Chase has these fancy new ATMs that take checks without envelopes. It scans the check and blah, blah, robots, science, a better tomorrow. The interesting thing about them is that reader Angela says that when the ATM makes an error, Chase mails the check back to you so that you, the customer, can take it to a branch bank and show it to a human being. Apparently, even though Chase already has the check in its possession — it cannot find a human being to read a check.

I used to be a WaMu checking account customer. As you know, WaMu was bought out by Chase. I just had my first experience with the Chase “no envelope” ATMs that are all over their commercials, an experience that has so far cost me $60.00, and will be costing me a trip to a Chase branch in the future.

My roommate writes me a check every month for her half of the utilities. We’ve been roommates for over three years, this was never a problem when I was depositing them at WaMu ATMs in my WaMu checking account. Her November 2009 check was for $96.42, which I deposited at a Chase “no envelope” ATM in my now Chase account on 12/10.

Today (12/14) I was checking my Chase account online and noticed a $60.00 withdrawal, listed under “dr due to ATM/DEP error.”

I called Chase to see what this wdl was for, and learned: – the ATM read the check that I deposited as being for $36.42, not $96.42 – which is why Chase took out that “extra” $60.00 from my account – but, Chase is mailing me the $96.42 check – which I should have in 7-10 days – so that I can take that check in to a Chase branch – and show it to a teller, and prove that this $96.42 check was actually for $96.42 – at which point Chase will give me my $60.00 back

I don’t think the onus should be on me to prove how much a check that Chase has (well, had) in its possession is made out for, should it? Sending it to me so that I can show it to a teller- can’t it be shown to a teller when it’s rejected at the ATM?

I know, I know, I need to close my Chase account. But in the meantime, is there a better way to protect oneself from these kind of ATM deposit errors? An actual person at Chase had to look at this check at some point in time, seeing as how it is being mailed back to me and all. I use ATMs for the very reason so that I don’t have to go to a teller during the work day; how do I stop from getting screwed over and having “extra” money taken from my account when I deposit next month’s check at one of these ATMs?

We do not know the answer to this, so we will throw it out to the Internet.

Have you solved the riddle of the envelope-free ATM?

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