The ATM just swallowed my debit card and didnt return it. This was in Tahiti, close to where Im staying. Any idea if local banks can help? Help SOS how to get it back
My Visa got swallowed in a malfunctioning Credit Agricole ATM at Carrefour. I went mid-morning, showed passport and withdrawal record. The branch recovered the card but policy forbids returning non-French-Polynesian banking cards - they shred them. They printed a retrieval receipt which I sent to my bank, who then issued a new card to my hotel in Tahiti. Tip: always have two cards, hit the branch early next day, get the official slip, and ship a replacement.
I lost my card to a Banque de Tahiti ATM near the airport. Emergency ATM withdrawal went kaput and the machine swallowed it. I rushed to the branch - super polite staff - but after checking the bin they said international cards are destroyed within 24 hours, not returned. They gave me an incident form. I called my bank, canceled the card, and used a prepaid travel card until my new one arrived. Keep a backup and keep the slip handy.
Happened to my friend at the HSBC ATM at the marina - completely ate her Mastercard. We went in the next afternoon, showed ID, and they admitted they’d recovered it but cannot return foreign cards by policy - they get destroyed. They gave her a “retention slip” to claim a replacement but no actual card. She froze it via her bank portal and got a replacement shipped to Tahiti in five days. Moral: don’t expect the card back - use the bank slip and get a replacement shipped.
My debit card got eaten by a Credit Agricole ATM in Papeete - no error, just swallowed. I reported it at the branch straight away with my passport. The teller told me they retrieve swallowed cards overnight, but they don’t return international ones - they shred them. What they did offer was an incident report. I blocked the card with my bank and used a backup. If it happens to you, go to the branch next morning, get a report slip, block it, and rely on a backup card or a transfer service.