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Is stealth dying?
 

Is it just me or do I feel like the whole ebay/paypal stelath thing is slowly dying. Sales on ebay are not what they used to be and Paypal is limiting account without option to ever withdraw money.

I dont know if I have a destructive business model or generally the stealth game is dying and they are slowly coming onto us?

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

You have to learn to adapter. PayPal releases your money after 6 months or 180 days

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Maybe for your particular choice of sales RobMele - stealth lives on and quite well. Amazon is popular too so perhaps explore that but it's a fiercer platform.

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Amazon is cut throat to the fullest

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

actually in UK they arent releasing many funds anymore

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

It's very rare for them to not release funds, but it does happen

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Not releasing funds after 180 Days ??

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Stealth Dying? LOL.....Sales might be slower but it has nothing to do with Stealth.

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Mm78 the OG has confirmed

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

If you mean amazon releasing funds they just kept £250 of mine, ah well.

As for stealth, it will never die. Why? Because theirs people getting banned but need ebay/amazon to pay bills etc etc. They end up finding this place.

My sales are fine as well, cant complain atm.

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Could be your niche is dying.... Also, we have been in Bull market for more years then often recorded in any such market... The economy is slowing worldwide... Has been for a while and "trickle down" economics is happening....

You just need to tighten your ship, diversify and find ways to lower you overhead...

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

As I always say - using stealth should be one of the pitfalls you write at the top of your business plan and right below it, money being held indefinitely.

Too many stories of people moaning of funds being held. When you sign up to use the sites Amazon or eBay you agree to their T&Cs.

Somewhere in there it will say that if they suspect false information has been supplied (subtle way of putting it) then they are entitled to hold funds.

If you cannot deal with funds being held then stealth isn't a good idea. It just means run more and more accounts guys. :peace:

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

http://www.aspkin.com/forums/ebay-di...ucts-sell.html - cross-referencing :eek:

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

dont think stealth is dying maybe what your selling is dying.

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

definitely getting harder with them trying to keep money after 180 days

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Been going strong for years and still am.
Might be your specific item or business model that is the issue...

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

More like stealth is evolving... :violin:

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Stick in there a few more months while ebay does it annual "Better Tomorrow" Champagne.

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Sales for me in all of my niches have been almost as high this month as they were around Christmas. Some things have even surpassed Christmas sales with people getting their tax refunds. That, combined with the fact that I now have active stealth accounts than ever before, means 02/16 has been record setting for me.

Just keep researching OP. Look around at what is currently making sellers rich on eBay, then work towards cutting out a slice of the market for yourself. Some people around here say it's impossible to jump into a niche like that but it's absolutely possible. Start with low margins and as your revenue increases, find out how you can get better prices for what you're selling. Build business relationships with suppliers, avoid buying from a different supplier every time. Consider cheaper shipping methods for both the inventory you receive and for customer's orders you fulfill, and payment services with lower fees. There are countless things you can do to build your business. You just have to start small and provide excellent customer service, and watch your business grow.

Sorry for getting philosophical. This thread got me thinking..

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

I have not had this same experience. Maybe this is a problem on UK stealth?

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Paypal likes us because there's more for them to limit. Imagine what they could do to that money in 6mo...

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

I mean it's understandable that they might hold the money for 180 days.
But how on earth can they remove the option to ever withdraw them?? What sins do you have to commit to get such a punishment?

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

The big mistakes I see people making, in reference to getting their money out of PayPal, is not keeping a working phone on file and then wanting to change the bank account in 180 days. That is a great way to have your funds held forever.

Other mistakes are, letting you balance grow into the thousands on PayPal. You should never leave more in PayPal than you need to take care of your eBay fees plus a small amount for any potential refunds.

eBay sales have been flat or declining overall, so yes, you do have to work to find the more popular products that will sell. If you have the right products, sales are plentiful.

Then, there is also Amazon and several other venues.

I have been on eBay since the beginning, when it was known as WebAuction. When eBay took off, you could list just about ANYTHING for sale and get tons of bids. EVERYTHING was selling for a good price. Those days are over with. Now you have to research what you are going to sell. You have to stay competitive on pricing and have good customer service.

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Who said it's dying !! Things are getting Juicy here :D

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Don't keep any more money in your PP account than you are willing to lose. I know this is harder than it sounds, but still is the best bet.

As far as the money they do keep, it is eventually transferred to the Government, just as your bank is required to turn over deposits from unused bank accounts to the State after a certain period of time.

Financial institutions don't get to keep funds they freeze because they determined the money was generated by illegal activities as profit, the government takes it.

