We'd been using our Peapack-Gladstone Bank ATM card for years in PR. ATM fees incurred with these transactions had been reimbursed, same as with any other bank we used for ATM withdrawal in the USA.
Until a year and a half ago. Recently we noticed that only $1 had been reversed for any ATM transaction performed at either Banco Popular. That $1 was a reversal for the fee charged by our bank, Peapack-Gladstone. The remaining fee, charged by Banco Popular was not reversed (as it had been before that).
We inquired at the local branch of our bank and they explained that ATM fees from foreign banks are not reimbursed. We explained that Puerto Rico is part of the United States and in fact we had been reimbursed until a year and a half ago. They then stated that they only reimburse the charge that the other bank transmitted to them ($1 - which was really the fee that THEY and not the other bank charged us). Then we were gruffly told that the matter would be investigated. Evidently the local branch was clueless about all this and didn't want to be bothered.
We heard nothing about the so-called-investigation, so we went to the administrative offices of the bank to follow up, and explained again.
Upon examining my account online this morning I see that $54 had been added to our checking account for "REFUND OF ATM FEES INCURRED IN PUERTO RICO ".
This episode exemplifies the unique and ill defined relationship of Puerto Rico and the United States Of America. To quote a young man I encountered in a coffee shop, "Is Puerto Rico part of Cuba?"
