Apr 22, 2009 12:34 PM
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ATMs were expected to be a boon both to the bank's customers as well as to the banks and the harried tellers who stood to "gain" a lot of time with their no longer having to tally signatures.
Face a barrage of disparaging remarks from customer who happened to be in a hurry but was forced join a long queue. However, the honeymoon was short lived for people who encountered a moneyless ATM at critical moments or were "robbed" by malfunctioning machines. My Personal Experience: 2007 & earlier
In September, 2007, I needed some money at a late hour and having become more or less accustomed to the ATM convenience, it was natural for me to reach for one. However, the machine informed me at the outset of a "Technical Fault" and then the request for money [ Rs.4000/-] was "overlooked". Hardly bothered, I punched in my requirement again and this time the money was dispensed.
Happily unaware of my having been swindled in the course of what had happened during the transaction - I was jolted to reality a fortnight later when I noticed through the statement that Rs.4000/- had been debited to my account twice. The machine is programmed to DEBIT the amount on it being punched and "whether it is dispensed or not is hardly of concern to THE PROGRAMMED SOFTWARE". Long interaction with the bank bore no results and - in the end - I look upon the lost amount as a costly expense incurred on "education".
The other experience pales into insignificance by comparison. It is hardly a rarity to reach an ATM to find it "not functioning" / "out of order" / "unable to dispense cash". My worst experience has been having to visit 3 ATMs before reaching my money. Did I say they forewarn us in advance? HDFC, from what I figured out, stands for Hardly Dependable For Customers!