That's why when you see these "Does the Government owe you money" ads the distribution is handled through the State, not the financial institution.

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

I'm pretty sure this is false. Paypal is not a financial institution so their rules are different, plus Paypal is international so different countries have different regulations. If you aren't able to withdraw your money, it contributes to Paypal's bottom line. I HIGHLY doubt a publicly traded company voluntarily surrenders any money to the government.

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

The chain of logic the government uses is clear.

You can't take somebody's property, ( including money ) because you THINK it MAY have been generated illegally and then keep it yourself. That is called THEFT.

Paypal is not a bank. It IS a money processor. As such, it is bound by various racketeering and money laundering regulations.

The government DEMANDS all financial institutions, including money processors, seize money they have reason to believe is generated illegally.

They don't get to profit by doing this.

The funds are then held in trust by the government. You can try to claim them, but you have to prove they were legally earned.

A publicly traded company especially MUST follow these rules. There are federal agents whose sole role is to audit these actions, and ensure compliance.

Believe it or not, that's how it works.

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Prove what you are saying and I will echo it as fact from now on. But until then I do not believe you, sorry.

Paypal is just about worldwide and every government works differently. So I find it hard to believe that in every country Paypal operates, they automatically hand over any unclaimed funds to the respective government.

There have been countless users on Aspkin who have had their Paypal limited and were unable to withdraw after 180 days, but there hasn't ever been any mention of a government trust that the money is then transferred to. Everyone using a stealth account to receive payments is technically receiving funds in an illegal manner since they've lied to their payment processor. So why doesn't Paypal seize all funds in stealth accounts?

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Nothing is dying... People will always want things... Perhaps desire for your product is dying... Also look into Amazon... Amazon is better than eBay...

666 likes Amazon :dance:

666 :clap:

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

It appears to phaz0rz that 666 likes his name a lot. Phaz0rz LOL's at 666.

:fight:

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

If you think about it, everything in the Universe is dying, it's just a matter of time.......

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Yes 666 looooooves his name 666 :pop2:

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee... Go 666... :cheer:

666 :clap:

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Does this include time? Because I've been trying to kill time all day..

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

There's no such thing as time :rip:

Only neural networks between your eyes and the back of your skull which give you the illusion that there is :nerd:

666 :clap:

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

and there goes the conversation down the drain.........

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

What does down must come up :dance:

666 :clap:

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

What Dallis said about PayPal having to turn confiscated funds over to the government is correct. I would have to believe that most countries have a process in place for that. And it is not just confiscated funds, but also funds that have been forgotten and lost. Like if your Grandmother happened to have $5 in a savings account in 1962, but moved and didn't think about that account because of the low balance, eventually the bank is required to turn the funds over to the government. All kinds of things get turned over: stock dividends, life insurance payouts, the contents of safety deposit boxes, it could be anything.

The process is called escheatment and as far as I can tell, it started centuries ago in England.

I can tell you from experience, if Half.com (an eBay company) believes that you have a stealth account, they will never turn the money over to you. The will turn it over to the state in which your stealth account is located. Then, you would have to go to your state government to get the money back. And they will require ID. After all, the money belongs to your stealth identity.

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

This is exactly why I was finding Dallas' remarks hard to believe.

Why are we even allowed to operate stealth accounts? Why do they thrive with one eBay company but are outlawed with another?

It could easily be inferred that we are all committing fraud by taking money from P/P accounts that don't technically belong to us. Why haven't all of our funds been surrendered?

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Yeah there is! I'm looking at a clock right now!

Time is a measure in which events can be ordered from the past through the present into the future, and also the measure of durations of events and the intervals between them. Time is often referred to as the fourth dimension, along with the three spatial dimensions.

Re: Is stealth dying?
 

Because technically, stealth is legal. Seriously. By lying to eBay and PayPal about your name, you are breaking eBay's and PayPal's rules. But that is not the same thing as breaking the law.

For example, I have a "no smoking" rule in my home. If anyone wants to light up, they can go out on the deck. Now, let's say that you come over to my house, rudely light up a cigarette and refuse to leave. I CAN call the police and they will escort you from the premises, but they will not put you in jail. Why? Because there is no LAW that has been broken. The "no smoking" rule is just that - a rule. Rules are not necessarily laws.

Incidentally, that is always why I have worried about PayPal becoming a bank. Because, if that were to happen, then we cannot lie to them. It is a federal offense to lie to a bank. And the IRS. That is why we always tell people that you MUST have your bank accounts in your real name and that when you apply for an EIN, you MUST do it using your real identity.