Money makes the world go round. So, it’s no surprise that we are usually really careful with these delicate banknotes. Still, accidents do happen. And when these notes get destroyed, the question remains, what do we do about it?
Although they hold a lot of value, banknotes are still just pieces of paper, which means they can get damaged very easily. In fact, one netizen recently shared that he ended up burning a few RM50 banknotes! Luckily, others were quick to reassure him that he could still trade them in, as long as one particular condition was met.
Yesterday (8th May), one netizen took to Facebook group Saja Heboh to share his misfortune. “(I was) burning trash at my house but I didn’t realise some cash was also mixed in, (so it) got burnt too,” he lamented, adding a photo of several partially burnt RM50 notes. “I don’t know if the bank will accept (these notes) if it’s already ruined like this.”
While some netizens bemoaned his luck as well, others were quick to reassure him that he could still ‘save’ the banknotes. “(You) can change the notes at the national bank,” one said “As long as the serial numbers are there,” another explained. However, a few cautioned that they might not get the exact value back. “The value depends on the banknote’s condition,” they explained.
According to Bank Negara Malaysia’s official website, they do in fact accept burnt bank notes. However, as mentioned, the value returned depends on how badly damaged the currency is. Customers will be reimbursed if the size of the defaced currency note is two third (2/3) or more of the original size. Otherwise, BNM will asses the currency first before refunding the amount into the customer’s account.
Well, it’s certainly a relief to know that you can still reclaim some cash, even if your banknotes are burnt. There has regretfully not been an update about the man and his banknotes, but we do hope he managed to get his money back! In the meantime, we urge people to continue being cautions when it comes to their cash.
Sources: Bank Negara Malaysia, Facebook
