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Registering as legit business after suspension - CHECK LIST
 

My seller account was suspended few months ago, after rounds of appeals, BBB complaints, driving to eBay office in San Jose to talk to "office of the prez" - did not help, remains closed.
Since then I had created my own site with items listed, merchant account and shopping cart setup but now I am thinking about setting up a CORP or LLC in my state of California but wondering about few things, have this action plan:

Business Entity:
1. Incorporate in CA a legit business
2. I don't have a business address since doing it from home which is already on file with our friends at eBay and Paypal ;)
3. Use UPS store or PO BOX as business address???
4. Get a new phone number?
5. Establish real bank account under business name

Machines/IP/Routers:
1. Get a new machine, reset change IP address

Register w/eBay and Paypal
1. Use my new business name and PO BOX address, new phone?:
2. Problem is if I use the same name that my website where I am selling...will eBay somehow link the items I selling on my site to some thinkgs I had sold on eBay and lead to suspensions...? Nothing unique or expensive about items..
3. If asked about proof, what will I have to provide? Personal info or EIN and corp registeration paperwork???

I appreciate any suggestions and corrections...

Are you trying to sell on eBay again? Was your PayPal affected or are you using a different merchant account processor? I can't quite understand what you are trying to do but once I do I can definitely help.

Vogeltron,
Yes, I am trying to sell on ebay again after seller account suspension but as new legit business entity, Paypal was not impacted.,
Should've stated that...I can still buy with the account but not sell due to restriction placed.

See the problem is that they could link you again even if you do everything right for a new eBay account but use the old PayPal.

If you are really serious about starting fresh. I would advise you make a new eBay and PayPal separate from anything you have done in the past. If you want to go the LLC route I am not sure 100% about how that works. If you just want to do a sole proprietorship you need to file a fictitious name statement at the county clerks office. If your last name is part of the business aka name John Smith business name Smith Industries for example. Then you can bypass this requirement in California. You will need to get a EIN since I am guessing you used your SSN on the previous PayPal account. As well as that you need to file with the State Board of Equalization to charge sales tax to CA customers. Then of course like you said you need a new everything, IP address, windows acct if you are serious I would suggest a new PC. As well a like you said a new phone # even if it is just a prepaid TracFone. For the address to since your previous one is burnt on eBay I would suggest a UPS store address or a mail box center. eBay does not like PO Boxes as the primary address for any selling accounts.

Using any of my old paypals is out of the question, will establish a new one...for the business.

One this I am concerned about is...since the suspension I have used some paypal accounts to login from my computer to pay for things (since I can buy..but not sell).

If I establish a new business account on Paypal..from the same computer, after router, cookie..cleaning...is there a possiblity they might still track me down since machine is 'flagged'?

Hmmm-good ideas but not sure how fictious business name would work since I have a very, verfy uncommon and unsual first and last name...so wonder if I get fictious business namesake if ebay will track me down...? And yes they have my SS on file...so that's out of the question

also, can they find my identity if track me down by factious business name? if they look up at the county registerar who registered the business name?

It is a risk that you may have to take. If you want to try to sell on eBay again. If you do everything Stealth guide says use and EIN, charge sales tax etc. You should be ok. Just have to build good standing with eBay and PayPal.

If you are going to go through all this work the same can be done in stealth mode.

Unless you want to try it with legit stuff and see if it works but lets say you get it done and have 500 feedback and they finally catch up to it.

You lose the account because of linking etc. All the work was done for nothing.

Stealth, if done right wont happen that way.

Just a thought for you to consider.

What do you think the problems could be since I own a website where sell - will ebay be able to track me down via my website?

here is an example:
-I own and sell on my site: xyz.com for example
-My new legit business entity is called xyz.com CORP, I am thinking Corp instead of ficti biz name/
-I register on eBay as xyz.com CORP
-My username on ebay will be xyzcom (if available)
-all my headers, notifications will be refrence my letig site, xyz.com

I wonder what are the risks of doing it that way...will ebay somehow go to my site, look up what I am selling or have sold, verify my 'contact us' info, do whois lookup on my domain... But all the contact informatoin on the site will match that I used to register on ebay so will domain whois lookup - all items sold on my site are legit.

