Problem With Banco Popular in Las Terrenas

[Narif]

Withdrawing cash from an ATM is a very tedious endeavor. Having to try 3, 4 or even more ATMs before finally getting some dough wasn't the exception when i was there in January. At Banco Popular, where in 2 sessions and about 5 tries on 2 different ATMs, with the help of a security guard i finally managed to draw 10'000 dop, i got charged three times.

So i reclaimed the 20"500 back from my bank, DKB.
Today i received a letter from them stating that according to BPD's records those monies were dispensed and i should take it up with them on my own.

Wow

Called the Deutsche Kreditbank, they told me sorry, there's nothing we can do, you have to take legal action if you want your money back.

They just hung me out to dry.

The CCTV footage would prove that i succeeded only once getting any money.

Useful advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

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[chico bill]

You are banking with the wrong bank, DKB, in your home country.
No one will review CCTV footage unless it is tied to a robbery or some murdered victim's card.

Have another rum and coke and make sure someone else withdraws money ahead of you to make sure their is cash in the machine.

I would also not ask a security guard to help, he may have a shotgun and work there, but it is likely he never had his own bank account and doesn't know about ATMs.

 

[Russell]

I had an experience with the Banck Reservas in Luperon. taking out $2000DOP ; everything went well until the funds came to the dispenser... before I could take it , the funds were retracted back into the ATM.
Talking 3 seconds here. I was told to take it up with my Canadian Bank.
One has to be so cautious when it comes to ATM from DR Banks.
I have been getting funds from ScotiaBank in most big cities in RD and have never had a problem over the past 10 years.

Doing same today.

Russell

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Sadly, you are but one of many who have encountered difficulties dealing with a Dominican bank.

For best results:

1) Go into the bank and have a teller process your request for cash
2) Advise your foreign bank that you will being using your cards in the Dominican Republic
3) Limit the number of times you need to gamble with technology in this country. Get as much cash as you can each time so you need not go back do it again more often than absolutely required.
4) Find one bank branch and one ATM that works and use it all of the time when using a human teller is not possible.

Overseas network connections are sometimes unavailable in this country. You never know until you try withdraw cash if you are going to be successful that day. Sometimes, machines in this country have a difficult time processing transactions when using a card with a chip.

Dealing with banks here can be so frustrating that many of us have purchased a colour copier and print our own money when we need more.

 

[NanSanPedro]

Sadly, you are but one of many who have encountered difficulties dealing with a Dominican bank.

For best results:

1) Go into the bank and have a teller process your request for cash
2) Advise your foreign bank that you will being using your cards in the Dominican Republic
3) Limit the number of times you need to gamble with technology in this country. Get as much cash as you can each time so you need not go back do it again more often than absolutely required.
4) Find one bank branch and one ATM that works and use it all of the time when using a human teller is not possible.

Overseas network connections are sometimes unavailable in this country. You never know until you try withdraw cash if you are going to be successful that day. Sometimes, machines in this country have a difficult time processing transactions when using a card with a chip.

Dealing with banks here can be so frustrating that many of us have purchased a colour copier and print our own money when we need more.

Regarding #1 above, won't they just tell you to use the ATM. I had a card eaten by an ATM last year and am very reluctant to use it again. But if you can go into the teller for the transaction, I would be way more likely to do that for cash.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Some tellers direct you to the ATM but I think that is more because they are lazy and do not wish to be bothered. Some banks may try to direct you to the ATM so they can collect the transaction fee.

I spoke to the bank manager, explained why I wished to have a teller do the transaction and since then haven't had an issue at that particular bank branch. Requesting more cash than the machine will dispense may be a good reason for teller intervention.

It's still a P.I.A. but we have to do what we have to do to accomplish the objective.

 

[josh2203]

1) Go into the bank and have a teller process your request for cash
2) Advise your foreign bank that you will being using your cards in the Dominican Republic
3) Limit the number of times you need to gamble with technology in this country. Get as much cash as you can each time so you need not go back do it again more often than absolutely required.
4) Find one bank branch and one ATM that works and use it all of the time when using a human teller is not possible.

Overseas network connections are sometimes unavailable in this country. You never know until you try withdraw cash if you are going to be successful that day. Sometimes, machines in this country have a difficult time processing transactions when using a card with a chip.

Dealing with banks here can be so frustrating that many of us have purchased a colour copier and print our own money when we need more.

Agree with all of the above, my additions:

If you ever encounter problem with an ATM, do not just keep on trying. Stop and go home or verify your account balance. While withdrawing, never ask for help from anyone, just written here, the guard won't most likely know more than you. The only thing they might know is the ETA for when the ATM is up again if it's out of service at the moment.

Just as pointed above, withdraw as much as possible when you withdraw, as that results to less fees and less dependency on the ATMs. Try to figure out as accurately as possible how much is the bank going to charge your card, and verify the charge when you get home (or immediately if you have a mobile app)...

I used to use Popular in the past, but have used exclusively Progreso the last few years due to their reliability and fee structure. Once recently, I found out that an ATM shorted me with 2500 DOP. Then, I checked the receipt and my account, and they did not short anything, as they charged the correct amount, but it appears that the ATM just ran out of funds... That is what I call accuracy in the DR...

 

[USA DOC]

Some tellers direct you to the ATM but I think that is more because they are lazy and do not wish to be bothered. Some banks may try to direct you to the ATM so they can collect the transaction fee.

I spoke to the bank manager, explained why I wished to have a teller do the transaction and since then haven't had an issue at that particular bank branch. Requesting more cash than the machine will dispense may be a good reason for teller intervention.

