ATM trouble?

We've been having a lot of trouble getting cash out of the Santander and BanaMex ATMs in downtown Chapala. We're accessing US (Bank of America) and Canadian (TD Canada Trust) accounts. Once in a while the Santander works, but mostly it doesn't. We had no trouble at all when we were visiting here last July. Insights, anyone?

None. Try another machine; HSBC at SuperLake or the RED at MultiVa.

I use a TD Canada Trust debit card - no problems at all - use mainly Scotiabank ATM's.

the only trouble i have ever had and it's rare with the scotiabank machine, is when it's out of money.

"Having trouble" is kinda vague ...... ATM can't read card/chip, no money in machine, pressing the wrong touch screen buttons, chipped or non-chipped card, etc

I have to re-insert or fully insert mine in Banamex

Sorry, sparks, you're right, that is kind of vague.

Our experience with Santander is that more often than not, lately, we simply get the message that the transaction cannot be completed, and to try again later. It doesn't seem to matter how much cash we're trying to withdraw, or what time of day it is. Meanwhile, other customers before and after us seem to have no problem. And yet we have gotten cash from it a couple of times in this past week, once for 6000 pesos. (Just moved in, so a lot of cash purchases lately.)

At Banamex, it would not read either my TD debit or credit card, nor my (non-chip) TD US account credit card, despite multiple insertions/reinsertions. It did read my fiancee's BofA card but gave her a "try again later" message like that at Santander.

We did finally get cash at the machine inside the little convenience store down near the Beer Garden, but the transaction fee is steep there.

It sounds like the machines you tried were low, or out of cash and suggested that you try again later, as a result. If you suspect that, try for a smaller amount of cash. If it works, simply do it twice, if you wish. If your bank refunds transaction fees, your cost is the same. If not, go to another machine and/or wait until after Tuesday, when most machines have been serviced.

Thanks, All!

What do folks find are the best machines/banks, fee-wise, at which to use a TD / Canada Trust debit card? (I wish I had my partner's deal of zero fees at Santander because of her BofA account.)

Say, Ezzie, are you charged a service fee using your TD card on a Scotia machine?

We find the cheapest fees to be at CI bank at the "mall."

Where is the "mall", MexiNan? Sorry, we're very new here. Living in Chapala centro, car-less (but bike-ful soon, hopefully).

I think the CI Banco it at Plaza Interlago, by the Pemex on the Libramiento.

that's a hike without a bike. speaking of which i just rode the moto to the scotia machine just to be told it's empty and will be ready in 1 hour.

The bus does run from Chapala to Interlago.

Last time I tried, the touch pad at the downtown Santander didn't recognize one of the numbers in my pin#. Haven't bothered to try it recently since their fees are generally higher. I have usually found the lowest fees at the HSBC ATM in Soriana, under 30 pesos.

I never heard of CI Bank????

i, too, am a fan of Cl (or CI) banco's ATM in the shopping mall across the street from Walmart. (It's back by the MovieSpace theaters and Wings Army.) i used to fight with the Banamex ATM all the time, but i always get money out of Cl Banco and it has a card-swipe (in and out) instead of an insert-and-hold card, which i also like.

Additionally, instead of paying 34 pesos (or so) to use Banamex, i pay only 17 pesos. The only bad thing about it is that it never takes money out of my savings account (which is where my Social Security payment goes) and only takes from my checking account, no matter what i ask it to do.

But always gives me money, and fast, so that's important.

Bancomer seems to be charging 70-80 pesos for non-Bancomer cards and often has low withdrawal limits

When I've seen those messages it's either no money in machine or the network is down

Flamingo wrote:

I never heard of CI Bank????

One of the oldest (if not oldest) banks in the area that hasn't been acquired or merged with foreign banking operations. Before being located in the Laguna Mall, it was located many years, in West Ajijic between Las Salvias and Villa Nova on the Carretera.

OldLars wrote:
Say, Ezzie, are you charged a service fee using your TD card on a Scotia machine?

Yes, it is around $34 pesos per transaction for the one by the La Paz liquor store and around $28 at the branches in Guadalajara.

Next time I am in Canada I am going to open a Scotiabank account and close my TD account. Then there will no fee charged when using Scotiabank Mexico ATMs (apparently - maybe it depends on the account type?).

there is no scotiabank atm near PAZ liquor store. it's beside hernandez re and is the only one here at the lago de chapala. i am a scotia customer in leduc alberta and pay no fee at that machine nor any other scotia machine which are all over mexico. there are no other canadian atm's in mexico and that's why we switched everything to scotiabank before we moved here as part of our due diligence.

Just as a disclaimer......The Scotia atms in Mexico are not "Canadian". Scotia in Canada and Mexico are only related in name and at the highest level. While you can use the atms with no fees, you cannot access your Canadian account at the tellers here.

they are related in that scotiabank bought the mexican bank inverlat so that they could have a presence in mexico. at first they called it scotia/inverlat and then just scotiabank. although they are a wholly owned subsiduary they are indeed separate corps. scotia is still the only canadian bank in mexico like this. that's why we closed our cibc,td and alberta treasury branch accounts about a year before moving and switching to scotia in leduc so that we could establish a relationship. we switched because i discovered that machine in what was going to be our new neighbourhood and later i discovered that they were everywhere.physically, while visiting rolly we found a bank and machine in lerdo and once just out the door of an all inclusive in pv old town. we pay no fees using the atms. i would recommend that any canadians contemplating a move here, switch their account[s] to scotia before doing so.

CanuckBob wrote:Just as a disclaimer......The Scotia atms in Mexico are not "Canadian". Scotia in Canada and Mexico are only related in name and at the highest level. While you can use the atms with no fees, you cannot access your Canadian account at the tellers here.

Thanks for that info, CBob. I didn't realize that I wouldn't be able to use the teller services in Guad. I've been a Scotiabank customer since I was a teen, and have always had good experiences with all of my dealings with them. I guess if I ever have any needs besides just getting money from the ATM, I'll just phone the Scotiabank call centre in Canada.

i phone my branch in leduc directly when i need to. if you want to use the teller services with scotia here you have to open up an account but i don't see why you would do that. intercam in ajijic has cashed our canadian scotia cheques and even 3rd party. so far we haven't been required to have a $ or investment account there, just renew our info with them annually.

suegarn wrote:

CanuckBob wrote:Just as a disclaimer......The Scotia atms in Mexico are not "Canadian". Scotia in Canada and Mexico are only related in name and at the highest level. While you can use the atms with no fees, you cannot access your Canadian account at the tellers here.

Thanks for that info, CBob.  I didn't realize that I wouldn't be able to use the teller services in Guad.  I've been a Scotiabank customer since I was a teen, and have always had good experiences with all of my dealings with them.  I guess if I ever have any needs besides just getting money from the ATM, I'll just phone the Scotiabank call centre in Canada.

as i mention,as far as ownership is concerned they are canadian but as far as operating is concerned they are mexican.

BTW, I stopped at the Scotia Bank machine at the corner of the carretera and libramiento this morning and there is indeed something wrong with the slot that takes the card. It sort of grabs the card, and you can pull the card out, but the screen says the transaction cannot be made at this time. So I used the CI bank machine near the movie theater in the Interlago plaza. The lady ahead of me in line had had the same experience at the Scotia machine.