# Don't EVER forget your card in the ATM (especially if it's to a bank of which you aren't a member) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 24, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704 "2012-03-24T19:31:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/101 "2012-03-28T21:59:16Z")
Years ago, when I worked at a small 12-branch bank, we used Oberthur for our plastics. Even back then, they were quite capable of generating and shipping cards overnight. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/102 "2012-03-28T23:40:46Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > Are we talking about the same kind of card? Plastic, with the logo of the bank printed on front, with your name, account number, (Bank code not always) and card number, embossed on the front, magnet stripe, signature field and small print (sometimes service phone number) on the back? > > Because those always take weeks to replace because only a few companies make them (Security must be tight) and they wait for a full batch, they don’t run the machine for one single card. I know things are different north and south of the border (and isn’t **constanze** across the pond? presumably things are even more different there), but I watched an ATM card get replaced on the spot a while back at the TD Canada Trust I go to. However, keep in mind our ATM cards don’t have the person’s name on them, and the card number is **linked** to your account(s). The person that had lost their card (in a fire) went to the Help desk, talked to the person, showed ID, and the CSR got a card from a stack, did some magic on his computer to validate it (and presumably invalidate the old one), got the customer to key in a new PIN, and that was it. Actually, going back to the original complaint (card “owner” couldn’t get card back from a bank that they weren’t a customer of), maybe the issue is that there isn’t a lot of identifying information **visually** present on the card; the original bank can trivially pull up everything that they might want to know to make sure that there isn’t any hanky-panky going on, but it might be too much of a pain in the ass for a bank on another system to do the same. I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/103 "2012-03-29T06:20:03Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > I know things are different north and south of the border (and isn’t **constanze** across the pond? presumably things are even more different there) yes, I’m in Germany > [@](#): > > , but I watched an ATM card get replaced on the spot a while back at the TD Canada Trust I go to. However, keep in mind our ATM cards don’t have the person’s name on them, and the card number is **linked** to your account(s). Like I said, our bank cards have the account number and name embossed into them, so the local branch can’t possible do that on the spot. > [@](#): > > The person that had lost their card (in a fire) went to the Help desk, talked to the person, showed ID, and the CSR got a card from a stack, did some magic on his computer to validate it (and presumably invalidate the old one), got the customer to key in a new PIN, and that was it. That’s what we do for library cards and similar, where the card number can be linked to the account number. Wouldn’t work for bank cards. > [@](#): > > Actually, going back to the original complaint (card “owner” couldn’t get card back from a bank that they weren’t a customer of), maybe the issue is that there isn’t a lot of identifying information **visually** present on the card; the original bank can trivially pull up everything that they might want to know to make sure that there isn’t any hanky-panky going on, but it might be too much of a pain in the ass for a bank on another system to do the same. I dunno. Still doesn’t prevent the foreign bank from forwarding it by bank mail to the originally issueing bank, who can then easily contact their own customer. After all, giving the paper system in the US banking system, there must be tons of mail between banks each day. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/104 "2012-03-29T13:00:02Z")
Everyone in this thread knows damn well what the REAL moral of this whole story is! Why not just state it outright? Your bank isn’t going to stand up for you. The other bank isn’t going to stand up for you. The police aren’t going to stand up for you. The other Dopers on this board may or may not stand up for you, but what the fuck good is it going to do for you anyway? We’ve ALL got to cover OUR OWN ASSES because for damn sure, you can’t count on anyone else to. Here’s a suggestion, given to me by a friend umpty-ump years ago: Always maintain (at least) TWO bank accounts at TWO DIFFERENT banks. You just never know when some fuck-up will happen of some sort. Never mind what kind of fuck-up it might be – you can’t predict that. Typically, you will be able to get it straightened out, and you won’t lose any money. BUT BUT BUT it will take weeks for that to happen, you will spend 10 thousand hours on the telephone arguing with every braindamaged customer support robot and their second-vice-assistant-managing-supervisors, you’ll got through a printer cartridge or two with all the letters you’ll have to send, yadda, yadda… Oh yes, you’ll eventually get it all worked out. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, YOU WON’T HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR MONEY. Make life easy for yourself. Plan ahead for it. Cover your own ass because you can’t count on anyone else to. Open another account at another bank TODAY if not sooner, and move half your money there. (Hope you have at least enough money to do that. I know, it’s getting harder with all the minimum-balance rules and fees that are making a comeback these days, though.) When you’re doing business with Big Bizness, nobody looks out for nobody but themselves. