com/sea/consumer/emergency-services.ht… who have a TOLL FREE number that you can call in every country where they will speak to your own bank to get you some emergency cash; where you can collect at a nearby bank if you are desperate for money.

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 11:38

    +2

    Well, this s what the staff told me. Looks to me he s not sure is it possible to get my card out from his manager.

  • 

    Jasonkyky on 15/02/2015 - 11:46

    +2

    Thanks for the info though.

• 

  fruit on 15/02/2015 - 14:01

  +10

  Very Unhappy Experience With a NAB Staff. Banks to Destroy Our Items, Legal?

  Holy shit they are breaking your stuff, CALL THE POLICE!!!ELEVEN
  Oh wait a machine just ate your card?

  I had to lol at this:

  It should be a relatively simple fix. The staff manually open the machine and retrieve the card

  Staff can't open the machines, Armaguard do. It's not a piggy bank.

  • 

    djones145 on 15/02/2015 - 14:57

    +4

    stuff police,
    call batman!
    or bikies

    so u create an account in a bargain forum to complain about nab destroy your items…
    cool story bro

  • 

    mrstan on 15/02/2015 - 22:27

    +2

    actually staff do open atm's, not armaguard.
    Source. ex banker.

    • 

      Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 17/02/2015 - 07:16

      +1

      Maybe open a door to refill receipt paper but ive never seen a branch staff member with access to gobbled cards and money.

      Source: classified.

      • 

        Ozfan on 17/02/2015 - 10:10

        +5

        Well actually staff have access to top part of the ATM to change receipt roll and cards.they could have returned the card by checking the ID.well its their call.. ;)

        Source : former NAB ATM tech

• 

  gimme on 15/02/2015 - 17:14

  +7

  I haven't read all the comments but some if it is not necessarily correct. I had a (somewhat) similar situation with ANZ. They gave me the same story…destroy…policy… out of our hands blah blah BUT when I politely insisted, all of a sudden they said I can collect it from a teller the next day once whoever opens the safe has done so in the morning. I fronted up, showed ID and collected the card without the hassle of cancellation etc.

  • 

    Davros on 15/02/2015 - 19:44

    "BUT when I politely insisted,"

    Yes, its amazing what a bit of firm but polite talk can do especially with an " Please understand, I am not getting upset with you but" added in.

    I think the OP didn't do that because he was asked to leave before security was called within 5 minutes of being there.
    That points to an angry rant IMHO.

    • 

      humdogg on 16/02/2015 - 15:33

      +1

      In fairness we don't know. The bank staff may have had a real lousy attitude. The OP could have been an absolute ass. I'm thinking some combo of both.

    • 

      caitsith01 on 17/02/2015 - 11:33

      -1

      Regardless, either you have a right to your ATM card back or you don't. The bank isn't there to police society's manners, and in this case they have taken and threatened to destroy something which does not belong to them.

• 

  Brick50 on 15/02/2015 - 19:39

  One time I put a heap of coins in the change machine at NAB, that adds it onto your bank account. The machine took all the change then dumped it out the back… Took about a month for Armaguard to come, and then for the money to actually arrive in my account

  • 

    Baysew on 17/02/2015 - 12:12

    Sure you didn't put your coins in a poker machine ?

• 

  T1OOO on 15/02/2015 - 19:42

  +1

  U can use some ATMs without cards.

• 

  zealmax on 15/02/2015 - 20:18

  Many years ago, I would go into the branch early in the morning, after the card was taken by the ATM machine. The staff would open the ATM and would give me the card. I guess things have changed since. Maybe printing cards are so cheap, it isn't worth the 10 minutes of their time.

• 

  GourmetFoodie on 15/02/2015 - 20:25

  +2

  A lot of card fraud occurs these days so I think you need to empathize with the bank to some degree - they don't know you, and so the safest thing they can do is destroy the card in order to protect their reputation and their customers. Of course, that means your hard luck if it was an overseas issued card. But there is not much you can do except be nice, ask politely and sometimes they do enable you to get the card back once they open the atm up. I've never ever heard of any manager threatening to call security before unless a customer is being abusive…so I'm sorry but whether you know it or not, you must have been coming across aggressively - and it's a manager's duty to protect their staff.

• 

  Charybdia on 15/02/2015 - 22:21

  +11

  I am noticing a trend on Ozbargain. People will come by with some situation that has caused them grief. When they find out that the practices of the industry/the applicable laws are not on their side they turn around and say that that wasn't the issue, they say that the issue was that they treated rudely/not given the explanation they were after.

