ATMs - Observations

[Yachtzee]

Has anyone else had experience with the old "Jeannie" brand ATMs? We used to have a couple at the 5/3 branches up here and I know they were around for a long time because I remember them originally back in the '80s when I banked at First National of Akron. I loved how it talked back to you with that female voice with an English accent...."Please wait while your trans-ACT-shun is being PRO-cessed." Unfortunately, they recently modernized the ATMs at those branches and replaced them with non-talking ATMs.

[RedsManRick]

I keep them and take them home as a reminder to deduct that amount of money from the checkbook register. When I got my first debit card almost twenty years ago, I made the mistake of failing to properly keep up with how much I was withdrawing. Funds were tight in those days, and I overdrew on six checks. They hit me up for $90. Lesson learned.

I also take the receipts for the comfort of knowing that the system actually recorded the correct withdrawal amount. Am I being paranoid or at least overly cautious?

Ah, I guess growing up in the electronic age, I never was forced to actually keep my checkbook balanced. I actually don't write checks for anything other than my rent and utilities, everything else goes on my debit card. (no credit cards for me).

I'm live pretty frugally and have a decent nest egg I've building up. I keep more than enough to pay my bills and entertain (I'm a cheap date) and I check my balance regularly so I'm conscious of about how much I have. I couldn't take enough money out of the ATM at one time for it to be a problem. A receipt is a just another piece of trash in my wallet.

[RedsManRick]

Okay, so I met a couple friends up from Wisconsin, who say ATM stands for "A Time Machine" - because it tells time.. heh. They said everyones call them that up there.. true? or were they yankin' my chain?

They're half pulling your change. They are called "Time Machines" but it's actually "Tyme" machine -- that's the brand of ATM (at least in Madison). I think it stands for take your money anywhere.

Heh, just found a wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyme.

[NJReds]

ATM fees are pure baloney. They say it's to cover "administrative" fees. Isn't that an employee's job to begin with? What a way for banks to make the mullah! It's robbery.

My bank now refunds all fees charged by 'foreign' ATMs. I suspect that if that marketing ploy works, other banks will follow.

[dman]

I used an ATM up at Cleveland Clinic last week that actually did not charge a service fee for me using it since I wasn't a customer of that particular bank.

[Tony Cloninger]

So they test run ATM's in Cincy?

That's interesting .... and it leads me to the questions as to why they consider Cincy, a town to test things on......I ask that beacuse in late 1970 or early 1971..... Plymouth sent their future Cuda designs that would start in 1875, after the 1970-74 E bodies were done running their course.

The cars had hidden headlights......a more sleek, lowered racing car look.
Very nice, IMO.

Well it bombed in Cincy and it helped Plymouth make the decision (gas prices...car insurance rates going way up also contributed) not to keep the line going.

I guess they figured that Cincy being such a conservative town...that if it played well there...it would play well anywhere.

[Yachtzee]

So they test run ATM's in Cincy?

That's interesting .... and it leads me to the questions as to why they consider Cincy, a town to test things on......I ask that beacuse in late 1970 or early 1971..... Plymouth sent their future Cuda designs that would start in 1875, after the 1970-74 E bodies were done running their course.

The cars had hidden headlights......a more sleek, lowered racing car look.
Very nice, IMO.

Well it bombed in Cincy and it helped Plymouth make the decision (gas prices...car insurance rates going way up also contributed) not to keep the line going.

I guess they figured that Cincy being such a conservative town...that if it played well there...it would play well anywhere.

I think a lot of companies like to test run things in the Midwest. Time Warner Cable has used the Akron area as a test market for a lot of their new offerings. I would suspect that they look for a sizeable, but not-too-large city with a good demographic mix (not too young, not too old).

[creek14]

I remember back in the late 60's/early 70's when my dad told me about this new machine they were developing at work (NCR) that would give you money when you inserted a card. I thought he was crazy. He also old me that there would soon be a day when your paycheck went straight into the bank from your employer and everyone would pay with credit cards and never really touch cash.

Seems it's all pretty much come true. Except for Red in Chicago.

[KronoRed]

I long for the day everything is electronic, cash is filthy!

[vaticanplum]

Commerce Bank (NY/NJ/PA) not only doesn't charge you for using other ATMs, but refunds up to $5 a month of what other ATMs charge you. (Don't know what their policy is regarding other banks' customers using their own ATMs.) God I miss Commerce Bank. The guy who ran it went on the policy that banks should be as user-friendly as fast food restaurants. They're open late, they're open on Sunday, there are no fees or minimum balances for a checking account...I had both a checking and savings account there and they were utterly delightful. They spread like wildfire; I'm hoping they go national at some point.

Washington Mutual used to be pretty good about fees but I think they've changed that. They have other evil practices too.

[gonelong]

That's interesting .... and it leads me to the questions as to why they consider Cincy, a town to test things on......I ask that beacuse in late 1970 or early 1971..... Plymouth sent their future Cuda designs that would start in 1875, after the 1970-74 E bodies were done running their course.

From what I understand the Dayton/Cincy area is considered an excellent testbed for new products/services because it closely resembles the USA in terms of social, educational, and econimic climates. A good cross section of races, religions, and rich/middle class/poor.

GL