Cape Town - A Retreat, Cape Town, pensioner has been left high and dry this month after a “dodgy” Easy Pay ATM swallowed his grant money.
Philip Moses, 64, says he usually withdraws his pension from a Standard Bank ATM, but this month went to Tokai Pick n Pay to withdraw his money from the Easy Pay ATM inside the store.
“I did everything as usual and when it was time for my monies to come out, it came out a bit, and then the ATM just swallowed it back in and I received a receipt,” he explains.
“I then checked the receipt and it stated that R1 570 was deducted. The staff directed me to SAPS where I received an affidavit. The officer who helped me seemed to know that that machine was a problem,” Moses said.
He then went to the Sassa office in Wynberg, where he was “brushed off”, as well as Easy Pay in Athlone, but was not helped.
He went back to the store, where the manager apparently told him the ATM was problematic.
“The money was to go towards transport as my wife and I are moving to George,” a worried Moses said.
The provincial General Manager of Sassa in the Western Cape, Hendry de Grass, said they would try to assis him as speedily as they can.
“Our records indicate that the money has been withdrawn. In order to assist the client, Sassa will now have to follow up with the Cash PayMaster Services and the relevant bank.
“From our own experiences it can take up to six months to resolve the matter as the bank will have to check their records for that ATM and then refund the client,” De Grass said.