# Why are people selling $20 bills for $24 on Ebay? Plus shipping? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2016, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821 "2016-02-01T06:53:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/41 "2016-02-01T19:26:59Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > But your example isn’t money laundering, it’s credit card fraud. Different things. I agree. This isn’t how money laundering generally works. I suppose however you could argue it’s the equivalent of money laundering. You’re converting an illegal asset (stolen credit card numbers) which are difficult to use because of their illegality into a legal asset (currency) which can be used without problems. ---
**Author:** ![sbunny8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/42 "2016-02-01T19:38:31Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > That changed with the Durbin amendment. By federal law, the bank can apply the amount of your minimum payment any way it chooses. But any amount over the minimum payment must be applied to your highest interest balance first. Hey, good news! I didn’t know that. Ignorance fought. Hmm. That makes the calculation more complicated. If you have a balance of $3,000 at 9% and the minimum payment is $60 but you make payments of $95… and then a $200 cash advance plus an $8 fee ends up costing you $292.27 but a $240 purchase ends up costing you $319.68. So yes the cash advance would cost less money (46% instead of 59%). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/43 "2016-02-01T19:53:52Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > This was my immediate thought as well. I imagine there are some people doing it for the legitimate reasons suggested, but I would think money laundering would be one of the main uses. You steal some credit card numbers and want to cash them out. This is a lot easier than running a money mule operation. > . No, it’s not Money Laundering. It could be if the amounts were MUCH higher, like $1000. Still, it’s too traceable, and there’s fees and such. In any case, I cant see any such auction. There are a few, but they all have interesting serial numbers, and thus some small collector value. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/44 "2016-02-01T19:54:52Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Money laundering No, it’s not Money Laundering. Not even close, and I dont think the sitrep described by the Op exists. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/45 "2016-02-01T19:57:02Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > In the OP, the person money laundering could actually be both selling and buying using multiple fake ebay accounts. He sells $20 on ebay, buys it himself for $24 plus shipping, all of a sudden he’s got $4 of legal income he can explain. Rinse and repeat reselling the same $20 note again back to himself with a different false ebay account. Sure he loses on ebay fees but all forms of money laundering have fees involved. It would be pretty trivially easy to generate scripts to constantly list, bid on and buy new listings, even thousands in one day. And the “no bank acccount or way of getting ebay fund to cash” issue gives a plausible explanation of why his $20 notes are selling. No, that wouldnt work either. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/46 "2016-02-01T19:58:23Z")
> [@sbunny8](#): > > The example given was a SNAP recipient who is a cigarette smoker, not “drug addicts… not known for their rational thinking” Cigarette smokers, _are_ “drug addicts” and “not known for their rational thinking”. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/47 "2016-02-01T19:59:27Z")
Is it even legal to sell bills at a markup? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/48 "2016-02-01T20:09:18Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Is it even legal to sell bills at a markup? Sure. Coin stores do it all the time. The mark up on a $1000 bill is quite high, actually. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/49 "2016-02-01T20:13:40Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Is it even legal to sell bills at a markup? Unless you are a US Mint, yes. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/50 "2016-02-01T20:16:18Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Unless you are a US Mint, yes. Ever buy a Proof Set? ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/51 "2016-02-01T20:20:11Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > If they’re really a drug addict they’re not going to wait for the best deal, they’re going to sell their card / stamps as quickly as possible to the first taker in order to get cash. > > Drug addicts are not known for their rational thinking or economic frugality and acumen. The criminal cost-benefit analysis of a bottle of Tide is more straightforward. Most of the people stealing the detergent, Sergeant Thompson points out, are the same criminals who used to break into houses or mug pedestrians—male addicts whose need to feed their habits can foster a kind of innovative streak. “They are smart. They are creative. They want high reward and low risk,” he says. Theft convictions can come with a maximum fifteen-year prison sentence, but the penalty for shoplifting is often just a small fine, with no jail time. For the most active thieves, says Thompson, stolen Tide has in some ways become more lucrative than the drugs it’s traded for. “It’s the new dope,” he says. “You can get richer and have less chance of doing jail time.” ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/52 "2016-02-01T20:21:31Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Sure. Coin stores do it all the time. The mark up on a $1000 bill is quite high, actually. Obviously you can do it for collectible coins and bills, I understood that. But it seems like selling large numbers of $20s that have no obvious collectible value would at least raise some eyebrows. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/53 "2016-02-01T20:23:54Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Obviously you can do it for collectible coins and bills, I understood that. But it seems like selling large numbers of $20s that have no obvious collectible value would at least raise some eyebrows. Sure, but nobody is doing that. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/54 "2016-02-01T20:25:05Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Sure, but nobody is doing that. The OP seems to be claiming that someone is doing that. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/55 "2016-02-01T20:28:14Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > The OP seems to be claiming that someone is doing that. Without verification, and two of us checked. Yes, there are a\* very few\*, but mostly due to odd serial numbers, like many "8"s, which is considered lucky to some. Thus, the Op is incorrect. All the speculation here is for naught. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/56 "2016-02-01T20:30:06Z")
> **[Shop by Category | eBay](https://www.ebay.com/n/all-categories)** > > Shop by department, purchase cars, fashion apparel, collectibles, sporting goods, cameras, baby items, and everything else on eBay, the world's online marketplace ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/57 "2016-02-01T21:29:51Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > [Shop by Category | eBay](http://www.ebay.com/bhp/20-dollar-bill) Yeah, he has sold a couple, and there’s a guy who has sold a few $100 bills (uncirculated) the same way. But you’d have to sell thousands of them to be useful in money laundering. As the listings say the primary uses are to redeem eBay bucks or redeem Credit Card Gift Cards. As a certified AML expert, this is not money laundering. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/58 "2016-02-01T21:35:35Z")
I wasn’t claiming that it was money laundering. Others said that. I was just pointing out that it is going on. It strikes me as shady at the very least. I guess if it’s legal and if there really are buyers then it makes sense that people are doing it. But it seems like you’d have to sell quite a few to make it worth doing. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/59 "2016-02-01T22:32:49Z")
Guys, I’m still pretty sure that the scenario here is along the lines of a college kid whose parents give him a pre-paid Visa for groceries that he’d rather spend in other ways. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821/60 "2016-02-01T22:42:48Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Guys, I’m still pretty sure that the scenario here is along the lines of a college kid whose parents give him a pre-paid Visa for groceries that he’d rather spend in other ways. If he can spend it online then he can spend it on pretty much anything he wants, except maybe things like pot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-people-selling-20-bills-for-24-on-ebay-plus-shipping/744821.md?page=4)