Pre-flight check questions for stealth names

[Unimatrix Zero]

Hi Everyone

I’m now very close to getting my stealth ‘buying only’ account up and running and have a question regards to stealth names and addresses.

So far the following are now in place:

• A brand new broadband account with a new IP address
• A new Pay-as-you-go SIM card for my phone with a new phone number
• A completely new laptop that has never been used for ebay or paypal
• A new EntroPay VCC (in my real name and real home address)
• A new CC to use for topping-up the EntroPay VCC (in my real name and real home address)

Next steps:

• Create ‘stealth’ paypal account
o Link EntroPay VCC to stealth paypal account (I will not be linking a bank account to this stealth paypal account, only the EntroPay VCC will be linked) This will be a buying and bidding only account, No selling.
o Use stealth name
o Use my real work address
o Use new Pay-as-you-go phone number
o Use stealth DOB

• Create ‘stealth’ ebay account
o Use stealth name
o Use my real work address

Questions for the group:

When creating a stealth name is it best to alter your First name or Surname?

I plan to use the French spelling of my first name which is only one letter different from my name in English and use my surname as it is. I have quite an uncommon surname and worry that this could be a problem?

I need to ensure that our post room is still able to deliver items to my desk and if my stealth names are too different they may get returned by our post room thinking this person does not work here.

Many thanks
UZ

[Play]

Firstly, your setup is pretty on point, especially considering its for a buying account on eBay, you should be able to sail through.

Start off by making purchases like phone cases or screen protectors, dont jump into buying expensive electronics. Let the account mature and age, just to maintain a low risk.

Back to topic - I think your good to go. But I would let someone else chime in just in case I've missed something.

[ilcarletto]

For a "buying only" account all the above is way over estimated.

It is forum general opinion that "buying only" accounts are not so heavily stressed by eB/PP. I have personal experience in my country where I have a stealth buying only account absolutely linked to my suspended address and working fine since a few years now.

If you plan to have quite a high traffic as buyer, I might be wrong but generally "buying only" account are left live their life.

Anyway, a brand new PC is not necessary even for seller stealth. A new user account on the banned PC will do or some kind of virtual machine (VMware or similar)

If that's your setup it will work fine.
You can have any name you want, or you can use your title and initials if need be - Mr A smith for example.

As mentioned buying accounts are not that heavily policed, so you will be fine.

[rsot]

If your surname is not so common, why not consider altering that too?

Good steps in place - yes, it's a buying account but who knows....maybe later you will want to sell on it? So, good to be proactive

[Play]

Originally Posted by just_smile

You can have any name you want, or you can use your title and initials if need be - Mr A smith for example.

hmm... I've gone down the initial route twice, and got imposed with limitations.

Did it with a PayPal account, account limited as they weren't happy, the chap on the phone said straight up it was because I used initials.

Did it with eBay on another occasion recently, they imposed temporary selling restrictions until I could prove my identity, though the buying side of things continued to work.

In essence you don't want any form of restriction, even if you wont be selling.

[Unimatrix Zero]

Thanks everyone for your feedback and apologies for my delayed response (off sick with the dreaded lurgy)

I guess I am going over the top for a ‘buying/bidding only’ account, but I believe I was an unfortunate victim of the ebay security hacking back in 2014 that was all over the news at the time. I had a spotless buying/bidding account of some 9 years and believe my account was hacked as my user name had changed and I could no longer log in. I ask ebay to close this account as I feared it had been compromised, which they were happy to do. I then opened a new account (which based on my circumstances was told by ebay would be fine) and then all hell started to break loose. I bid for something using the new account and was then suspended as they needed proof of ID – for a bid. I provided this and the account was un-suspended. I bid again the following month and then received the following death nail from ebay:

“Your eBay account has been suspended indefinitely because you breached the terms of your reinstatement agreement. Because you continued to list potentially infringing items on eBay, we cannot permit further use of this account.”

A week after this happened the news broke of the ebay security hacking.

It’s scary as I had ‘never’ used my previous account or this new account for ever selling a single item, but ebay reckoned I did… Tried to discuss this over the phone, but was told their decision was final and they just hung up the phone, nice ethical company –not.

Thank goodness for this group to help us victims to still use the services of ebay which I still detest as a company.

Cheers
UZ

Originally Posted by Play

hmm... I've gone down the initial route twice, and got imposed with limitations.

Did it with a PayPal account, account limited as they weren't happy, the chap on the phone said straight up it was because I used initials.

Did it with eBay on another occasion recently, they imposed temporary selling restrictions until I could prove my identity, though the buying side of things continued to work.

In essence you don't want any form of restriction, even if you wont be selling.

My advice was tailored for a buying account only.