Danamon ATM

I am a Dutchman, living in Bekasi since February 1996. I put the money I brought with me in Danamon Bank in Metropolitan Mall in Bekasi, because I wanted it to be safe. I received an ATM card from Danamon Bank to be able to take money out of the ATM machine.

Early in November I withdrew money (one million rupiah) from the ATM machine in Metropolitan Mall. But I forgot to take my ATM card out of the machine. Stupid, of course, but my mind was on other things since I had just left the hospital after a severe heart attack and it had taken a very long time for me to get my KIMS; so my normal attitude of discipline was not sharp.

I only noticed the card was missing when I went to withdraw money for a hospital deposit 10 days later. Then my balance was only 20,000 rupiah (from an earlier ten million rupiah).

Investigation showed that a thief was easily able to change the pin code of my ATM card, because he did not have to enter the old pin code first, just a new code. This means the thief could use the card every day to withdraw up to three million rupiah (the maximum for one day), until the account was empty.

I think, when someone wants to change the pin code, the machine should ask for the old pin code first; even when the card is already in the machine. For the customer it would be no burden, because it would be for his safety. And a thief would be unable to steal more than the limit for one day. I agree, that this is my risk, but what happened after the pin code was changed, is an error in the bank's system.

Now Danamon Bank makes it easy for a thief to steal money, when a card is left in the machine.

After I went to a director of the bank and filed my complaint, I received a letter from lower management, saying that losing the card was my own risk. I already knew that, but they did not respond to my complaint, that the system was wrong, enabling thieves to steal more money than just the withdrawal limit for one day.

So I wrote a personal letter to the president director as well as to the president commissioner of Danamon Bank on Nov. 22, 1996. In that letter I put 10 questions and asked for a quick, personal response. I heard nothing! One week later I telephoned her secretary; still no answer. On Dec. 17, 1996 I wrote a second letter to the president director, asking for a response to my first letter. One week later I received a letter from the lower staff with the same remark as before and no answer to my questions.

Let this serve as a warning to customers that they should not forget to take their cards out of ATM machines.

JOB VAN'T VEER

Bekasi, West Java