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AIBU?

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To not want to be a middleman in my sister's financial transaction?

66 replies

Oodiks · 31/01/2025 18:18

My sister lives in a different country, she's had visitors recently and has some arrangement that means they now owe her money. She's going to be visiting me in the next few months and asks that her friends cash app me the money and I give her the cash when she visits.

A bit of background to avoid drip feeding. When my sister visited me a few years ago she didn't want to exchange money because of fees so she asked me to cover expenses and used an app to track what she owed me while she was visiting. So, I paid for everything, and she noted what her portion would be. We went out for a few meals, and outings, and I cooked several meals at home, she happily drank my cheap wine and didn't buy any herself. At the end of trip she totted up, to the penny, what she 'owed me' and repaid exactly that amount, nothing extra for the meals I'd cooked, the tips I'd paid, the Lyfts we'd taken, or the wine I'd offered.

She has a well-paid job and takes frequent trips with friends. At the time she visited I was in the middle of a divorce and had just lost my job. I'm now divorced and in a reasonably well-paid job, I'm looking forward to seeing her, but feel a bit side swiped by this request.

Am I Being Unreasonable to refuse to be the middleman in her financial arrangements with her visitors?

OP posts:
Fintoo · 31/01/2025 19:55

I don’t know what it’s like in the US, but in the U.K. this would probably trip money laundering flags. So I wouldn’t be involved purely on that basis.

SunshineAndFizz · 31/01/2025 19:52

Oodiks · 31/01/2025 19:43

Thanks for all your responses. I really do need to put my foot down here.
I was planning to have a discussion about finances when she got here, but she's rather jumped the gun with this request.

I'm just going to quote Bartleby and say, "I'd rather not."

Plus - you'd have to go out of your way to take the cash out. Think of your petrol, parking fees and any other fees for going to withdraw the cash (let alone your time). Balance that with her 'exchange fees' and I doubt there'll be much difference.

Snowmanscarf · 31/01/2025 19:50

It sounds a bit complicated and awkward to me.

Also, you don’t want to be seen as money laundering.

PointySnoot · 31/01/2025 19:43

She's going to be visiting me in the next few months and asks that her friends cash app me the money and I give her the cash when she visits.

No thanks sis, it's a load of hassle and it's for you to sort out directly with your friends - I'm not getting involved.

Any banging on about fees etc - no, I've already said I don't want to get involved. You decided to lend the money in the first place, so it's your problem to sort it out.

Oodiks · 31/01/2025 19:43

Thanks for all your responses. I really do need to put my foot down here.
I was planning to have a discussion about finances when she got here, but she's rather jumped the gun with this request.

I'm just going to quote Bartleby and say, "I'd rather not."

OP posts:
Windowsand · 31/01/2025 19:42

What a cheeky tacky sister you have.
I really couldn't be bothered with entertaining people whom are determined to screw me.
No thanks.

Abridget7 · 31/01/2025 19:42

I haven’t read all replies but can’t bear this level of penny pinching when it’s an inconvenience to someone else. Say no - sort it herself and deal with the fees. If she’s that well paid she can afford it.

honeylulu · 31/01/2025 19:37

She is cheeky and miserly.

Revolut is the answer. I wouldn't have believed it but it's so easy to receive and pay monies and switch currencies without fees. It's not as secure or regulated as UK banking so I'd never keep a large sum there for any length of time but it's been fine for just bouncing it in and out when i need to.

PeggyMitchellsCameo · 31/01/2025 19:24

Oodiks · 31/01/2025 19:14

I'm curious to know how the 3 or 4 people who have so far voted that I am being unreasonable have come to that conclusion.

Might I suggest this is actually an issue because it would be for me… a people pleaser who will hear 1 negative opinion rather than 100 positive ones.
I am no longer doing it and it’s changed my life.
The feedback here is that you sister is taking you for a ride. Her financial life and all this currency stuff is not your problem.
Let her get on with it and split the bills properly.
She is walking all over you because she can.
Say no.
She might grumble but you deserve to be treated well for who you are, not because you are doing things you don’t wish to do.