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/105 "2012-03-29T13:37:50Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > Still doesn’t prevent the foreign bank from forwarding it by bank mail to the originally issueing bank, who can then easily contact their own customer. After all, giving the paper system in the US banking system, there must be tons of mail between banks each day. But what’s the point? Even if the “tons of mail” is true, that’s going to be going to/from the central banks. There isn’t going to be much traffic between the East Podunk branch of Bank A and the West Bumfuck branch of Bank B. So you’ll still have to wait several days, then make a trip to your local branch to pick up your card. Given the stated speed and efficiency of US banks in producing new cards (complete with embossed name, card number, mag stripe, and bank’s logo on the card), isn’t it easier to wait the same 4 days and just take a new card out of your mailbox? ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/106 "2012-03-31T05:21:57Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > “Incomplete” would be a better word to describe **Nocturn** ’s explanation of such policies; I am still waiting for him to answer my question about the necessity of bank membership in order for a bank to be able to verify a person’s identity. Everyone is just trying to avoid liability. Issuing bank returns card to the wrong person? Their problem. Non-issuing bank returns card to the wrong person? Ahh, now there’s a situation the non-issuing bank doesn’t want to be in. Shred the card and stay out of it. I imagine a similar worry occurs with returning the card by mail to the issuing bank. If it gets stolen or lost in the mail, is the non-issuing bank on the hook for any losses incurred? Best not to be involved at all and just destroy the card. The policy as it stands keeps the non-issuing bank out of it and keeps it between issuer and client. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/107 "2012-03-31T06:28:20Z")
Ambivalid always reminds me of the poor put upon spy in The Ipcress File. Every thread he starts turns into a train wreck. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/108 "2012-03-31T10:21:21Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Ambivalid always reminds me of the poor put upon spy in The Ipcress File. Every thread he starts turns into a train wreck. Oh, now that’s not fair. Some threads he _hasn’t_ started also turn into trainwrecks when he gets involved. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/109 "2012-03-31T15:06:33Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Here’s a suggestion, given to me by a friend umpty-ump years ago: Always maintain (at least) TWO bank accounts at TWO DIFFERENT banks. This. Also make sure the banks are as unrelated as possible. (I use BoA and ING.) Also hold credit cards from different banks. Back in the dark ages (1970s) I was living in Rhode Island. Something major happened to the state banking system – I don’t know what – but it was a nightmare for the consumers. _ALL_ of the banks sort of ‘froze’ all their accounts. You could NOT withdraw money and they weren’t processing checks. (I don’t know about credit cards, I didn’t have one then.) For a while we were “paying” for groceries with written IOUs. Fortunately we were known and trusted by the small grocery store we used. ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/110 "2012-03-31T16:51:58Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > We’ve ALL got to cover OUR OWN ASSES because for damn sure, you can’t count on anyone else to. You can’t make a law that protects customers better? You can’t go to court for customer rights? > [@](#): > > Here’s a suggestion, given to me by a friend umpty-ump years ago: Always maintain (at least) TWO bank accounts at TWO DIFFERENT banks. You just never know when some fuck-up will happen of some sort. Never mind what kind of fuck-up it might be – you can’t predict that. But don’t banks demand fees for just keeping an account? So with two accounts, you have to pay two monthly fees? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/111 "2012-03-31T16:55:57Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > But don’t banks demand fees for just keeping an account? Not necessarily. It depends on the bank and the account. I don’t pay a fee at my bank. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/112 "2012-03-31T17:03:37Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Here’s a suggestion, given to me by a friend umpty-ump years ago: Always maintain (at least) TWO bank accounts at TWO DIFFERENT banks. You just never know when some fuck-up will happen of some sort. Never mind what kind of fuck-up it might be – you can’t predict that. I’ve done this for many years. One local bank, one nationwide bank. ING Direct is free. No minimum balance. No monthly fee. Free ATM’s. Free Bill Pay. The only fees they have are for extra services like stop payments. ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/113 "2012-03-31T17:09:44Z")
> [@constanze](#): > > Because those always take weeks to replace because only a few companies make them (Security must be tight) and they wait for a full batch, they don’t run the machine for one single card. My local bank takes a week to send a new card. ING Direct will mail a replacement card for free within a week, but if you want to pay $25, they will overnight one. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704/114 "2012-03-31T21:05:02Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Ambivalid always reminds me of the poor put upon spy in The Ipcress File. Every thread he starts turns into a train wreck. How is this thread a train wreck? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-ever-forget-your-card-in-the-atm-especially-if-its-to-a-bank-of-which-you-arent-a-member/616704.md?page=5)