Why won't some money changers in the Philippines accept some 100 USD bills?

Question

OK, I was there in Manila about 7 months ago on vacation. I went straight from the airport to the SM money changers in Las Pinas, so I can get my hands on some "Ninoys" (500 peso bills). My money, which was given to me in brand new, nummerical order by a bank in London (I never bring British pounds), was authenticated by the teller. Then I noticed she spearated some of the bills from the others, then after counting, she looked at the separated bills and handed it back to me. When I asked why she gave it back to me the teller said that she noticed Benjamin Franklin's nose was slightly more protruded in those bills than usual (actually she used the phrase "slightly pointed nose"). Then I asked her if they were fake, she said no, but still refused to accept them.

This freaked me out. I mean I got those notes in the right NUMMERICAL SEQUENCE, meaning they were all printed by the same machine on the same day. Still couldn't figure out why she wouldn't change them.

She accepted 3K and left me all nervous with the 1.5K she returned. Does SM have some quota they have in place per customer? Or was this teller just being a real §#¤%"&!?

Anyway, the next day I returned to the same money changer (with different tellers) and they accepted them all.

This happened also with my sister a few years back, when they refused to take 400 dollars out of the 2K she had.

Answer 1

Hmm... are you a money launderer?

Answer 2

Maybe you are putting some kind of air, flashing your dollars  in front as if to announce, "Hey, look at me, I'm rich and I'm from abroad- kind of attitude",  and the lady poor lady  teller was not in the best of mood that day.

Stop fretting. You got your money  changed already. Besides, why are you complaining when it happened decades ago.

Answer 3

I won't be intimidated if I was the teller.

Answer 4

oh boy..... you're grounded

Answer 5

there must be alot of counterfeiters there.

Answer 6

you should go to china and see how they treat ben franks with suspicion.  from the country who perfected counterfitting it.

Answer 7

Why are you asking 7 months later I know the answer but I cant trust you with it.

Answer 8

If that's your pic on your profile there. It's probably because the teller thought what in the H. E. double hockey sticks is a filipino doing with British and American funds. She probably also came to a conclusion that this guy doesn't even look like he carries this kind of paper. I'll do everything else except the US money and lets see what happens.

Answer 9

she was coming on to you.

but you blew it.

Answer 10

Because US$100 bills are the most counterfitted or right behind the $20 and having bills in seqence is strange anyway.