Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Has anyone ever been stupid enough to leave money in the cash machine?

45 replies

EarlofShrewsbury · 29/11/2023 22:11

I just withdrew £30 quid from the cash machine.

I got a phone call as I was doing it and was distracted enough that I walked away without taking the cash.

I realised pretty quickly and walked back to the machine about 30 seconds to a minute later but the cash was gone.

I'm pretty sure no one else took it as the street was deserted while I was there no one was near the machine expect me.

Anyone have any idea what will happen? Will I get refunded? Do I need to speak to the bank?

OP posts:
CeeJay81 · 29/11/2023 22:12

The money will just go back into your account. Its happened to me before.

Choccolatebar · 29/11/2023 22:13

I think if money is not taken within a certain time, the machine takes the notes back.

I may stand corrected on this.

NigelHarmansNewWife · 29/11/2023 22:15

Yes and it was a bank holiday weekend! The machine took the money back in and I was able to sort it out a few days later. Luckily the cash machine was the one at the branch of the bank I banked with and within 5 minutes walking distance if home.

RumJerrySailorRum · 29/11/2023 22:15

I used to work for a bank and looked after the cash machines.

Any money not taken in time was taken back into the ATM into a 'reject' bin.

I would then read the receipt roll inside and work out who it belonged to.
If it was an account belonging to the same bank I'd recredit their account. If it was an account with a different bank I'd credit that banks holding account and they would then recredit it.

It was however years ago I did this so now banking/branches have changed so much it may not be the same.

PiggieWig · 29/11/2023 22:16

It gets sucked back into the machine. Happened to me once with £50 but I rang the bank and it was refunded the next day.

rorotheo · 29/11/2023 22:18

The machine should eat the notes back up

Sahara123 · 29/11/2023 22:19

Yes me! And to make it worse I then went into the shop, the woman behind me had noticed, followed me in as she thought it was me and called out “did anyone just use the cash machine and forget to take the cash?” , looked pointed at me as I shook my head and said, no, no, not me ! Took several minutes for me to remember that it was actually me! She must’ve thought I was completely nuts . I vaguely knew her by sight , I had so much on my mind 😔

15PiecesOfFlair · 29/11/2023 22:22

Yep. Went back half an hour later panicking. Some lovely soul had given it into the bank (when banks were open in the same place as cash machines!) and I got it back.

LauderSyme · 29/11/2023 22:25

If money is not removed from the slot within a certain timescale the machine pulls it back inside and the amount is not debited from your account. It might show as a withdrawal on your statement but should then show as a credit immediately afterwards.

I know this because one time my £100 cash somehow got caught in the slot; I could see it but couldn't grasp enough of it to pull it out, and I watched as the rollers hoiked it back in.

I phoned my bank in a panic and they said it would not be debited and might not show on my statement at all. It did show, as a debit then a credit.

OhpoorMe · 29/11/2023 22:26

Yes and I went back 30 seconds later but it had been taken by a passer by 😡

Original poster
EarlofShrewsbury · 29/11/2023 22:27

I feel like I've just paid a stupidity tax.

OP posts:
idontlikealdi · 29/11/2023 22:27

Yep £100 in Leicester Square, the person behind me took it, I didn't get it back...was 20 years ago so things might have changed

Mischance · 29/11/2023 22:28

I did - on the day of my Silver Wedding celebration. And the money was nicked. It was caught on CCTV. And the bank knew who did it because the guy immediately drew out some more cash so they had his PIN and a/c number and could have referred to police. But they did nothing.

NinNinJin · 29/11/2023 22:28

I believe you need to proactively contact the bank, describe the situation and give them the number of the cash machine. They will check the machine's balance and refund. It is not automatic.

Happened to my MIL once. We helped her to sort it out.

Choccolatebar · 29/11/2023 22:32

I remember years ago, reading about a student who had the opposite problem. He went to the cashpoint, asking for £30 and several thousand pounds came out due to a fault.
He put it in his sports bag, walked in the bank and did the decent thing.

LauderSyme · 29/11/2023 22:32

EarlofShrewsbury · 29/11/2023 22:27

I feel like I've just paid a stupidity tax.

😂

I wish that existed - our public services would be rolling in it! Obviously not all paid by you 😉

Don't beat yourself up, we've all done equally (and much more) daft things.

Formel · 29/11/2023 23:03

No, but about 20 years ago I was behind someone in the queue for the cash machine at Russell Square who saw their bus come by, pulled their card out the machine and forgot to wait for the money before leaping on the bus! In a bid to be helpful I took the money (£100 - a lot now, but even more of a lot then) and took it into the bank to make sure it got returned. The cashier told me that if I'd just left it, the machine would have swallowed it back down and refunded it, and I'd just made them a lot more work going back over transactions to work out who had used the machine at xx time and withdrawn xx amount to ensure it got refunded 😶

So if nobody either thieved it or was naively helpful then it should just get refunded.

Bootskates · 29/11/2023 23:08

I've done it, a few years ago now. I'd been using chip and pin all day so the connection in my brain of card in>PIN>cash out was lost on me and I just wandered off without my money. As above it went back in though and was back in my account before long.

StellaAndCrow · 29/11/2023 23:13

Yes, twice in a row, in the week after a bereavement. The money didn't go out of my account.

Dipsomaniax · 29/11/2023 23:15

£300. 30 years ago. A fortune in 1994. I have never told anyone in real life 😳

XenoBitch · 29/11/2023 23:20

Yes, I have done it. But someone took it.

Spudlover · 29/11/2023 23:26

I’ve done it, but someone must have seen me do it and swiped the cash because I was definitely debited.

DuesToTheDirt · 29/11/2023 23:27

I've done this three times Halloween Blush. In my defence, that's over a period of nearly 40 years.

Twice the machine took it back in. I contacted the bank (not sure if that was necessary) and it got recredited to my account. The other time it was a lot of money, which I needed as cash to take on holiday. The person behind me handed it in to the bank, and I brought them a present back from my holiday Halloween Smile.

RightOnTheEdge · 29/11/2023 23:33

I once went to a cash machine and there was a wad of cash hanging out.
I was just staring at it and wondering whether I should grab it and take it into the bank when I suddenly got sucked back in.
About a minute later a man came running up the road in a panic. He was so relieved when I told him that it had gone back in the machine.

Aydel · 29/11/2023 23:33

Years ago I went to use a cash machine quite late at night. There was £200 sticking out of it. I was a bit pissed, took the money, drew out £20 from my account. There was literally not a soul around. I went back to the bank the next morning, explained what had happened, and they were really rude to me. The man just took the money off me. I asked for a receipt and he rolled his eyes but eventually gave me one. I got a letter from the bank a few weeks later saying that they had paid the money back to the person who had asked them to let me know how grateful she was.