I was using an ATM near my hostel in Colombia, & it took my card & never gave it back. No error message, just gone. Has anyone had this happen? Whats the fastest way to get it back? Any advice on who to call or what to do next?
At a Scotiabank Colpatria ATM in Cartagena, my card disappeared mid-transaction. I took a photo of the ATM, location, and timestamp, then went to the nearest branch the next morning with my passport and the photo proof. They found it during their routine ATM emptying and gave it back. Staff were actually really professional. Photos helped a lot. Heard another friend had a similar issue with Bank of Bogota in Cali bus stop. before leaving for Tatacoa Desert. but there was no way he was getting it back from a bus stop atm like no branch was nearby so he just cancelled and moved on.
Mine was taken by a Servibanca ATM inside a supermarket in Cali. No staff nearby, just a generic help number. They said they could maybe recover it in 5 days, but I was leaving town in 2. Ended up blocking the card in-app immediately and used my Wise card instead. Don’t waste time chasing it if you’re moving on - just secure your account.
My card got eaten at a Davivienda ATM near Parque 93 in Bogotá. No message, just gone. I called the number on the ATM (local Colombian number), and they told me the card would be retrieved by the branch team at 10am the next day. I showed up with my passport and ATM location details, and they handed it back. It’s key to note: if the ATM is not near a staffed branch, recovery may be impossible.
Happened to me at a BanColombia ATM in Laureles, Medellín. No error, no beep - just took the card and ended the session. I went to the branch next door with my passport the next morning. Staff found it during their daily ATM sweep and gave it back in 5 minutes. Pro tip: only use ATMs attached to branches during business hours for this reason!