In Reply to: ATM posted by paulf on Saturday, 5. September 2009 at 05:47 Bali Time:
I've been using ATMs in Bali since 2003 and never had any problem. You have to be aware of skimming devices every time you use an ATM in Bali of course, but these days you have to be just as aware at home. Just check where the card goes in to see that it's not loose. Skimmers come off pretty easily from what I've seen in demo's on tv and online. I've never actually found one myself.
Luckily for me, my credit union charges no fees for using overseas ATMs, and I get pretty much equivalent to the rate on the street. With a Bali sim card and my home phone banking number, I can easily check my balance any time I want for less than the cost of using an internet cafe - not to mention not having to worry about using shared computers with login details.
I feel much safer using ATMs in Bali than I would carrying a month's worth of cash with me and then leaving it at the hotel. It's all personal choice, of course, but there's no more danger in using ATMs in Bali than there is at home. Certainly you have to pay attention - check for skimmers and make sure you collect your card (which you'd do at home anyway), but you need to be just as vigilant with most money changers anyway, to make sure you don't get scammed.