Camper40100991424
Google
I never thought a single ATM machine could end my trip — but it did.||While staying at the Hotel Enjoy in Punta del Este, Uruguay, I was advised by casino staff to use their ATM machine to withdraw USD (since they don’t accept Uruguayan pesos to gamble — who knew?). Moments after inserting my American credit card, the machine swallowed it and displayed a cold “Out of Order” message.||I begged the casino and hotel staff to help recover my card. The answer? “It’s not our machine.” Turns out it’s run by a third party. No access. No override. No urgency. I was told maintenance comes once a week. That card was my only source of funds.||On my way back to the room I met a person who just had the same experience. ||No card, no cash — no choice. I had to cut my trip short and fly back home to California.||I’m an experienced traveler. I’ve been to dozens of countries. But I never imagined that a simple ATM, located inside a luxury hotel & casino, would trap my card and shut down my vacation — with zero accountability from the businesses involved.||Travel tip: Bring a backup card. And avoid that ATM like the plague.