Location: Minneapolis
I run a mostly cash-based business, so I regularly deposit money into my business bank account throughout the week. The bank’s drive-through ATM has a deposit limit of around $4,000 per transaction.
On Sunday, August 10, 2024, I attempted to deposit close to $4,000. The ATM gave me an error saying I had “exceeded the limit of items allowed in a transaction.” It returned about $300 but did not return the remaining ~$3,700. It then canceled the transaction entirely.
I had a 5:00 AM flight the next morning, but I pushed it back so I could go into the branch in person that same Monday to get it resolved. The banker said they would “open an investigation,” and that was the end of the conversation.
While traveling, I followed up via email requesting an update and a paper trail showing that the dispute had actually been filed. They ignored my email until I began calling repeatedly and asking for the branch manager — each time I was told a different excuse as to why the manager wasn’t available.
Eventually, I received an email confirming that an investigation had been opened, but that it could take up to one month to resolve. They also stated I would not be issued any provisional credit in the meantime.
As of August 14, 2025, I still do not have my money back.
So my question here is: what recourse do I have and how can I get this handled quickly?
Comments
>what recourse do I have
You have two paths forward. One is a regulatory complaint. The other is litigation or arbitration.
The problem with litigation or arbitration is your need for evidence. You’d need some amount of evidence to support your assertion. That evidence might come in discovering, asking for ATM balance records – though if that were so you’d think they’d have already gotten there.
Neither of these solutions are quick. Your quickest solution is to escalate with the bank.
Could this be considered grand larceny? You could file a police report, but I dont know how much good this would do, if any.
I work in a bank. We only audit our ATM once a week, no matter what. When they balance their ATM, there’s going to be a different amount vs what they’re showing they should have. Then they file that with whatever their department that handles those is. Then they’ll look for any open tickets regarding a wrong deposit/missing deposit, match the money and then it’ll get deposited into your account. Obviously this can change depending on how often they audit their ATM, but at my bank that’s how an atm dispute is handled. Also as a side note, at my bank the branch themselves don’t handle the disputes. Cause we’d spend all day filing disputes, so you calling them constantly isnt doing much as they most likely can’t do anything. If their ATM is off, its not the branch that puts the money in your account.