Overseas ATM Ate My Citibank Plus Debit Card (Because It Said It Took Me Too Long to Remove The Card)

brokenglish on 06/01/2020 - 17:13
Last edited 06/01/2020 - 18:27 by 1 other user

I was trying to withdraw money from an ATM overseas using my Citibank debit card but the machine ate my card because it claimed I took too long to remove the card.

The process was:
1 Insert card
2 Enter PIN
3 Enter amount to withdraw
4 Do I want paper receipt
5 Do I accept the exchange rate (it displayed the rate)
6 I pressed ACCEPT, it showed PLEASE WAIT, then the display suddenly showed "because it took me too long to remove the card, the ATM has retained the card"
7 No money came out and it gave me a receipt with my card number on it.

I contacted Citibank live chat who has no idea why it happened either. The rep said it usually happens if an incorrect PIN was entered but according to their record, my attempt was done with the correct PIN.

Because I am a bit crazy I used my UBank debit card to withdraw money from the same machine, alas with great success…

This was my first time using either card overseas.
I have Citibank, ING, and UBank as part of this OzB portfolio.
Now I know which one to keep.

Poll Options

  • 2
    Have Citibank Debit Card, similar thing happened
  • 36
    Have Citibank Debit Card, never happened
  • 0
    No Citibank Debit Card, might apply in the future
  • 6
    No Citibank Debit Card, will not apply
Financial

Comments

  • brendanm on 06/01/2020 - 17:17
    +9

    This has literally nothing whatsoever to do with Citibank.

  • whooah1979 on 06/01/2020 - 17:20
    -2

    Ate

    ATM doesn’t eat.

    • c64 on 06/01/2020 - 19:17
      +1

      not if the little monkeys that live inside don't get fed enough

      • whooah1979 on 07/01/2020 - 11:55

        I’m pretty sure they’re leprechauns.

  • H E B on 06/01/2020 - 17:42

    I thought cards just automatically spit out?

    Fake ATM?

    • D C on 06/01/2020 - 17:45
      +1

      just automatically spit out

      Give it a test by entering your personal PIN number a few times, let us know how it goes.

      • H E B on 06/01/2020 - 18:05
        +1

        Jokes aside, obviously after you get your money! I've seen ATMs keep the money but still return the card.

        Technology can do wonderful yet weird things. It was probably OPs lucky day.

        • D C on 06/01/2020 - 19:16

          Well yes, you get the card back before the cash, but OP didn't get any cash either.

          In some cases (usually stolen card etc) the issuer can instruct the ATM to keep the card. Also for fraud, so if you suddenly use the card in a different country the card can be kept.

          Many years ago if it was an ATM at a bank branch you could go inside and ask fr it back, not anymore though… aaaaaaaand it's gone.

          In OP's case, maybe he was standing there daydreaming or something.

  • akyeeeahdude on 06/01/2020 - 17:54

    ATMs do weird things. Once I inserted my card (CBA) into CBA ATM - it accepted the card but nothing happened. I waited for awhile, pushed cancel etc but the card didn't come out and nothing happened. Walked away and came back about 10min later and someone had put the card on top of the ATM. Madness…

    • brokenglish on 06/01/2020 - 18:34

      I saw the next person using the ATM while I was calling the customer service number on the receipt.
      She couldn't insert her card into the ATM because the machine just spat out a card but it's not mine (facepalm)

  • MeerkatWongy on 06/01/2020 - 18:20
    +1

    This happened to me last week in Bali, Indonesia with the citibank account. It was a genuine/legit ATM machine as well..
    No money came out and ate my card. Had to report/lost stolen Aussie number while overseas.

    • brokenglish on 06/01/2020 - 18:24

      Mine happened in Bali, Indonesia too! Was it ATM BCA/Bersama as well?

      • StrayfireX on 06/01/2020 - 20:30
        +2

        This is standard behaviour for Indonesian ATMs.

        When my Citibank card got eaten, I asked around and most long-term expats have had at least one card eaten by the ATM.

  • big1964 on 06/01/2020 - 18:40

    I just returned from Bali used my Citibank card many times did not have a problem

    • brokenglish on 06/01/2020 - 18:46

      That's good to hear! Do you have a savings account or a reasonable amount of money with Citibank?
      Could it be because there's only $100 in my transaction account…

  • RockyRaccoon on 06/01/2020 - 18:42
    +2

    When in Bali, use Citibank ATM's you'll be able to get your card (maybe next day if it ever did this) plus you get the best exchange rate. Bro lives there 6-9 months of the year and its the best rate you'll get.

    Yes there's only a couple of these but well worth using.

    • zzzsianzzz on 08/01/2020 - 02:13

      I think their rate is worse after they changed from visa to mastercard?

  • bloom on 06/01/2020 - 19:20
    +4

    You got balls putting another card in the same ATM…

  • Gelato on 06/01/2020 - 19:55

    How’s the UBank exchange rate compares to Citi?

    • brokenglish on 06/01/2020 - 20:53

      Not sure about Citi because I didn't get to use it but UBank debit card is literally using VISA's rate
      I guess cards with no overseas fee simply uses the MASTERCARD/VISA rate?

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 06/01/2020 - 21:10
    +1

    I put my Westpac card in a Westpac ATM (at a Westpac branch in Australia) and deposited some money, the machine just froze up took my money and my card and I had to wait for the branch to open so I could get my money and card back. Staff later said that it happens a bit at Westpac ATM’s for some reason.

    I closed my all my accounts with them after the incident.

  • hasselbladsnapper on 06/01/2020 - 22:19

    Have used my CitiBank card all over Europe with no problems or charges. I did use my CBA debitcard in Turkey back in the old Cirrus days, it spat the card out flashed the cash at me for several seconds and then ate the cash before I could grab it. Asked CBA re-return of cash on return to Australia, but no luck!!.

  • zzzsianzzz on 08/01/2020 - 02:11

    Some ATM in some countries gives the money first then the card. The person before me forgot their atm card.
    I had more than 3 times wrong pin before, and it spat my card back.
    For same bank, my card was taken by ATM after 3 times. If they take the card, you have to wait for that branch to open to get it back or apply for a new card?
    Can change your pin on their app after second fail attempt?

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