Get A Receipt / Record

A friend came to me today to ask about a transaction she made at the Citibank ATM. She made a cash deposit at the local branch's ATM. Everything looked good so she exited the ATM without getting a record.

Today she got a notice telling her she's been fined for insufficient funds.

I told her to call the number on the letter (not our local branch cause the people there are very unprofessional). Luckily, they were able to see that she did deposit the money and they did have the record of the amount and time. As a result, her account was credited and the penalty was canceled.

One definite note I gave her was to get the name of the customer service rep she spoke to as well as the time she called and any important notes down on paper.

In the US there is a lot of fraud as well as businesses who do not take responsibility for their errors. As a result. ALWAYS GET A RECEIPT / RECORD.

I had a problem with my HSBC credit card. I tried to refill my MetroCard via the machine and even though it showed that my card was filled it could not be used. The machine wouldn't give me a receipt either. HSBC was kind enough to credit my account.

Except they didn't. They charged my credit card for the amount I was disputing. So now I was double penalized. It took 3 phone calls to sort it out but I got the name of everyone I spoke to and I was ready to present my case every time. The customer reps are busy, I know, but that also means they only take a cursory look at your record and don't know everything that went on.

Getting the name is also valuable because if you get a customer service rep who isn't very 'nice' you can fight back with how well you know the situation so that person has no way of ripping you off.

I believe I mentioned this is a previous entry. Keep track of what you use your credit card for. And with everything, whether it's ordering online or buying something at the post office, if it's something big, get a record or receipt of it. It will help you alot in the future when things go awry.