Brainstorm to Minimize ATM/Credit Card Fraud

[deelt]

Hello DR1 Readers and Posters

Target Audience: Expats, tourists, Dominicans with ATM/Credit Card Access

I am currently putting together a proposal to create a publicly available database that will provide information on ATM access locations throughout DR rating them in terms of safety, honesty, customer service w/ host bank, etc.

While the proposal is a work in progress the idea behind it would be to make something that is legitimate, reliable, and credible. One of the goals of this service would be to create social pressure to improve efficiency and customer service trends in DR .

What kind of features would you like to see in a service like this?

Best to you.

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by deelt

Hello DR1 Readers and Posters

Target Audience: Expats, tourists, Dominicans with ATM/Credit Card Access

I am currently putting together a proposal to create a publicly available database that will provide information on ATM access locations throughout DR rating them in terms of safety, honesty, customer service w/ host bank, etc.

While the proposal is a work in progress the idea behind it would be to make something that is legitimate, reliable, and credible. One of the goals of this service would be to create social pressure to improve efficiency and customer service trends in DR .

What kind of features would you like to see in a service like this?

Best to you.

I don't have any suggestions on what or how to do anything about all the problems people are having with the ATM's, but I sure am glad to hear that someone is trying to do something about it.
No matter how hard I try to convince people of the dangers of the ATM's here, and to bring traveller's checques, they keep on using the ATM's.
As a hotel owner, I have to assist all guests who get defrauded with the ATM's and it happens all too often, but I have yet to hear of anybody having trouble with checques. One might complain that you can't cash them everywhere. Big deal !!! You can cash them somewhere.
Anyhow, if your service helps slow down all the problems, or even stop it alltogether, I'm with you and thank you from the top of my bottom for doing it.
Marco.

[deelt]

Thanks Rocky for your feedback. I would imagine that your industry would be
particularly interested since there is a significant number of incentives to ensure that ATMs are reliable within hotels, cosmopolitan "tourist" malls, etc.

If you do think of any feature you would like to see in this service please be sure to PM me or use this thread. I would be more than willing to listen.

Best.

Originally Posted by Rocky

I don't have any suggestions on what or how to do anything about all the problems people are having with the ATM's, but I sure am glad to hear that someone is trying to do something about it.
No matter how hard I try to convince people of the dangers of the ATM's here, and to bring traveller's checques, they keep on using the ATM's.
As a hotel owner, I have to assist all guests who get defrauded with the ATM's and it happens all too often, but I have yet to hear of anybody having trouble with checques. One might complain that you can't cash them everywhere. Big deal !!! You can cash them somewhere.
Anyhow, if your service helps slow down all the problems, or even stop it alltogether, I'm with you and thank you from the top of my bottom for doing it.
Marco.

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by deelt

Thanks Rocky for your feedback. I would imagine that your industry would be
particularly interested since there is a significant number of incentives to ensure that ATMs are reliable within hotels, cosmopolitan "tourist" malls, etc.

If you do think of any feature you would like to see in this service please be sure to PM me or use this thread. I would be more than willing to listen.

Best.

I don't know the solution, but the result should be that the bank should stand behind it's product and give the customer cooperation when he has a problem.
As it stands right now, they don't seem to give a damn, and pretty much stonewall you the moment you mention a problem.
If there were a way to get them to act with responsibility, that would pretty much end the problems.

[Tomvangeffen]

Hi,

Some Ideas

About collecting info:

There are people collecting facts about the DR on this board in several threads. Often you hear: look in the archive, there you'll find....
Sifting through a thread with many pieces of "half-right" info to puzzle toghether the complete truth is difficult
I think a good "faq" is very helpfull. about ATM's, about importing, about younameit :-)

But a good Faq takes a lot of time for the maintainer.
here enters WIKI. A WIKI is a webpage"system" which is editable on the webpage itself. Looks a little bit like a Board like this. but the idea is that
everybody who has access can edit the website, add to the website etc

This is a good "open source" way of collecting a lot of good info very fast. for an example look at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia

This might be a good way to collect all kinds of info including ATM "quality"
I think DR webmasters need only a tiny nudge to set up a wiki for the board.

-------------
about databases:

if a kind of database, or voting system is going to be used, some thought needs to go into the possibility of fraud: A hotelmanager might try and enter bad info of the competing hotels ATM. The maintainer of the database might be accused of having preference etc etc.

--------------

Greetings,
Tom

[wunderone]

I spend a lot of time in the DR. Use ATMs and have never had a problem. Is there something dire that is going to happen that I should know about?

[deelt]

No. I was just bored and needed something to do. I like to keep myself busy. What types of of ATMs do you go to typically to extract your money?
Within hotels, malls, street, etc.? How satisfied with the service are you? Have you ever had to correct a problem and had to enter a DR-based bank? How were you treated? Was the service accurate, efficient and reliable?

Originally Posted by wunderone

I spend a lot of time in the DR. Use ATMs and have never had a problem. Is there something dire that is going to happen that I should know about?

[wunderone]

Originally Posted by deelt

No. I was just bored and needed something to do. I like to keep myself busy. What types of of ATMs do you go to typically to extract your money?
Within hotels, malls, street, etc.? How satisfied with the service are you? Have you ever had to correct a problem and had to enter a DR-based bank? How were you treated? Was the service accurate, efficient and reliable?

Hey, if you are THAT bored, you must be as dull as I am. Anyway - my ATM experience is random, I tend to use Banco Popular machines, as they are readily available. But have used other walk-ups, in pharmacies and other locations. I rarely go in banks, as have no reason. Only ATM problem I ever had was in Banco Cuscatlan in Costa Rica, where the machine grabbed the money back after I didn't take it fast enough. I paid the price for slow hands and now just move faster. No problems in DR. Was asking, because I wanted to see if there was anything I should be paying attention to that I am not.

[Rocky]

Originally Posted by wunderone

Was asking, because I wanted to see if there was anything I should be paying attention to that I am not.

There have been countless cases of ATM frauds, lately and you can do a search here in DR1 to get more info.
This is why we are trying to do something about it.
Perhaps when the new President takes power, we could appeal to his office to look into it.

[deelt]

There is an issue of conflict of interest (read, Baninter). I don't think Leonel would have done different than Hipolito, he would have just justified it better.
The nice thing about having Leonel in power is that we can now argue with a reasonable person.

I believe you need to target companies and individuals who have a vested interest (read incentives) in realiable ATM service.

INMO

Originally Posted by Rocky

There have been countless cases of ATM frauds, lately and you can do a search here in DR1 to get more info.
This is why we are trying to do something about it.
Perhaps when the new President takes power, we could appeal to his office to look into it.