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Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

A good friend of mine offered to let me sell on her ebay account. Its been around for a few years with a handful of feedbacks from purchases. Lives in the same city as me and I think this is a great idea. Everything I sell is pre-owned and really not high risk items. My only concern is keeping the money/bank account separate in terms of paypal. I'm thinking just create a new paypal account using all of her info and then create a bank account under my name and link it to the new paypal account.
Does this sound reasonable? Any different suggestions?

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

I take it you no longer like your good friend?

That's a shame.

This account has no standing except AGE with ebay. The fact there has been no selling activity means ebay will look at it and flag it with MC999.

Where is your plan for taxes? How are you going to handle this?

The game changed a lot since you joined in 2008.

{note the join date, rsot....no need for the happy welcome chorus :FF:}

Depending on how much you plan to sell, you could be faced with a request from paypal for tax ID.

Could you let us know if you were aware of any of this?

My feelings are it means a different approach.

:mod:

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

You're not kidding things changed since 08' Back then eBay actually treated sellers as more than gum stuck to the bottom of their shoe.

I did think about tax time.... I'm currently running one account on my sisters ebay id who was registered for 5 years and had almost no activity. I started off slow and now have sold about 200 items over 5 months. Busting my butt to keep things pristine there. I don't want to hit the 20K limit there (don't want to get involved with their tax situation), hence am looking to do the same thing with my friends account. I'm figuring that with both accounts I can go to about 17K - 18K on each which should cover me for the year. You mention the MC999 as a given on the new account. If I go nice and slow, 2 or 3 household low risk items a week, do you see this as a problem?

Really appreciate your insight.

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

So even if we say, "Don't use Family, Friends" for accounts....your still going to do it?

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

MC999 are being handed out across the board.

Rare for an account to be immune.

paypal can, and has asked for tax ID when an account hit $5000. They do it based on projected sales.

:mod:

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

Well MM78 now I'm really confused.... The Stealth Guide says if you have a family member or friend whose information you can use - do it. Why the contradiction? I'm not looking for the easist way, just the safest. Any advice is appreciated.

GreenBean - Are the MC999's always due to some form of linking? My friends account would have zero links to me whatsoever.

My thinking was that if I go with a full blown stealth account no matter how well I do, at some point they ask for a SSN and then it's game over right?

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

Here's a funny aside to get some idea of how eBay is run from the inside....

I'm an IT Systems Engineer with 20 years experience in well known company. Recently, last year sent a resume to eBay. They flew me from east coast to California, met with 10 of their "Lead" computer guys. All kids, and none were named "John Smith". End result, they made me an offer for about 1/3 of what I would work there for. Those people are so underpaid and it shows iin their product and their cistomer service!

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

Things change, we don't recommend using Family and Friends anymore...At this point it's best to go Full Stealth.

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

Life changes. We moved away from the friends and family. With the changes regarding taxes now, even more so.

Re the MC999. Not a matter of linking at all. Appears to be an across the board effort by ebay to apply them to 'new/untried/flagged' accounts.

Game is NEVER over with paypal unless they offer the Dear John letter. We suggest other options of EIN/LLC/DBA

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

Bad idea to use friends of family members info/accounts in the US. With the New 1099k laws that went into effect back in 2010. You are really putting people at risk.

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

Keep it simple OP - make new accounts using stealth methods...avoid friend and family info - spread sales over 5-10 accounts and rotate the listings - no links...keep sales low to avoid the ID request by PP.

Don`t put other people`s name and info out there for eb/pp

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

Thanks all - I'm going to go the full stealth mode as you all advise - was just going off of what was in the stealth guide, but it sounds like changes in the eBay/Paypal winds require adjustments to the sails. So, without being too much of a pain in the ___ would you mind correcting me if there are any flaws in my approach here:

Brand new eBay account with
Brand new name
Brand new address
Brand new email address
Verify eBay account with Vanilla Ice VCC

Brand New PP account
Linked to the new eBay account
Brand new Bank Account
Sell S-L-O-W-L-Y

Any advice oin the address - stealth guide had said use an address of a big box store or similar - is that still the best way?
Best choice for where to Bank? I use TD Bank now but wouldn't mind breaking that link too.

Thanks very much everyone!
Oh one las question, if I went with a DBA with an EIN, does that have the same liklihood of getting MC999's or is there more trust established there?

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

Back in the day, we used to muck around with addresses.

These days ebay even run a check on the actual existence of the address.
I'll be blunt. You are aiming to make an ebay account. the only thing different is it is stealth. Moreso than for a real account, a proper address is needed. ;)
I prefer BoA. It's big, reliable & allows multiple accounts.

Any account can get an MC999. Using that EIN can allow not providing an SSN if the account is run correctly.
Comes down to choice.

:mod:

Re: Questions About Selling on Friends eBay Acct
 

So a real address it is, and obviously not from someone who has an existing eBay account.

Let me ask this... lets say I ork in a huge office building, lets call it 101 main street. My oiffice number is 138. Would you recommend an address of 101 Main Steet, Apt 138?

Thanks!