ATM problems

Luke probably time for you to go home.

My ATM card works just fine.  And you could not have tried Santa Cruz as their machines only accept Banco Santa Cruz Cards.

Bob K

Yeah Bob,...maybe youre right ...time to go home...as for Santa Cruz only taking  their cards,  dont know how you come to that conclusion,  as they have Visa and Mastercard stickers on their ATM, which usually  means all cards should be accepted.

Mmh just thought of something...when using ATM always tried the max amount I always used, which is 10.000 Peso   could it be they changed the max amount and it is lower now, which would explain why Popular ATM said "you are over withdraw limit" ?

Wow  I hope you feel better after that vent.  NO worries, we all need to do it now and again!   So the message is you are over your withdrawal limit -  if that kept happening then it MAY Be your card limit changed. It happens. Try lower amounts.

I had this happen once and it was really something stupid but completely and utterly frustrating. I hope you sort it soon.

I have bank account and withdraw if card does not work.

@planner
>Wow  I hope you feel better after that vent.  NO worries, we all need to do it now and again! 

Yeah youre right :-) sometimes one does get utterly frustrated here..if its not one thing its another...Especially when there is no logical answer and  nothing one can do and no one can tell you why.

There is just no reason the damn thing should not work! I used it for ages here at Popular, no problem and since 11 days ago just wont work.
As I said my bank says no problem with card at all.
Re withdraw limit that is not it either, I was well within the limit of card.

As  said in other post maybe banks here have lowered the 10.000 max per withdrawal - but not heard anything about that. I always withdraw max amount of 10.000, as they charge for each withdrawal- in fact one gets charged twice, once by own bank and then by the bank here too- and then it get very expensive indeed when using frequent lower amounts.
Its like being robbed on PP Malecon, but legally :-) 
guess thats why Bankers are better known as Banksters back home....

So true,  it is damn well frustrating. Most days we can handle it but once in a while it just adds up and you lose it......   

We share your feelings and frustrations!   I don't have an answer for you honey, I am sorry.

yeah can be frustrating here at times   case of grin and bear it I' m afraid... nothing will change ..maybe "Manana" ...or next year Manana, ....or maybe never Manana  :-)

and re what you said about the ATM in Playero,...can confirm that... tried it other day -Guess what it said... Errm "Espero"  would you believe :-)

After a while of some serious  "esperoing" and nothing happening, decided have better things to do in life and left.

That thing is about as useful as a freezer in an Igloo!

oh yeah,  whilst on the subject of ATMs anyone know if the banks have changed the maximum withdraw amount (Usually 10.000)??
Had a couple of probs with that recently at some ATMs.

Hello

I hope that you have resolved your problem by now. Sometimes we get lied too by the bank institutions from our countries of origin, it has happened to me when trying to activate a credit card, not too long ago they reassured me it was activated and good to go, and when I called to report the incident the next agent told me that the card was never activated... Like another time I got charged in US Dollars for a transaction that was supposed to be in Canadian Dollars.

Just make sure you have enough funds in your account and that your bank hadn't blocked your cards for some reason, because is not normal that All the ATM machines from different banks are refusing your transactions.

I would be more concern here about the guards that work in the Banks than the ATM machines.

Best of luck

drtuttle you are correct  a couple of summers ago I had to walk back and forth to the ATM 4 times because my card was rejected. And this was after using it numerous times the same country (Italy) as well as others on our trip.

Twice I got the response that the card was active and to try  it again .  On the third phone call the person responded that in fact the card had been "turned off" and that he would reactivate it.  I should wait 15 min and try again.  I did that and it worked.  So who knows what happened but it was my home banks problem and not t  the local ATM

Bob K

@drTuttle >I hope that you have resolved your problem by now.

Unfortunately not :-(   well partly anyway.... read on

>Sometimes we get lied too by the bank institutions from our countries of origin,

Yes indeed, banks these days can not be trusted at all...had many problems over recent years. That is why we call them Banksters -as in Gangsters- back home :-)  Legalised thieves!