What do you pros think of this plan?

No feedback, anybody???

Honestly, I'm just starting the same, suspended 2 days ago after 7 years.. and started alreay all those steps.. Just be cautious.. Everything from the past is from the past.. And good luck.. As long as you ever link your name, address, #, SSN, etc... you hould be good to go.. "Forget about any personal information on ebay for life".. plus if you already have all other Internet provider, phones, etc.. changes no more worries..

Good luck ..

I made a Legit eBay and Paypal with the EIN. I had to give my real name same one that was suspended years ago on PayPal. The best thing you can do is get an address in another city and change up everything you can using the stealth method. The reason you have to give your real name is because you if you have over 20k in sales on PayPal they send you a 1099k either through the mail or electronically. A copy of that goes to the IRS. It does not have you Business name on it, it has your name that you have to put on the account. You have more balls than me if you are going to have a 1099K registered under John Doe a copy of that sent to the IRS with the EIN you gave all your personal info to get. Maybe a LLC is different someone else would have to chime in because I have never seen that option.

I did exactly what you are attempting to do, sadly they still ask for personal info on ebay and paypal, Name of business owner. I gave them my legit name and I havent had a problem yet. I only sell legit stuff and in the 2 years ive had this business account ive only had 1 paypal case open.

Same deal, haven't had any problem thus far. But I did try to change my info as much as I could. But you do have to give them your legit name.

Ya but ein is to register a business not a person. Otherwise they would just use Ssn.

SS# is out of the equition since I will not be using at all - it'll be corporate/business EIN

Did you give exact same spelling and variation of your name or small veriation? if Thomas...Tommy etc? just curious

That's encouraging to hear, what did you as far as technical stuff, IP addrs, machines, routers??? anything I need to know?

but you did a fictious business name tho..not a corp - correct? otherwise it would have your corp name on it, no ?

I am looking at my 1099k it has my name on it. Not my business name. And yes, you do still have to give them your name on eBay as well. EIN and all.

That has to do with registering with the state. Some states you don't even need a fictitious name statement. My PayPal account has my company name then my name in parenthesis. But on the 1099k is has my name solely, nothing else about my business name. If you have a Corporation you might be able to register another way but I am pretty sure it is the same for everyone. A corporate account might be something you have to call eBay and PayPal to talk to someone directly about.

Yes, it was the same spelling. I did change the address to another city. Made sure everything else was different. That really was one thing that I could not avoid. It may have helped that there was about a 5 year gap from when my account got shut down until I made the new one a few years ago.

I got new everything before I even attempted to re-register

There is still a potential for paypal to ask for a SSN even if the account has supplied EIN info.

You must bear that in mind.

I would consider looking at other options in making your business account... a partner maybe
:spy:

New partner for the SS purpose you mean?

So far ebsell, it sounds like you are making the right call on everything. Get a corp ( or LLC), EIN, new information, etc.

Two things I want to add to help you out:

1) You never need to give paypal the owner's info. Once you register as a business and provide an EIN, they will only ask for the person in charge of the account (point of contact). How many successful business have the owner running such trivial stuff as the Paypal account.

2) If you are real serious about the business you should avoid a CA Corp. For taxation and privacy purposes they are among the worst. Consider a Nevada or Delaware Corp.

What GreenBean said is such a truism that it that it should never even be spoken. It is like saying that paypal and ebay could always limit any account for any reason. It is one of those things that is unlikely to happen but is always a possibility with stealth so it need not be worried about or made to be something you have to find a workaround for. What GreenBean is saying is you should consider wearing a bullet proof vest all day everyday because you know there is always a chance of a stray bullet hitting you in the chest.

Thanks Mogul,
I'll update everyone how it'll go, though I'll register for paypal as business, I can't just put anyones name on the contact information, can I? To say that Joe Shmoe works for the company...then paypal may ask for Joe's contact information...

