It has now become a regular occurrence to make a withdrawal from the automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and the ATM dispenses dirty and torn naira notes. On one occasion, when the ATM dispensed 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.
On more than one occasion, I have experienced receiving bad, dirty and torn naira notes from different bank ATMs, the experience can be very annoying. 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’ 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 reducet the frustrating incidence of receiving bad, dirty and torn notes from the ATMS, which are usually rejected by people.
- Daniel Ighakpe, Lagos.