Consumer Rights Under the Electronic Funds Transfer Act

The federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act outlines specific rights provided to consumers when they send and receive money electronically, including when they use ATMs and MAC machines. Among those rights is the right to be well-notified about ATM fees charged for people using ATMs not belonging to their own banks. These fees can add $3 to $6 to most ATM transactions, and come as an unpleasant surprise to consumers who thought they were watching their wallets carefully. Our national consumer rights attorneys help ATM customers fight back against this fraudulent and deceptive practice.

Under the EFTA, consumers using an ATM not belonging to their bank must be notified twice about any non-customer fees: once in a notice posted on the outside of the machine, and again in a notice on-screen requiring the consumer to make a choice before the transaction is completed. However, many ATMs are missing one or both of these notices or disclose incorrect fee amounts. This is a violation of the law that can mislead users into incurring unwanted and irreversible fees. If this has happened to you, you don’t have to put up with it. The EFTA allows consumers harmed by these legal violations to sue the ATM’s operator for the cost of fees they never agreed to, as well as attorney fees and statutory damages of $100 to $1,000. In class actions, consumers may claim a total of $500,000 or one percent of the ATM operator’s net worth -- whichever is smaller.

At National Consumer Rights, we dedicate our practice to exposing and correcting fraudulent and harmful corporate practices. Our ATM fee fraud attorneys assist victims of predatory practices by banks, retailers and all other ATM operators. Our clients include people suing as individuals and as part of class actions that bring together large groups of people who have been harmed by the same practice. Centrally located in Chicago and Oak Brook, Illinois, we represent clients throughout the Midwest and the entire United States. Our consumer rights lawyers have helped hundreds of people collect thousands of dollars in restitution and hold predatory corporations responsible for their actions.

If you believe you were charged an ATM fee without fair warning, or suffered other violations of the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, we can help you fight back. To learn more or schedule a free consultation with an ATM fee fraud attorney, please call us toll-free from anywhere in the United States at 1-877-990-4990, or (630) 333-0000 in greater Chicago, or contact us through our Web site.

We are dedicated to protecting your rights and exposing consumer rip-offs and scams.

Nationwide Consumer Rights

Consumer Protection Lawyers

Toll Free: 1-877-990-4990