TheseCalmSeas · 31/01/2025 19:23

YANBU. I would say ‘I can’t be the middle man in this but looking forward to your visit 😊’. Don’t explain, don’t engage.

ImTheMidsomerMurderer · 31/01/2025 19:23

Why can't they use PayPal? There's no fees to pay friends and family.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 31/01/2025 19:19

The pro here is she will have cash so can pay as she goes along in cash.

You need to tell her, in advance, that you won't be paying for things and then recouping money from her.

Don't get wine and make beans on toast

Cakeandcardio · 31/01/2025 19:16

Oodiks · 31/01/2025 18:39

I don't really understand how cash apps work because I don't usually use them. I'm guessing that there aren't any fees to transfer money in the app (or that the payer pays not the payee), but if she got cash out here, she'd be paying fees to do that whereas I wouldn't because I live here.

Does it not work the same way for your sister then too?

MuthaHubbard · 31/01/2025 19:14

Her and friends sign up for revolut and transfer whatever the amount is - I use it when abroad to pay for things as no charges

Oodiks · 31/01/2025 19:14

I'm curious to know how the 3 or 4 people who have so far voted that I am being unreasonable have come to that conclusion.

OP posts:
85PercentFaithful · 31/01/2025 19:12

Here’s what you say.

”No”.

These people have sufficient money to do trips. They have sufficient cash reserves to cover the expenses of their friends for days at a time. Yet somehow they’re unable/unwilling to pay small exchange fees and instead spend time on this level of ridiculous.

They’re not some corporation exposed to Fx rates.

Sort your own shit out. No.

Oodiks · 31/01/2025 19:11

BotterMon · 31/01/2025 19:07

She's bloody tight! Not an attractive trait. Make her pay and then pay her back - to the penny. If she's staying with you go grocery shopping and just wait for her to pay at the till. Your sister is a CF.

What's a CF?
She's not even clear that she's going to be staying with me. She's coming to my area for work reasons and will be put up in a hotel for part of her stay. She's mentioned inviting another friend to visit while she's here. I've told her I can't put her friend up and she's fine with that.

OP posts:
Therealjudgejudy · 31/01/2025 19:11

Just say no...too much hassle.

Hayley1256 · 31/01/2025 19:10

Can she just use paypal or revolt?

Oodiks · 31/01/2025 19:08

Colddayhotcuppa · 31/01/2025 19:03

Please don't pay for trips and excursions out unless she agress to pay half.

I didn't entirely mind paying for Lyfts because a person could reasonably expect a person living where I do to have a car. It was more that she only paid for her exact share, so I covered the tips and paid for more meals out for my daughter than I would otherwise, as well as cooking at home and providing wine (not good wine, but).

OP posts:
BotterMon · 31/01/2025 19:07

She's bloody tight! Not an attractive trait. Make her pay and then pay her back - to the penny. If she's staying with you go grocery shopping and just wait for her to pay at the till. Your sister is a CF.

Oodiks · 31/01/2025 19:06

IAmAWomanWorkingFromHome · 31/01/2025 18:55

Do you even know these people?

All this paying money from one account to another and then you drawing it out in cash could easily be perceived as money laundering. It may not be, but I would be bloody suspicious.

It's not that, they are old friends of hers.

OP posts:
arcticpandas · 31/01/2025 19:06

She sounds very cheeky. It would be a firm no from me.

Colddayhotcuppa · 31/01/2025 19:03

Oodiks · 31/01/2025 18:57

So, say yes, and then give her the cash so she can use that to pay for stuff while she's here?

She'll want it in dollars because I'm in the US and that's where she wants to spend it, and I could be just as petty as she was and give her the exact, to the penny, amount. In a childish way that would be quite satisfying, but that's really not the way I want to relate to her.

Please don't pay for trips and excursions out unless she agress to pay half.

Topseyt123 · 31/01/2025 19:03

It would be a hard no from me. I don't see why she can't accept an online banking payment from her friends.

Of course there will be a fee for exchanging the currency. But it won't be ruinous. I'd stay out of it. She sounds like a Scrooge.

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