Shorted $50, will I have any luck getting it back?

[sshafer11]

Involves a short back story, but if you have some advice I would appreciate it.

So I took some coins to the counter today, a total of $250 halves, $2000 in dimes. Total should have been $2250. The machine printed a total of $2195. $4 dollars of that was because the machine counted 40 dimes as pennies and I had about a dollar worth of mangled/Canadians that it wouldn't take.

Last week I bought a box of dimes from one of my regular order banks, it was a resealed Brinks box filled with CWR. It looked to be the right amount albeit a little bit "shallow" and I asked the teller if it was $250 and she said yes. Well after getting my short count today I go back a dig out the wrappers from a bag which I luckily hadn't thrown out yet and sure enough, I could only find 40 paper wrappers. The box was exactly $50 short.

Did I just learn an expensive lesson to always count the rolls? Or is there hope that I can get the $50 refunded, is it worth a try taking the "evidence" back into the bank and letting the teller know?

 

[SFBayArea]

If you suspect a box with problems.

Open the box while at the order bank. If you suspect getting shorted on the rolls, have a scale ready to weigh each roll. I get shorted on dimes all the time. I weigh them and exchange for new rolls if they are short or have foreign coins in them. Always be suspicious if the box has rolls that were previously opened. The times I got a dump box from someone else before, I find it to be short by a coin or two. It's as though people at the facility never checked the rolls and were lazy. Bringing a scale in solves getting boxes that are shorted.

I do dig your avatar photo of all that silver. Looks like a nice treasure chest.

 

[fistfulladirt]

I would have to chalk that up to a learning experience and take the loss.

 

[CardsNCoins]

When you accepted the $2,195 and walked out the door you lost any leg to stand on that you had.

 

[coincrawlin]

In my opinion there is no chance of getting it back, but doesn't hurt to ask. I also don't think sealed boxes should be filled with CWR's...unsealed boxes, ok, but not sealed. With CWR's there is no way to verify the quality of what you are getting unless you open the box. I would argue based on that point, as you really have nothing to lose at this point.

 

[clovis97]

I think that the teller should be $50 over if she shorted you on the box. I've never worked at a bank, so I don't really know.

I'd at least try to go back, with hat in hand, and calmly explain what happened. It is especially hard not to sound accusatory...I recently had a situation where I thought I got shorted $100, but I had miscounted.

One of my local dump banks coin counters shorted me $2+ when the machine counted dimes as pennies, and they refunded me $2. I think they knew that the machine was doing that. They are also a local, hometown bank where they know me on a first name basis.

Good luck!!! Stay calm, even though it was hard for me not to get jacked up after thinking I got shorted $100!

 

[Piledriver]

WHEN you are shorted.......

1. Compare the teller (or coin machine) total with your own. YOU MUST know what you came in with within $5.00.

2. Make an objection NOW, at the bank, before you leave.
This puts the bank on notice to watch for an overbalance. IF they value your business (or care about what you tell your friends) and have good ethical standards, they will do all they can to find your money.

3. If necessary, tell this bank exactly where you got your coins from, and what they were (NOT PENNIES !)

4. If you worry about the possibility of imbalances like this, always keep coin strictly segregated by denomination (pennies, nickels, dimes, etc.).

5. If they put you off saying they have to wait to get the totals, CALL THEM the next day.

6. Be ready to eat shortages to get what you want more than fiat.

Keep on Rollin' !

 

[db23]

I would have to chalk that up to a learning experience and take the loss.

Yep, I'd say it's just an expensive lesson learned.

When you accepted the $2,195 and walked out the door you lost any leg to stand on that you had.

This too. Any time I've been shorted, I let them know immediately and make sure if you aren't leaving with all your money that you at least have the name of the person helping you with the issue and the manager's name.

 

[mws_1984]

Not sure what kind of boxes you get, but that is why some have the holes in the bottom so you can see that each hole has a roll in its place.

 

[The_EE]

I search each box over and count them at the tellers table before I leave the bank. I return everything rolled up.

 

[sshafer11]

Update: I actually was able to get the $50 back. I just went in and calmly laid out my story, and the teller agreed with me that the box she sold me that day looked like it could have been counted wrong. I showed her my deposit slip from the coin count at the other branch and she agreed with me. She asked for the date that the box was stamped with to note it on her end and that was it.

Obviously, I understand I was really lucky in this situation and it remains a lesson learned, but at the same time I think something also must be said for treating the head tellers extremely well. I always bring in chocolate, these are situations where I think it helps.