Japanese ATM stole 30,000 yen from me - what can I do?

I'm in Osaka at the moment and a 7-11 ATM took 30,000 yen from me. Initially when it didn't issue me any money, I assumed that it was because it would be over my daily withdrawal limit, so I attempted to withdraw 20,000 and got an error message. I then called HSBC to ask if there were any problems with my card and they informed me that I couldn't withdraw anything because I'd already taken out £236 (30,000 yen) that day.

I've checked all my ATM receipts and there is no error message on the attempted 30,000 yen withdrawal, but I know that it didn't issue any money because I stood at the exact same ATM and attempted to take out 20,000. I now need to wait to check that the money is actually debited from my account, but given that there was no error code I'm assuming it will, although I probably won't be able to know until Monday at 4pm at the earliest and I'm supposed to be leaving Osaka tha afternoon.

Does anyone know if HSBC will be able to refund the transaction? If not what would I have to say if I visit the 7-11? How would I go about saying something like "the ATM didn't issue me any cash"?

More to the point, would it even make any difference? Only experience I have with anything like this was a couple of years ago in Shibuya when a machine ate a 100 yen coin and I had to wait about 30 minutes while they got about three supervisors to come along and count the entire contents of the machine to check that it didn't add up, so God knows what the reaction will be if ask for them to give me 30,000 yen

 

You should take it up with the folks at 7Bank. Did you tell the people working?

 

Ok I talked to my GF and she said to use the phone attached to the ATM. The people working behin the counter won't be able to help you. The phone (should be white) will call the people wo CAN help you... But it's a Japanese language only service.

 

a similar thing happened to me once i tried withdraw money from a hsbc atm ( i dont bank with hsbc) i got a mini statement/reciept at the time that said the money had been withdrawn but in my monthly statement it said it was instantly refunded (i think it must have taken a couple of days to process though so the money appeared to have gone). you need to get a statement for your account to check that it hasn't already been refunded, if not then contact the atm operator, who will be able to check the outgoings of the machine compared to the total if they need to do that. always get a reciept using atms.

 

I thought as much. I've tried looking for a contact option on the Seven Bank website, but the only English content they seem to have is some info on how to use ATMs and investor information.

I'm going to go back to the 7-11 and give it a shot, but am not going to be too optimistic about achieving anything. Hopefully HSBC can sort it out at their end.


Edit: Also, I'm 99.9% certain that this isn't the case, but if I had just walked off and left the cash sitting in the ATM, would it take it back after 10-15 seconds and reverse the transaction or something? I'm just clutching at straws tbh

 

It's happened a few times to me, but at English cash machines. The first time I got in touch with the bank, they can tally up at the end of the day how much is supposed to be left in the machine, so I got a refund.

When it happened again more recently, on phoning the bank, they checked my account and told me it had been automatically paid back to my account.

Best bet IMO, is to get in touch with your bank, they should be able to verify your story. Good luck.

 

Japanese ATMs usually scream holy hell when you forget something as simple as the receipt. So, if you didn't take the cash, it would have started beeping loudly. I can't remember which ATM is it, but one of them won't even give you back your card until you've taken your cash.

I was in Guam for a week once, and my first day there the hotel ATM ate my card... the only one I brought. That was a fun week.

 

I was once waiting in line to an ATM in the post office in Sendai when the gentlemen in front of me forgot to take the money he withdrew from the machine. The pocket where the money comes out just stayed open until another guy in line ran out to tell him that he forgot his money.

 

No ATM sucks back cash like you mean, once it's out it's out. Records are whole other matter.

 

"I was once waiting in line to an ATM in the post office in Sendai when the gentlemen in front of me forgot to take the money he withdrew from the machine. The pocket where the money comes out just stayed open until another guy in line ran out to tell him that he forgot his money."

That happened to me the other day, I walked off after getting my card back and was looking at my receipt, shocked at how little money I have ^^ then a guy told me that i left my money

It is very commonplace in Japan though in UK that CAN happen as well.

"No ATM sucks back cash like you mean, once it's out it's out. Records are whole other matter." ---> that is not true, if you leave it in there for a certain amount of time it sucks it back in and they refund it on your account. Happened to me before where I didnt know where the money was meant to come out. By the time I noticed the money had gone back in again

 

There are some maybe all in the UK that do it beeps and after a short while the money goes back:dammit:

 

Hi Marmotta

Did you ever get to the bottom of this?

 

Not yet. I need to get onto my internet banking and check if it has been credited to my account, which I think it may have done as my balance was rather higher than I expected (unless I just got paid more than I was expecting for this month). If it hasn't, I'll just have to give HSBC a call and get them to open an investigation into it, which realistically is as much as I'd be able to do whether I was still in Japan or not.