Burnbank pensioner claims she was duped by ATM that kept her last £50

Apr 7 2011 by Sandra Walls, Hamilton Advertiser

A BURNBANK pensioner has claimed she was left almost penniless after the cash machine in Burnbank Post Office failed to dispense £50 she had tried to take out.

Marion Kelly (66), of Sneddon Street, had £56.08 in her account when she used the machine on Thursday, February 17. She put her card in, tapped in her PIN and waited for the money.

She claims the card came back out but no money was dispensed.

Marion said: “I’d used the machine before with no problems. But after I got my card back, I waited and waited and no money came out.

“I spoke to the man serving at the shop counter and he witnessed that the money never dispensed.

“He told me to tell the Post Office counter staff. The counter assistant said it had happened before and that I should contact the ATM company to investigate and was assured that I would get my money.

She said: “I also spoke to the postmaster, Ghulam Rasul, who told me that I had to contact the PostOffice customer service centre.

“I really thought he should have made a call himself to the ATM people.

“I couldn’t just hang around hoping the money would pop out, so I left and contacted the Department for Work and Pensions and the Post Office customer services.

“After six weeks I got a letter from the Post Office telling me that the machine had not recorded any errors, so I can’t be reimbursed.”

Mrs Kelly believes £50 from her pension was “stolen” by the machine.

She added: “It’s the same as fraud. Machines can and do make mistakes, and I am neither a liar nor a thief, and would never claim that an ATM kept money that it didn’t.

“I don’t know why the machine did not record any errors but I have three witnesses, the two Post Office staff and a woman from Whitehill called Cathy Rocks.

“Maybe it had simply run out of cash, I don’t care, but I'll not let the matter rest until I’ve been reimbursed.

“For me, £50 is a lot of money and works out at just under half of my weekly pension, and I was left with only £6.08 to last me until my next payment.

“It was ridiculous that a pensioner like myself was left in such a financial state through no fault of my own.”

Postmaster Ghulam Rasul said: “The Post Office ATM service come in and maintain the machine.

“I told Mrs Kelly that she had to contact Post Office customer services directly that day. There was nothing more I could do.”

A Post Office Ltd spokesman added: “Post Office Ltd have reviewed this disputed transaction case and ourrecords show that the ATM at Burnbank Post Office branch did not record any errors on Thursday, February 17.

“Therefore, under the current terms and conditions for the Post Office Card Account, we are unable to reimburse any funds withdrawn.

“If the customer remains dissatisfied with the response this complaint can be escalated to the independent body Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of the date of the response letter.”