Recall once in Tunisia tried to get 400 Dinars ($207) from ATM, but no money came out, tried again but still nothing. Being used to rip off banks (especially outside Europe/US) was rather suspicious about that and checked account on Internet later -and yeah the crooks had deducted over $400 from account, probably some dishonest bank employee.
If something like that happens immediately contact your own bank Fraud Department and report it, then you have some chance getting your money back-luckily I did on that occasion!

Was with Lloyds Bank UK before, but they are crap now,  so a while back changed to German bank, they are much better (but rather high bank charges)
They have a very good website, where you can virtually do everything yourself via Internet, including activating or closing your cards. Each time you do something like that, you have to confirm it with authorisation code sent via Mobile, so its pretty secure.
Biggest advantage with that system is you can control it yourself without having to rely on some dimwit bank employee, who does not know his arse from his elbow - which some dont!

So checked card definitely is active -and double confirmed by calling them.

So Card or own bank is not the problem it must have to do with DR somehow, but defeats me what could be wrong and  banks here have no answer either.   
Well eventually tried another way -getting cash advance over counter. Walked into Banco Santa Cruz to ask for cash advance, sweated a bit as I put my code into the PIN machine, thinking if this dont work, I am really screwed ! Thank God it worked !!
Bit of a hassle having to take passports, everything photo copied, etc, but at least it worked.
So does seem very weird indeed, cash advance with PIN machine inside bank works with card no problem, but ATMs dont work at all.
Weirdest thing I ever seen and still seems no one can answer why!
So much for technology in 21 century!

Glad you got money at least!!!!

Thanks
sure was a relief.
The "Penniless Gringo on the streets of DR" experience, was not top of my wish list  :-)

hahhaha its scary . I remember when I came here to visit before I was married and the State of Texas seized my bank account. It was a Holiday weekend also. I was broke and the bank said they could not release any money. Three days with no money was scary. I got it straightened out and got money on Tuesday and it was a big relief. glad yours was solved. lets go party  hahahahhaa

Yes it can be scary!!!!  Glad you got it part way resolved at least.

I am wondering if anyone is having problems with ATMs again at the moment. I tried 3 different banks (BanReservas, Popular and Progresso), different amounts (anything from RD$10,000 to as little as RD$2000), different towns (Boca Chica and Santiago). Nowhere could I get any money. They would give me my balance but no cash. The message I got was they could not complete the transaction. I was able to use that same card at La Sirena to pay for my groceries.

First check with your bank to make sure the card is still approved.  Our bank on several occasions "refused" our card while on vacation in Europe and we had to call to "reactivate" it.

Also it is not unheard of for ATMS to run out of cash here on weekends and Mondays as well as they have not been "refilled"

Bob K

And it was a pay weekend which makes it worse.

No there is no problem with my card I was able to use it at La Sirena afterwards, and the machines were not out of cash as customers before and after me were able to get cash.

Ok then just not sure.

Hi,
I was once left without money in Boca Chica as I forgot my PIN number. It is a very uncomfortable experience being penniless in a foreign country. Then I reminded that anyone can withdraw money with the Card and Passport at any RD Bank desk. They will put the card in a mechanical printer-like machine and will get you to sign it. And that's it. You can withdraw either pesos or US dollars. My French bank charged me anyways and it was actually more expensive than ATM.

Another time I was over my withdaw limit and most of Banks will never alert you if you are close to that limit. The ATM systems will simply reject it without explanation.

After those experiences I have now a 2nd Visa card in case I lose or have whatever issue with the 1st one.

I now bring a minimal 300-400 euros cash when I travel to RD and avoid as much as I can to withdraw money. In fact most of RD Banks charge 195 pesos on whatever amount you withdaw and most of homeland Banks charge VISA withdrawal to 2% + fee + "their" change rate  which makes the withdraws VERY expensive.

Bottomline, for a tourist it is much more economical to change money to pesos in a Bank desk rather than ATM withdraw.