It's still a P.I.A. but we have to do what we have to do to accomplish the objective.

..yes using a teller is the best, many banks no longer do this...The Popular bank in Sosua will let the teller give money on a card..the Popular banks in Santiago never. for any reason..

 

[Narif]

With "useful advice" i actually meant as pertaining to how i can get my hands on that CCTV footage.
Cause that's all i need.

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[Cdn_Gringo]

You'll have a limited time window before the footage is erased.

Contact the security manager at the head office of the bank in question and ask for the footage to be reviewed. Usually ATM footage focuses on the head and shoulders area of people using the ATM close in. Their hands and the cash dispensed, is not normally visible. The daily audit, cash put in vs cash dispensed is usually conducted each day. If there was a discrepancy on that day there should be a paper record of it. An ATM can't record dispensing more cash than was put into it without someone noticing.

You could ask the police for assistance with the video footage if you are not successful with a direct inquiry. Don't hold your breath though.

While this matter is important to you, the amount involved and the general apathy of bank personnel and oversight authorities may not produce the dogged pursuit of your money as you might hope. Perhaps consider opening a file with Pro Consumidor. An outside agency may be able to spur someone at the bank to action when a lone individual cannot.

We are all at the mercy of callous functionaries in this country. Be they found at DGM, at your local bank or at the grocery store. Most of these people learn quickly that most foreigners go away and do not make a protracted stink about poor or nonexistent service. It is not until you return and keep returning that anyone will consider giving you the actual time of day. At this point out comes excuse #2 - it's been too long - the records, video or other documentation of the issue are no longer available...

Until you put these institutions into the fire by way of some other agency, lawyer or the media with some clout you usually get nowhere.

 

[chico bill]

You'll have a limited time window before the footage is erased.

Contact the security manager at the head office of the bank in question and ask for the footage to be reviewed. Usually ATM footage focuses on the head and shoulders area of people using the ATM close in. Their hands and the cash dispensed, is not normally visible. The daily audit, cash put in vs cash dispensed is usually conducted each day. If there was a discrepancy on that day there should be a paper record of it. An ATM can't record dispensing more cash than was put into it without someone noticing.

You could ask the police for assistance with the video footage if you are not successful with a direct inquiry. Don't hold your breath though.

While this matter is important to you, the amount involved and the general apathy of bank personnel and oversight authorities may not produce the dogged pursuit of your money as you might hope. Perhaps consider opening a file with Pro Consumidor. An outside agency may be able to spur someone at the bank to action when a lone individual cannot.

We are all at the mercy of callous functionaries in this country. Be they found at DGM, at your local bank or at the grocery store. Most of these people learn quickly that most foreigners go away and do not make a protracted stink about poor or nonexistent service. It is not until you return and keep returning that anyone will consider giving you the actual time of day. At this point out comes excuse #2 - it's been too long - the records, video or other documentation of the issue are no longer available...

Until you put these institutions into the fire by way of some other agency, lawyer or the media with some clout you usually get nowhere.

By the time you get anywhere with this (if you ever do) you will have spend so much time that you might make $3/hr if you get all the money returned. Is it worth it to waste your vacation time on such a futile adventure ?

 

[windeguy]

I had almost exactly the same thing happen as the OP, but I was using my Schwab card. Took out 20,000 RD from an ATM machine, but by the time I could fish out all of the 500 pesos notes that had jammed up the machine, seven of them were left in the machine. I contacted Schwab and the money was returned to my account in two days.

 

[AlterEgo]

I had almost exactly the same thing happen as the OP, but I was using my Schwab card. Took out 20,000 RD from an ATM machine, but by the time I could fish out all of the 500 pesos notes that had jammed up the machine, seven of them were left in the machine. I contacted Schwab and the money was returned to my account in two days.

Happened to us too, same 20,000 back when that was $500+. Called our bank in USA, immediately replaced the money in our account, then Visa opened an investigation for us. DR bank confirmed no money was dispersed and it was finalized.

I’m thinking the OP not be dealing with USA bank is the difference

 

[Narif]

By the time you get anywhere with this (if you ever do) you will have spend so much time that you might make $3/hr if you get all the money returned. Is it worth it to waste your vacation time on such a futile adventure ?

If i told u that not even a month later the same happened again in colombia, not that easy to just chalk down as just a misfortunate incident anymore, is it?
The representant of that bank told me: "Ah yes, colombia. You're not alone Sir. This kind of thing tends to happen in colombia & don't you worry."
Did not have to fight for those 200 bucks.
The problem is endemic. There has to be a list of countries where that kinda crap goes down on a regular basis & the DR, sure as hell squats on top of that list.

It really ****es me of to no end that, obviously, i have to factor in corporate ATM fraud into my budgeting.

It's just so wrong.

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[bob saunders]

If i told u that not even a month later the same happened again in colombia, not that easy to just chalk down as just a misfortunate incident anymore, is it?
The representant of that bank told me: "Ah yes, colombia. You're not alone Sir. This kind of thing tends to happen in colombia & don't you worry."
Did not have to fight for those 200 bucks.
The problem is endemic. There has to be a list of countries where that kinda crap goes down on a regular basis & the DR, sure as hell squats on top of that list.

It really ****es me of to no end that, obviously, i have to factor in corporate ATM fraud into my budgeting.

It's just so wrong.

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I agree it is horrible but having said that I have travelled extensively and the only places I have had ATM fraud were once in Italy, and once onboard a cruise ship. In all my travels in Latin America and my 7 yars of living here I have been fortunate not to have any problems.

 

[USA DOC]

..Does anyone know a bank in Santiago that you can use a teller and not the ATM..with a debit card?..