No refunds on ATM ***** with ABSA

I was a victim of ATM ***** at an ABSA ATM situated outside Shoprite Vasco on 02/08/2018. An amount of R2,300.00 was **********ly withdrawn from my bank account. I actually went to Shoprite Vasco to withdraw money inside at the teller but the teller said that she did not have money in her till and I told her that now I have to make two transactions and that its unsafe to draw money outside…and that I might get ******.

My card wouldn’t go in the machine and this guy came from behind, took my bank card from me (without my permission) and made as if he was putting the card in the machine… I did not ask him for assistance… (After all… I know better than to ask for assistance at an ATM). I thought the card was in the machine, but then there was a message on the screen which read ‘Please insert card”, a few minutes later an amount of R2,300 was withdrawn from my bank.

I put in a claim at Absa Goodwood Mall on 06/08/2018 and found out that the guy withdrew my money at their ATMs and that they have cameras. I had to pay R141 for a new bank card after someone just withdrew all of my money out of my bank account – no sympathy whatsoever for a client…

This morning Absa calls me and states that my claim was declined as the person withdrew my money using my original card and must have seen me put in my pin at the ATM. I don’t even recall punching in my PIN code. Also, the Absa ATM does not provide much cover and what if the person put a little camera somewhere on the machine to see the pin… surely with all the ATM *****s cases happening… surely Absa should come up with perhaps a booth like the Standard bank ATM that was next to the Absa machine… where only one person can go in and no one can see through the booth from outside.

I am truly sick to my stomach as I had to pay R141 for a new bank, spent over R20 to block my card and spent more unnecessary traveling money to go to Absa then to the Police Station and back again to Absa… money which I had to borrow as all of my money was withdrawn from my bank account.

I am so stressed out as I had to borrow some money and now I don’t even have enough money to last me until pay day and can’t ask to borrow more money as Absa is not willing to refund the R2,300.00 and most importantly, I have a 6 year old that I solely support financially). So what do I do now… and as stated earlier… there was cameras at the Goodwood Mall branch where the guy withdrew the money – my bank card and my money was withdrawn from my bank account without my permission – clearly that is ***** and ABSA has the proof on cameras … so why can’t ABSA reimburse me and being a client of ABSA for many years… is truly disappointing.