A very strange way to draw cash from the bank

@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
March 3, 2016 11:05am CST
It is not uncommon for shoppers to ask for cash back from the check out while buying goods. I often encounter someone asking for £20 or so, which is handed over as cash and added to the bill when paying by credit or debit card. Despite never using this system myself, I can appreciate the convenience of it for some people. After all, why pay by card then queue at the ATM to use the card again to withdraw £20? Today I saw the strangest version of this possible. A man went into Tesco and asked for cash back, whereon he was informed that they could not do that if he was not actually buying anything. His response was to buy a plastic carrier bag for 5 pence and ask for £20 cash back. There are 2 ATMs on the wall outside near the entrance and numerous others within a two minute walk.
13 people like this
14 responses
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 16
Many of the ATM's want a fee so he was probably trying to avoid that. I use cash and checks, I don't trust those debit cards at all. I guess I'm just old school.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
3 Mar 16
There are very few around our city centre that have any charge attached to them. I have used well over a dozen machines and never even seen a charge machine in the centre. The only one that I know is in the local shop.
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
3 Mar 16
@fishtiger58 The ones that charge a fee are quite rare here. I would never draw cash from one of those and go without rather than be ripped off for drawing my own cash.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
3 Mar 16
@Asylum Well that's pretty nice, most of them in the US charge a fee.
2 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
3 Mar 16
I have sometimes had to ask for cash back because the ATM just outside is not working. Of course, there are a number of other reasons why someone would do this - perhaps he knew that his card wouldn't be accepted by the ATM but that it would work in the shop or maybe he just doesn't trust ATMs (some people believe the strangest things).
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
3 Mar 16
Distrusting the ATM is a reasonable suggestion and quite feasible.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (84635)
• United States
6 Mar 16
I used to get asked, "For the amount?" each time I handed over a check to be electronically written at the Neighborhood Wal-Mart where I usually get my groceries. About six months ago I finally had them add twenty dollars. You're right on it being faster, and it's also safer. How many times have we seen stories about people being robbed at the ATM.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
6 Mar 16
Using an ATM in a desolate area at night may be dangerous, but in the city centre which is crowded during the day it is perfectly safe.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
7 Mar 16
@AmbiePam That seems an extremely unlikely scenario, but I can genuinely understand your concern.
@AmbiePam (84635)
• United States
7 Mar 16
@Asylum I have seen too many Investigative Discovery shows where men have robbed or kidnapped women at ATMs in daylight. A rare thing, but of course that's what sticks out to me.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (454979)
• Switzerland
3 Mar 16
This is weird, I cannot believe we can ask a cash back while shopping with our credit card.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 16
@LadyDuck This has been commonplace for many years in England now. The system does make sense because it saves people from having to use their card at the check out and then use it again at the ATM for a small amount of cash. Not only is this quicker, but it alleviates some demand on the ATMs.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
3 Mar 16
Asking for cash back is commonplace here. People simply add the cash amount to the cost of the bill. It does however seem bizarre for someone to buy a carrier bag for this purpose.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (454979)
• Switzerland
4 Mar 16
@Asylum This is not allowed here, you have to go to the ATM machine to draw cash.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Mar 16
He has it down to a fine art it seems.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 16
I fail to understand why he would waste the 5 pence on a carrier bag when he could simply use the ATM instead.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 16
@JudyEv Not here. The majority of machines accept any card and do not charge any fees whatsoever. I do recall a time when it was necessary to find one associated with your own bank, but that ceased to apply many years ago. It appears to be a reciprocal agreement nowadays with virtually all ATMs dispensing cash without any charge irrespective of bank or building society.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
4 Mar 16
@Asylum Unless it's the right ATM there would be a fee, wouldn't there?
1 person likes this
• Aberdeen, Scotland
3 Mar 16
That does sound very odd, bet you laughed
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
3 Mar 16
I was too amazed to even laugh. The machines are situated at5 the entrance to the supermarket and were not empty, so I cannot understand what the idea was. It would make some sense if he had some shopping and the bag was insecure, but not otherwise.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (157583)
• Boise, Idaho
4 Mar 16
Many of the ATMs now are charging a fee. Maybe he wasn't near his bank and so he needed the carrier bag anyway and so he proceeding with the transaction.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 16
The fee charge system is rare here and there are two ATMs at the entrance of the supermarket that do not charge.
@marguicha (214294)
• Chile
4 Mar 16
I can do that here only in certain supermarkets and only if you are a client.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 16
It is standard practice here so I could walk into a supermarket 250 miles away and nobody think twice about the request.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 16
@marguicha The increase of technology does open new opportunities for criminals, so I can understand the reluctance of many people.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (214294)
• Chile
4 Mar 16
@Asylum Here everybody is getting more suspicious as money goes, with the growing amount of hackers there are.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130088)
• India
4 Mar 16
No shop would just give that service when you have not bought anything. As a matter of fact no shop should encourage such transactions even if something is bought. This would mean more work for a shop. What say?
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 16
The supermarkets are happy to offer this service. It attracts customers and helps to reduce the amount of cash that has to be counted and transported to the bank.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 16
@allknowing There is far more cash paid across the counter than is given out. I never use my debit card for groceries etcetera and always draw money from the ATM and then pay cash. I find it easier to monitor my expenditure if I draw £100 out at a time and then rely on cash.
@allknowing (130088)
• India
4 Mar 16
@Asylum I did not think of that.but if most transactions are through debit and credit cards from where do shops get their cash?
1 person likes this
@sishy7 (27169)
• Australia
4 Mar 16
He doesn't trust ATM machines - that's the only reasonable reason I could imagine without asking him directly what would be his motives of doing so...
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 16
This is quite possible because many people are wary of them. I have recently wondered if his card was bent or slightly split due to being in his back pocket, in which case it may get stuck in the machine.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111956)
• United States
3 Mar 16
I never use ATMs never had.And never will
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
3 Mar 16
I use them constantly these days. My pension is paid directly into the bank, so using the machines is the easiest way to withdraw money on a regular basis.
@Morleyhunt (21585)
• Canada
3 Mar 16
If he used the ATM he would have a service charge....as a purchase not.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15489)
• United Kingdom
4 Mar 16
no those atms don't charge...not many do here.
2 people like this
@Mike197602 (15489)
• United Kingdom
4 Mar 16
very strange. it probably cost tesco more in card charges than 5p.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 16
No, they do not pay anything in that respect.
@AkoPinay (11546)
• Philippines
4 Mar 16
It's different here in the Philippines, cash back is not cash. LOL! They only reflect (credit) in the credit card billings :-D
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
4 Mar 16
That seems a rather odd system, but I suppose that all systems seen odd to other societies.