ATMs in Italy

I had the same thing happen to me in Hawaii - yea, I know that is not where you are asking about, but - I immediately
contacted the financial institution that issued the card (a credit union in my case) and they told me they would investigate the case. After several days I get an e-mail saying that my account would be credited for that amount until the case was finally solved. After at least a month, I got an e-mail from the CU saying that the case had been closed and the money would stay in my account. What would I do next time? I would stand by the ATM until someone else came up to use it and explain what had happened to me and that I wanted to document if they were able to get any money out.

Sherry, I had a similar situation on my trip last year. An ATM in Rome "shortchanged" me by €20 on a withdrawal. I contacted my Credit Union when I got home and they returned the funds to my account. If I encountered the type of situation that you described where NO cash was provided by the ATM, I'd probably phone my CU immediately (during business hours) and tell them about the problem. I always travel with a Cell phone, so they can also call me if they notice a suspicious transaction. Good luck!

Similar situtation in Rome. ATM processed transaction, but when it came time for it to spit the money out, an error message flashed on the screen "transaction failed". My receipt still showed the 400 euro deduction, so I was a little concerned. Checked our bank account online and it showed a 400 euro deduction and almost immediately a 400 euro credit. I thought I might need to make a phone call, but this particular situation resolved itself. Thankfully. It has to be a fairly rare occurrence: after all, of all the ATM transactions I've ever made here or abroad in umpteen years, that was a first. I would suggest on the outside chance it happens in Siena or Rome (or anywhere else) you be prepared to call your bank and if you have access to online banking or online monitoring of your account that you go the extra mile to keep an eye on it for a few days. Your bank card should have an emergency phone number on the back that you can call collect when outside the USA. Or, failing that, when you call them before you leave the USA to let them know you will be using the card in Italy, make sure they give you a regular phone number you can call 24/7.....something that is not their standard 1-800 number.

I don't know if this would help or not. But I make it a practice to use an ATM attached to a bank during open hours so I can go into the bank if a problem develops. Second, I always use the ATM just after someone else has used it. If it worked for them it should work for me. Had that happen to me once in the states, and it was more than super pain getting the $100 back into my account.

When this happened to me in the States, I was told if the bank was over at the end of the day, I would get my money back. As the bank was not over, I didn't get my money; I can only assume someone else did. Thanks to everyone for putting my mind at ease. I now have a plan and will feel confident making transactions. I had quit using ATMs, because of my experience, but I will definitely use them while traveling. This Helpline is a great resource.