Hmmm that seems to be the European version.  For banks from USA and Canada  it is cheaper and better exchange rate in most instances to use the ATM.

planner wrote:

Hmmm that seems to be the European version.  For banks from USA and Canada  it is cheaper and better exchange rate in most instances to use the ATM.

planner, the poster was saying 'his European Bank" so I related to that.

Can you give an example how 'cheaper' is and American/Canadian card withdraw in foreign currency ?

I have worked out that the cost is relatively the same whether I use my debit card at an ATM, in the store, use my credit card, or make a bank transfer into the US account that I have with the local bank and then exchange those dollars for pesos. In some instance the charges are higher but the exchange rate is better, or vice versa. I was lucky that I do have different ways to get pesos, so I wasn't stranded. But using an ATM is more convenient and I was wondering if anyone else was experiencing the same problem.

Yes I can honey,  when you withdraw pesos here from a Canadian bank you get a very very good rate of exchange.  Here no one wants Canadian dollars and likely do not want a bunch of Euros either,  for that reason the exchange rate  can be bad on the streets and at the local banks.  For sure with Canadian and many times US banks the rate via ATM is very good.  Many do not charge to withdraw internationally as well.

By European version, I was referring to what happens in the banks there.   Sorry if I confused things.

@Vero60
Yeah, I been having the same problem for months. For some  reason both my cards are refused by Banco Popular which I used before for months without problems. Now, whatever I do they're refused, although my bank assures me cards are both valid and no problems..

One one occasion I was so fed up with this crap I complained to the counter and a woman actually went out to machine with me. Again refused, try a lesser amount she said -Yep refused
So she just shrugged her shoulders and went back inside Tried other banks too, same problem.
There is no logical explanation, some people have no problems others are constantly  refused without good reason and no one can tell you why.

Guess we just have to get used to the fact nothing works properly in this country and when it happens no one can explain why or dont care.

Another blatant example is water supply, yesterday we had a massive downpour (Actually very welcome as we sure needed it) So outside flooded up to knee level, thousands of gallons running down the street - and you turn on the tap to have shower - and yeah its bone dry!! Incompetence rules!
Anyway no point complaining about it, nothing will be done- Grin and bear it time once again!.

Oh yeah re the cash matter, bit of advice- there is a way round the ATM problem but with limitations, must be done during banking hours and takes a bit longer ...and other hassles like having to bring passport, queuing, etc.
Just go into bank and ask for card cash advance. (I use Banco Santa Cruz now in P.Clisante which has pretty good service)
Tried that and the same cards not working in ATMs were accepted no problem at all. Plus the advantage you are not limited to the ATM 10.000 limit.
What I do now is go during banking hours get 30.000 or so, which last longer and so do not have to go so often.
its worth the little extra wait, instead of dreading going to useless ATMs knowing they will probably not work.

PS I shall partly go back on my statement "nothing works in this country": there are some notable exceptions!  Like CPS Couriers, exceptionally good service !!,EPS is not bad either  And there are even good drivers in this country. Caribe Tours and Metro Bus drivers seem very safe and competent, a sure rarity in this suicidal drivers place! 

So there is hope, people :-)

Thanks, tp3813.
Yesterday I was talking to one of the ladies inside BanReservas here in Luperon. She said that it was probably due to some communication between my bank and the Dominican Republic. But when I mentioned that I was able to get a balance, she was stumped. My bank also had no answer for me, all they could tell me was that there was no problems with my card. I asked her if I could get some money from that debit card inside of the bank. She looked at it and said "sorry no, we can't do it with a Maestro card, it has to be either a Master card or a Visa card". But then she decided to double checked my debit card and came back with some good news. She told me that I could get money with that card from inside of the bank, I could get my bank's daily limit up to RD$100,000.00. She could not tell me what the charges would be but I'm sure it will be a lot less than what I'm paying at the moment in bank transfer fees. Next time I need some cash I will try to get it that way and let you know the outcome.
P.S: Still no luck at the ATM