In some European countries, cash is no longer popular and rarely used, while large wallets have been replaced by cardholders that easily fit in a pocket. On one hand, using plastic cards is very convenient – you always have the necessary amount, there’s no risk of losing or dropping money, and banks monitor unusual transactions, promptly warning you if something goes wrong.
On the other hand, even with cards, various unpleasant situations can occur: losing access to your funds after losing the card is unpleasant. It’s even worse when money is simply withdrawn from your account, and you have no idea why. Let’s take a closer look at what to do in such a situation.
How to Act According to the Law
If an unknown amount is withdrawn from your card, it can happen for two main reasons:
- Technical error by the bank. In this case, after submitting a claim, the money will be returned; you’ll just need to wait.
- Theft or fraud. This often happens during online purchases or phone calls when someone obtains your card information, giving them full access to your account and the ability to make transactions.
If your case falls under the second reason, you should immediately contact your bank and submit a statement saying that money was withdrawn from your account without your consent. Do this as soon as possible – right away or the next day. If you miss the deadline, the bank will no longer be responsible for the missing amount. According to the law: № 161-FZ, Article 9.
When submitting a statement, you will likely be asked to describe your version of events. Let’s look at the most common scenarios.
Double Amount Withdrawn During Online Purchase
Often, before money is transferred to the seller, it is frozen or reserved by the bank in case of such disputes. Sometimes, due to a technical error, the store requests payment twice from your account, and the amount simply remains pending confirmation.
Contact the seller’s support and explain what happened. If the call center employee doesn’t understand, ask to be connected to a competent person. Request that the erroneous amount be unblocked. If the money isn’t returned immediately, it should be returned within a month.
If the purchase amount was actually withdrawn from your account, the process will take longer. You’ll need to get a bank statement with all transactions and any available payment documents and submit them to the seller. At the same time, take the same package to the bank and file a statement disputing the transaction. This is necessary if the seller disappears or refuses to pay.
Money Withdrawn for an Offline Purchase
Sometimes, at the cash register, the payment doesn’t go through, and the machine issues a receipt indicating an error. You’re asked to pay again with another card or in cash, you agree, and then later you receive a report that the transaction was successful.
What should you do? Don’t worry – everything can be fixed. If you’re still in the store, try talking to the administration and ask for a refund on the spot. If you’ve already left, take all receipts and go to the store and the bank to dispute the situation.
Always keep a receipt from the store indicating that the payment didn’t go through.
ATM Didn’t Dispense Cash but Withdrew the Amount
If you inserted your card into an ATM, it processed your request, but didn’t dispense cash, yet you received a notification on your phone that the funds were withdrawn, the most important thing is not to leave! If there’s a glitch inside the machine, it may eventually decide to give you the money, but if you’re not there, someone else might take it, and you won’t get compensation from the bank.
Call the number indicated on the ATM for support and describe the situation. Ask them to send a technical team and take a photo of the machine’s screen. If someone was nearby and witnessed the incident, ask them to be a witness and get their phone numbers.
If the bank can’t help you on the spot, go to the branch and submit a statement and complaint describing everything that happened. Ask for the payment data to be checked against the ATM’s receipt tape, and mention the time you called support.
Restoring your balance may take time due to checks, but the bank should return the money after the investigation.
If Money Simply Disappeared or You Were Robbed
Here, proving the truth is the most difficult. If you suddenly can’t find your card and keep receiving notifications that funds are being withdrawn from your account, call the bank immediately and block the card. Then follow the standard procedure: go to the bank and dispute the transactions. The main thing is to do everything on the same day you receive the notification!
At the same time, go to the police and file a report about the theft. It’s unlikely that a case will be opened, but it’s better to attach a copy of the report with the mark “accepted” to your bank statement to show your serious attitude toward the situation.
Be prepared to argue with the bank, which rarely likes to pay. They may pressure you by saying you violated card usage rules, gave it to other people, or made unsafe online purchases, not paying attention to its security. There’s a chance you may need legal help in these matters.
How to Avoid Such Problems
There are general safety rules for using bank cards, which experts from Fortraders magazine remind us of:
- Enable SMS or push notifications to know about withdrawals immediately.
- Always have the bank’s support number handy to quickly freeze your card if necessary.
- If you often shop online, get a separate card with a spending limit or a small amount.
- Keep all receipts for your expenses, especially online.
- Don’t use strange or suspicious ATMs.
- Record conversations with support operators in case of problems.
- Follow the rules for using plastic cards.
