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Buying aged ebay accounts
 

So I've got a friend with an ebay account with great feedback score from 2001 that he wants to sell to me. I have a few questions regarding this...

1. What are the troubles I may run into buying a used account?
2. Can I change the name on the account without raising too many flags?
3. If something happens on the account, will they potentially go after him still even if I've changed all of the info to stealth info?

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

Not a good idea.

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

Why do you say that?

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

Too many things can go wrong.

Better to have an account that you completely control from the outset.

Saves a lot of headaches that you will run into

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

I know I know and I do. I have tons of stealth accounts. See below:

http://i.imgur.com/Nqr2A9m.png

Thing is, I need accounts now that are older than one year. The items I am selling require aged accounts.

My oldest account right now is only 5 months old. :\

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

Just my 2 cents, but if he's going to sell you the account and it's now yours and you get it suspended well then that's his fault for selling you the account, he knows it's a possibility. Since you have tons of stealth accounts I would say go for it and let us know the results. It will definitely work for a little bit, just not sure how long it would last, but seeing that you have so many stealth accounts I'm sure you can figure this out.

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

Aged accounts CAN work, but you have to be really good with stealth AND know how to handle any questions that come up from eBay or PayPal. Changing ANYTHING on an account can raise a red flag if done incorrectly. Changing the NAME will be almost impossible. eBay does not allow accounts to be bought and sold.

If you were changing the name from Johnathan to Jonathan, you would probably be OK, as eBay would assume you were correcting a typo. But changing the name from Dale Smith to Steven Thompson will not likely work.

In the OP's case his friend could end up in trouble if he keeps the name the same and things go south. It would be different if you were buying an aged STEALTH ACCOUNT and simply operating it. That would be far less dangerous.

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

If you intend on changing the name, that is a big flag right there. Buying aged accounts does help, but if you are limited in stealth techniques, then the account will just go down the drain.

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

What do you mean "limited in stealth techniques" ? I've got a pretty good hang on the whole stealth thing. What other methods should I be employing to better my chances when buying someone else's account?

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

To the OP, nobody here knows you, or what you sell, or anything about you, other than what you post. So, when someone uses the phrase "limited in stealth techniques" they are probably talking generally, and it is not meant as an insult to you, personally.

I would just say that if you want an aged account, it might be better to buy an aged STEALTH account rather than one attached to a real person. It eliminates a lot of problems.

The name change is gong to go over like a lead balloon. If you buy an aged stealth, then there are no worries about that. If you want to operate a friend's account and give him money, either in one chunk or monthly, then be sure to clue him in on EVERYTHING that is going on, as he or she will be taking a risk. Search the forums, there is a lot of heartache about lost relationships caused by someone using another person's account. Even with the best of intentions, perfectly legal 100% authentic items and a great attitude, things CAN go south. This is especially true if the seller has a limited amount of money. One person used her mom's account (or was it her sister's???) to sell some auto parts. A buyer scammed her out of $2,000 for a set of car tire rims. She had already spent the $2,000 and could not reimburse PayPal, resulting in a collection agency coming after the account owner. As you can imagine, she was not thrilled. When that person posted, they were no longer talking to each other and she was heartbroken. That is why the best advice is always to use a stealth identity and not a real one.

So, it is not the fact that you want an aged account that is the problem, but that there is a real person attached to it. Of course, the final decision is up to you and your friend. The users here are just trying to help you to understand the potential downside of what you are about to do, we are not trying to insult you or to rain on your parade. I wish you luck with whatever it is you decide to do.

Re: Buying aged ebay accounts
 

How does your friend feel about having to report an income he didn't actually make?

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

why not leave the account as it is.
why do you want to change the name this must be a good account still open from 2001 leave it as it is.

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

I wasn't imply that anyone was being rude or insulting to me. Sorry if it came across that way. I was just genuinely interested in what he meant. Thanks for the info.

I will be adding a new paypal account to it, new credit card for auto payment of fees, etc... so hopefully it can't come back negatively on him in any way.

People actual report online income via eBay <$20k to the IRS? I guess I'm not in that big of a hurry to pay the government I can get away with keeping.

Like jeffweico said, I don't want this to come back and bite him in the ass somehow ya know?

Re: Buying agred ebay accounts
 

Not much of a defence to the IRS who are hot on things like this. Even worse it would be your friend that got in trouble!

If you owe taxes, you pay it. Simple