Posted on 03/21/2008 1:04:53 PM PDT by FoxInSocks
Once the word was out, there was no stopping them. Within minutes of one lucky customer finding out that the cash machine at his local supermarket was giving out double the requested withdrawal, the news spread like wildfire.
Customers popping down to their Sainsbury's Local store for a few basics got in on the act - and they were soon joined by hundreds of others as they alerted family and friends to the ultimate supermarket bargain.
At one stage, the queue for the cash machine was a 100-strong - with many making multiple withdrawals in the hope they will not be traced and asked to repay the cash.
One man, who did not wish to be named, said: "I was driving past when I saw a huge queue at the cash machine.
"I parked up and learned that it was paying out double. I joined the queue and when I finally got to the front, I drew out £200, but it gave me £400.
"The statement said I only drew out £200. I don't know whether I will have to pay it back."
Not everyone was so lucky. Taxi driver David Mellors, 37, pulled up too late and by the time he reached the front of the queue, the machine had run out of notes.
The father-of-seven said: "I was disappointed. It was the ultimate buy one, get one free sale and I missed out."
A spokesman for Sainsbury's said the cash machine was run by a private company. She declined to give the company's name and said it was unable to comment.
Asked how much money Sainsbury's believes was lost from the machine, she replied: "We do not know and we would not give out that kind of information."
She added: "It ran out of money at 8pm. The police came to see the machine and the matter is under investigation."
Most debit cards have a daily cash withdrawal limit of £300 - meaning that those lucky enough to use the haywire machine were able to take out a maximum of £600.
Whether they will get to keep it is another matter. The cash machine operator will have a record of all withdrawals made on the day.
It is then up to the discretion of the customers' banks whether or not they seek to trace each one and attempt to reclaim any overpayment.
On similar previous occasions, some banks have chosen to write off the money rather than pursue a large number of claims.
And there may be many more potential claims to be chased after unconfirmed reports suggested that other machines were also hit by the same fault.
The Sainsbury's spokesman said: "We think a number of cash machines outside supermarkets in Hull experienced similar problems."
I believe this is referred to as stealing.
Low-lives.
Holy crap - my kid is in that line! What is he doing in London - he is supposed to be in Quebec!
Instead of letting the company know that their machine is out of whack, everyone and their brother try to take advantage of it.
I SPIT!!!
What stupid and petty little people.
They will be hit with 30% charges for over drafting if their accounts could not cover. Idiots!
In common law, it’s called ‘unjust enrichment’; IOW, they owe the money back. The follow-up story will be that a majority of the customers quietly returned the money on fear of prosecution.
I'm certain all of these people would tell you they would never steal anything but, in a crowd and when it is against someone or thing that they do not have to actually confront the moral relativism takes hold.
They need the money for their teeth.
Scum.
Yeah, how can they not know that this is wrong?
Maybe generations of “LIBERAL” teachings of moral equivocation?
This happens a lot and 100% of the time the bank corrects the error and either debits or credits all the accounts. All of these people will have to pay the money back, I am guessing they will wave the overdraft fee though.
Are you series?
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Are you sure that the plural form is appropriate?
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