The ATM Took Ate Up My Card!
Using an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or completing an electronic transaction can still be risky business in Costa Rica.

The increase in the use of automated tellers and electronic payments has given rise to the number of incidents where a bank card is retained by an ATM machine, cash not dispensed and the electronic payment not reaching the intended service.

Part of the problem, the banks explain, is the customer who is not familiar with the use of the ATM or the electronic transaction process. Another problem is that there are differences in the types of ATM's operated by the different banks and the electronic platforms they use.

ATH, the largest of the private ATM network operates somewhat different than the system used by the Banco Costa Rica or the Banco Nacional, for example. This confusion can come easily as the customer, especially foreigners, believe all ATM's to be on one network and similar to those in use in North America.

The fees associated with each transaction is also different at each institution. Private banks who members of the ATH network usually charge a small transaction fee, if any, while the state banks and BAC San José charge up to us$3 per transaction.

Another problem experienced by foreigners is knowing which ATM dispenses dollars and colones. Scotiabank has done a successful job at identifying their ATM's that dispense both currencies. Most ATM's offer services in English.

The electronic payment platform used by both private and state banks also can leave a user bewildered. The Banco de Costa Rica system is seamless, completing payments to utilities - telephone, electrical power, water - and transfer between accounts easy, while that of private banks are more cumbersome when it comes to paying say your telephone bill.

The Área de Apoyo al Consumidor de la Comisión Nacional del Consumidor says that 25% of the complaints they receive are related to banking transactions. To date, the government agency has received some 6.000 complaints.

The agency says that in most of the cases, the bank and the customer come to an agreement. But, currently there are 25 charges against financial institutions that under close investigation.

So, what happens if the ATM takes your card and/or doesn't dispense the cash requested.

The first step, is to contact the bank responsible for the ATM. If the ATM is in a mall or other location, independent of a bank branch, jot down the number on the machine and the bank responsible and call it immediately. Make a note of the time of the transaction and a full explanation of what happened.

According to sources at the ATH network, they say that they can, in most cases, resolve the problem immediately, but the customer has to be patient. In the case of an "eaten up" card, the can retrieve it usually within 24-48 hours hours. In the case of no cash dispensed, this will take more time, as an internal audit has to be completed.

If the bank does not resolve the problem then  you should contact the office of the Defensoría del Consumidor (Ombudsman) by calling 800 266 7866 or send a fax to 284 8821 or make a personal visit to their office which is located 200 metres north of the Pizza Hut on Paseo Colón.

Banking superintendent, Óscar Rodríguez, says that the Superintendencia de Entidades Financieras  (SUGEF) does not handle bank-customer complaints, rather it deals with ensuring that the banking system is sound and that the registered banks are following government policies.