  It is my opinion that it is extremely difficult to judge whether someone has been received attitude/been treated poorly by a company representative because we only receive hear side of the story. From the representative's perspective it could be a whole different story - aggressive body language, stubbornness or generally wasting time can warrant a response in certain circumstances (not saying that the OP was like this).

  Ozbargain is becoming a place people come to seek vindication.

  • 

    swiggity swag on 16/02/2015 - 00:10

    +5

    I've also noticed a lot of people creating an account specifically to start a forum discussion about some grievance they've encountered (like op) almost asking for sympathy.

    I can't speak for anyone else, but I feel there should be some kind of waiting people before a new user can start a new forum topic.

    Like Charybdia said Ozbargain becoming a place to air your grievances and have a winge about how you've been 'hard done by'.
    Just my 2¢.

  • 

    netsurfer on 16/02/2015 - 00:26

    +1

    I think people have been unkind to OP. Imagine if your card were withheld by an ATM + you didn't get any money out of it + that amount has been deducted from your account. Also, are people sure the reversal will happen automatically? A relative once withdrew money from an ATM, but the ATM did not provide enough money (and didn't report insufficient amount was provided, lucky she checked), she had to request the bank to check it (and it took a week before the bank sort it out). I reckon if she did not mention anything (or didn't check), she would have lost the missing amount.

    Banks here aren't known for great services. Compared to other countries, there is less competition here for banks.

    And.. let's not forget NAB's slogan: more give less take.

    Some ways to help OP to speed up the process of getting the card back (preferably not destroyed) would be good. The bank will probably elect to play by the rule, but honestly, for the inconvenience their ATM caused, they can certainly do better.

    • 

      lplau on 16/02/2015 - 10:07

      +1

      Not really unkind to the OP, Ozbargain is a bargain site not a site to whinge on.

      You SHOULD be happy they destroyed the card, I would be incredibly pissed off if they actually gave the card back to you.

      Imagine the following situation (yes it happens quite often, but nobody dies so the news doesn't run with the story):

      1. Your identity gets stolen, person has fake drivers licence with your details on it
      2. Your card gets duped and used elsewhere.

      ATM swallows the card, and you go into the branch with the fake drivers licence to retrieve it…

      Would you as a bank give the card back to the person with the fake drivers licence? NO… therefore why should they give it back to you. Only chance that I would actually consider giving the card back to you is if you do a full 100 point identity check….

      The OP should actually be renaming and redirecting his anger towards all the Identity Thieves out there instead of NAB, they did their job and protected the REAL card holder.

      • 

        netsurfer on 16/02/2015 - 13:17

        +3

        What identity theft? He had the money deducted from his account, did not get the card returned nor got the cash.

        I reckon NAB would have applied a overseas transaction charge for providing the "service".

      • 

        outlander on 16/02/2015 - 13:38

        If that was the case, could the thief just make another copy? I mean she's already duped it once, whats stopping her from doing it again?

        I think people in this thread forget that if money is taken, then its the bank who is responsible for the charges. NAB ain't looking after you, NAB is looking after NAB

      • 

        caitsith01 on 17/02/2015 - 11:36

        +6

        Yeah, I don't get people here.

        The information is:

        1. OP has had his card arbitrarily swallowed
        2. The card is for an o/s bank so very hard to replace
        3. Funds have been deducted but not actually delivered
        4. NAB is threatening to arbitrarily destroy his card

        Any normal person would be mighty annoyed by all of that.

        However, the high wizards of Ozbargain have decreed that OP is obviously a psychotically abusive fraudster who deserves everything he gets and can't expect to use an ATM without having his money and property taken without his permission.

  • 

    Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 17/02/2015 - 07:12

    +1

    Agreed. This is Ozbargain. Not Ozwhinge.

• 

  ajs900 on 16/02/2015 - 06:38

  +6

  Completely misleading title. As stated above your bank card IS NOT your property.

  • 

    Htu08 on 16/02/2015 - 11:55

    +4

    Nor is it NAB's property.

    Issue is…. This gentleman has to fly over to china to fix this solution which should've been solved quite easily.

    • 

      Davros on 16/02/2015 - 11:57

      -2

      So he says.
      I have never had to fly anywhere to get a card replaced before and I have bank accounts in other countries.

      • 

        netsurfer on 16/02/2015 - 13:10

        +2

        Temporary card or an actual replacement card? OP's card is probably not a VISA or Mastercard.

        Making international phone calls to check / initiate the reversal.

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