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American living in Paraguay - Not sure where to start
 

Hello all,

American living in Paraguay here. I've bought the Stealth Guide (did I get an old copy? it's copyrighted 2012) and read through and I've done some browsing through the forum, but I'm still a bit unsure of what to do next. Ideally, I would like to establish a US based Ebay and PayPal account and continue the retail arbitrage business that I was conducting back in the States. I know that first, I need to establish a dedicated e-mail address and phone number. But, most importantly, I need an appropriate IP address. I have read that a dynamic IP is best unless you are outside of the US. Well, I'm outside of the US, so I believe that I need a static IP address. I know that I have a couple of options, one being a VPN and the other being a VPS. If I use a VPN, then later, when I want to establish more accounts, I will need multiple VPN accounts, which can get a bit pricey per month (based upon the most popular VPN mentioned 24vc.com), but I will be able to quickly switch between accounts using VMWare. If I use a VPS, it can cost less based upon different users comments about having a Linux VPS and multiple IP addresses. I'm a bit confused about which option I should choose. 24vc.com sounds like the safest, but most expensive option, while a Linux VPS sounds like it will get the job done just fine, and at a significantly lower cost. After sorting the IP address issues out, the rest can be addressed.

When I say the rest, I am referring to e-mail address, phone number, etc. I imagine that signing up for the email address and phone number through the dedicated IP address is probably the best practice, so all information stays in it's own discrete silo, but is that not the case? Also, for a phone number, what is the best solution for that? I have read that something like Google Voice is both good and bad. What is the best solution for someone like me who does not have access to the US cellular network? (tracfone seems like the standard for a cheap, legit, phone, but I do not believe it's an option for me due to being in Paraguay.)

Thanks, in advance for all of your help!

Re: American living in Paraguay - Not sure where to start
 

Welcome to the forum :)

Well, usually there no significant price difference between a VPS and VPN, but what makes 24vc charge a higher price is the guaranteed fresh IP address they provide, which no other service provides.

If you chose to use a VPS you should be careful about the IP, it shouldn't be recycled and. Abused (especially used with a banned account). The other thing you should keep in mind is that using a VPS to access your accounts requires a fast internet Connection (to assure smooth internet browsing on the VPS).

I personally prefer using the combination of virtual machines and vpn, and that's what I recommend, but it is up to you to decide how to run your accounts.

Another important thing you should not forget about, is how you are going to withdraw your funds from the US PayPal account. You would need US bank accounts (never linked to PayPal before).

Re: American living in Paraguay - Not sure where to start
 

Hey Othmane,

Thanks for the welcome and your help. It is very much appreciated! Yeah, my internet connection is not consistently fast, so I guess a VPS would cause issues. Knowing that, looks like a VPN from 24vc will be the best option.

I understand that I need US bank accounts, and being that we recently moved from the US, that is not a problem., as well still have some. I would like some suggestions in regards to good, online only bank accounts that I could continue to open from here. I believe that Wells Fargo was supposed to be a good option, based upon my reading, but I'm not entirely sure. I have read that some banks do not work well with stealth accounts because of name mismatches. Do you have any suggestions for good banks that work well with stealth accounts and are easy to open accounts online?

Another question that I have is in regards to the phone number necessary to confirm accounts. I have read conflicting messages regarding good phone numbers to have. It seems like a Tracfone is the best option when you are in the US, but we are not. What would be a good option for someone outside of the US, but dealing with US accounts? I have been using Google Voice for years as my primary phone number, but I read that does not work well with stealth. Can you clarify that for me? Thanks a lot!