Cash trap ATM - Nationwide won’t refund money

Karr55

An elderly friend tried to withdraw £220 from a Cashzone machine on December 11th 2022. She didn’t get the money but it showed as having left her bank account. In the same day CCTV was released of a man using a “cash trap” in two neighbouring villages. Nationwide initially refunded the £220 but have since taken it back, saying there was no CCTV at the ATM she used. Cashzone and their parent company Cardtronics are being less than helpful and have basically implied she is lying and has the cash. She is a retired nurse. Does anyone have any suggestions? The police are involved. https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/cash-trapping-machines-derbyshire-cashpoints-7980544.amp

born_again

It will have been refunded as a dispute for non dispense. Which ATM owner will have proved is not the case. So this would now need to be raised as a fraud case.

But the fact it happened in other ATM's in the area is not enough proof, unless the police can provide evidence to the bank that it also happened at that ATM.

As it could quite easily have dispensed the cash after she left & the next person took the cash. Which is not a reason for the bank to refund.

elsien

If it was a cash trap would they not have targeted more than just one person?
Wad there no CCTV anywhere nearby that might give a clue if there’s none in the ATM itself? 

flaneurs_lobster

Without any corroborating evidence (CCTV, witnesses etc) it will always be a matter of plausibility and Nationwide's desire to avoid bad/generate good PR. 

Assuming that your friend was a long-term customer of Nationwide "in good standing", it seems pretty poor that they would jeopardise that relationship for the sake of 200 quid. That is, after all, the amount they pay people just to switch bank accounts to them.

Is there a mechanism to appeal the Nationwide decision?

You link to a local paper, maybe a call to their news desk might generate a sympathetic story that would kick their PR people.
 

Karr55

elsien said:

If it was a cash trap would they not have targeted more than just one person?
Wad there no CCTV anywhere nearby that might give a clue if there’s none in the ATM itself? 

They targeted cash machines outside Co-ops I two neighbouring villages on the same day. The Co-op she used didn’t have CCTV. There could have been others targeted in the same village on the same day that we are unaware of. 

Karr55

flaneurs_lobster said:

Without any corroborating evidence (CCTV, witnesses etc) it will always be a matter of plausibility and Nationwide's desire to avoid bad/generate good PR. 

Assuming that your friend was a long-term customer of Nationwide "in good standing", it seems pretty poor that they would jeopardise that relationship for the sake of 200 quid. That is, after all, the amount they pay people just to switch bank accounts to them.

Is there a mechanism to appeal the Nationwide decision?

You link to a local paper, maybe a call to their news desk might generate a sympathetic story that would kick their PR people.
 

I agree, instead they are expecting a now 75-year-old to chase Cardtronics, who have laughed and told her to “go to the Financial Ombudsman if she wants to” - if it was me I would switch bank accounts.