On several occasions in the recent past, I have experienced the annoying incidence of receiving torn and dirty Naira Notes from the ATM. This has prompted me to write on this matter.
It has now become a regular occurrence for a person to make a withdrawal from the ATM and the ATM dispenses dirty and torn Naira notes. On one occasion, I visited the UBA branch located on 23 road, Festac Town, to make a withdrawal. When the ATM dispensed the money, I received a bad note, which was torn. I complained to the bank staff who was present at the ATM centre, but he claimed nothing was wrong with the money. I then tried to use it for transportation, and the transporters refused to collect the money, except for one who reluctantly accepted it eventually.
On more than one occasion, I have experienced receiving bad, dirty and torn Naira notes from other banks ATMs, like GTBank, along 23 road in Festac Town. The experience can be very annoying, and for example, with the most recent occurrence just some days ago, on a Saturday morning, I complained to the security guard about receiving a torn Naira note – the tear being on the number area of the #1,000 note. The security guard asked me to come back on Monday to resolve the issue.
So, I would like to use this medium to complain about bank ATMs dispensing , bad, dirty and torn Naira notes. Imagine a scenario where someone needs to use the money he withdraws from an ATM for some urgent expenses, such as for food, medications, transportation, or something else. He withdraws the money successfully, but finds out that the money is bad, dirty and torn. He tries to spend the money, but it is rejected by several people. Suppose it is during the weekend, and he has no other money in his bank account or at hand. What should the person do? How can he wait till the beginning of the next working week to report the bad currency note issued by the bank’s ATM? What happens to the urgent need that he wanted to use the money for, when several people are rejecting the bad money that the ATM dispensed?
Please, this is calling on the banks, particularly the officials who have the responsibility of loading the banks’ Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) with cash, to kindly and considerately take extra care to ensure that they load their ATMs with clean, non-mutilated, useable, Naira notes, to help reduce/eliminate the frustrating incidence of receiving bad, dirty and torn notes from the ATMS, which are usually rejected by people. Thank you!
