ATM: Banks ripping us off, customers cry out

Commercial Bank customers across the country last week, lamented the excess charges imposed on them by banks through Automated Teller Machine (ATM) withdrawals.
Some of the customers who spoke to an agency reporter said they now dread making withdrawals from other banks’ ATMs due to the continued deduction of N65 for such transaction.
The customers accused banks within Abuja metropolis of programming their ATMs to dispense only N10,000 or less per transaction, to make room for multiple withdrawals in an effort to rip off customers upon subsequent withdrawals above N10,000.
The customers complained that if they had to withdraw N100,000 or more through other banks’ ATM, it meant they would lose so much money.
They however, called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other relevant authorities to look into the matter so as to help poor Nigerians.
A First Bank customer, who narrated her ordeal at the weekend said, “I live in Kubwa, one of the suburbs around the city centre and almost all the banks’ ATMs in the area dispense a maximum of N10,000.
“Recently, I needed to withdraw N200,000 and my bank’s ATM was crowded, so I went to use another bank’s ATM only to discover that the machine was dispensing only N10,000 per transaction.
“I was only able to withdraw N150,000 because other customers were waiting on the queue and I was tired of going through the same process. I also discovered I was charged almost N1,000 for that transaction as I had exceeded three withdrawal limit using the other bank’s ATM, which is outrageous.’’
The story was the same with another at Guarantee Trust Bank customer in Nyanya, Abuja another suburb around the city centre, also said most of the ATMs in his area dispensed maximum of N10,000 per transaction.
-Sun