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[Michael Czeiszperger <michael AT czeiszperger.org>]

Just a warning about the new Bank of America ATM machines.  They replaced all of the old ATM deposit systems, so that instead of placing your checks in an envelope to deposit checks, you insert the checks directly into the slot.   

Now, I've been using ATMs for deposits as long as I can remember, and have never had a problem.  Two weeks, ago, however, I was trying the new deposit system, and it literally ate my check.  The hardware apparently had jammed, and the receipt simply said "We are unable to process your request and can not return your item."

The next step was to have a little talk with the bank manager, who explained the reason they switched to the new mechanism was to reduce the number of times the ATM had to be checked by a human.  Instead of coming around once a day and collecting actual checks, it reads the check amounts, and goes ahead and deposits the amounts, but a human only checks it twice a week instead of every day. Not only that, but the local branch can't touch the thing, and there's no way for the local branch to do anything.

So, BofA has no record of the check, and apparently its just gone. Unfortunately this particular check will be extremely difficult to replace, which will likely take months.

Anyway, just a warning...

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Michael Czeiszperger

Chapel Hill, NC | 919-619-0607

michael -at- czeiszperger.org