Joe Shmoe's contact info will be the info you give Paypal as the business info. Your PO BOX address is his office, the phone number is his direct line, etc. It is the same thing as giving them your info, only you won't get linked. Don't think Paypal does not link business accounts to personal accounts.

From someone who has done this. If you use a name other than your own you are making a mistake. When you get your 1099k at the end of the year it will have Joe Schmo's name on it and that will have been filed with the IRS. Good luck explaining that one to them. EIN and all it doesn't matter.

Yep, that might be a problem that nobody wants to have including me :)

also, meant to ask, how Nevada corp with CA address/contact info will work out, simply don't know..maybe it wont matter but wonder if anyone done that?

As long as you are not a sole proprietor, the form should come with the business name and the EIN. If it is governed by the EIN and it has the personal info on it, that is a mistake on the part of Paypal, if you are not operating as a sole proprietor. That is saying that the EIN is the tax identification number for an individual rather then a business thereby making it a social security number. Imagine a non-shareholding CFO having to declare the revenues of a corporation against his personal taxation.

Even if Paypal is putting the personal info on the 1099-K, there is nothing to explain. As long as you report that income, you have committed no offense. You decided to maintain your privacy by not giving Paypal you personal info which is your right. This only becomes an offense when the purpose of doing so is to evade paying taxes. You never have to provide the 1099-K copy to the IRS if you do what most people do and E-file and if you are ever audited they will look at the numbers only and not the person's info on the 1099. What are they going to do: claim you payed someone else's taxes and and throw you in jail for tax over payment.

Most people here are not using business Paypal accounts and will be classified as a sole proprietor and receive the 1099-K with a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ name on it. They will never have committed any offense as long as they pay their taxes on it. It is not a crime to give a non-government/non-financial institution ⊗⊗⊗⊗ info unless your intent is to defraud.

Mogul could be right. Maybe if you register the account as a Corporation it might come differently. The 1099k, everyone has to make a decision but I wouldn't want a tax document where a copy that goes to the IRS with a different name than mine. You might want to consider calling up PayPal anonymously asking them a few questions about registering a Corporate account on PayPal. Tell them you have an employee that is going to be the admin how that works with the 1099k at the end of the year and all that.

Interim update:
-Got a UPS store address in another city
-IP address changed
-Got an EIN number from IRS
-Got fictious business name filed with count...
-Registered with email with new email/office addr/phone
-Got Google phone - now I wonder if that was a 'no, no'
-Registered with Paypal
-Provided Company name/my fictious business name
-Last remaining thing is to open a bank account tomorrow and link it on Paypal
-just FYI, for contact person I used my real name...that could defeat the whole purpose and might be stupid but like I said...I don't want to remain stealth for ever, I have serious plans for the business.

I'll update everyone, once I list my first thing.

Any suggestions so far? You guys have been so much help.

A prepaid phone might be a better option if you are going to all this trouble to get a legit account going again. Google Voice people use for stealth purposes all the time. Really is more what you feel comfortable with. For me doing all this I figured $10 for the phone and $20 every 3 or whatever months to keep the phone active is what it is.

something that is popping up on the radar screen.....

paypal is requiring a LLC's officer's SSN....rats!

Seems to be as of 1st of the year. EIN isn't enough anymore.

If anyone can verify?

actually, that's true, now that think about it, I might even one of those phones...will have to add money to it and put it to good use.

just a quick update on my progress:
-I listed my first item (some old pc part) about 3 weeks ago, then listing got removed asking to call eBay.
-I called them, from my new trac phone, fellow asked what business does, etc..he did some kind of checking then released it, said good to go
-I relisted but did not sell again, besides the point.
-current limit is 10/500

-on paypal I added my new business checking and verified, all good.
-auctions finished now I need to ship
-since I did not have funds in paypal had to transfer from bank which might take 3-5 but paypal KEEPS PROMPTING to pay with credit card.

I do have a business check card, it has business' name and my name since I am signer on account.

Will paypal/ebay find out if they verify business check card, according to bank, they will only get business name.

what do you say?