First Stealth Account Questions

[marksters]

I think I have everything set up for my first stealth account:
1) new name- Made up a name associated with EIN business name
2) new mailing address- used street address from a PO Box
3) new phone number- used a new tracfone ($9.99 to buy, $6.67 a month... nice!)
4) new credit card- using prepaid credit card from TD Bank. Registered the card to the stealth name and mailing address.
5) new bank account- using business account associated with EIN at TD Bank. Used my real name on the bank account (hoping any name mismatches don't matter, will likely use bank of America next)
6) new ip address- using new mobile hotspot device
7) new computer- found it easiest to just start brand spanking new with a brand new computer to avoid any possible cookie issues

Questions:
1) Are any of the steps I've taken so far a problem?
2) Does it matter what account I set up first: paypal or ebay?
3) When I go to set up paypal, do I set it up as a personal account and then upgrade to business account, or, set up initially as a business account?

Thanks!

[yankee]

So, you have take a lot of extreme steps. Not a bad thing but not needed. Never need a new PC for ebay for example. A new user account will be needed on your new PC as well for your other accounts anyways. It is very simple and takes a couple minutes at most.

Common names or your real name at a real physical address is often best. Sometimes those PO box addresses will pull a 0-0 selling limit. The good thing is if this happens, you can just open more accounts with real addresses etc..

I strongly suggest not adding a bank account until your account is up and running and you are ready to withdraw funds. It would stink to add it straight away and get a 0-0 limit or loose the account after a week.

I personally would NOT add an EIN until absolute required. Same thing as the bank but much worse if the account does not last.

TD is more and more problematic for miss matched names, but business accounts seem to be OK still. It just happens that TD is not a great business bank based on fees and money holds compared to some other banks. I personally like small banks and credit unions but many big banks are great for stealth also such as BofA, citi, wellsfargo, PNC as a few.

[marksters]

Thanks for quick response

1) New computer: This is for all my stealth accounts. I agree extreme step, but just found it easier to separate stealth vs non stealth accounts. I plan on using the new computer for all stealth accounts I create.

2) Real Physical Address- Do you have any suggestions on what to use? Using friends/family for this isn't an option for me (all of my friends and family have ebay and paypal accounts!). I am in the US.

3) Banking- I plan on using BofA next.

4) Real Name- My last name is very unique. Pretty much everyone with my last name is related to me. I'm scared to use it even with using middle name or nickname. I did us a common name for the ⊗⊗⊗⊗ name.

5) Don't add EIN "until your account is up and running "- Can you please elaborate? What are the order of steps I should take? Open ebay account, open personal paypal account? Won't I need the EIN to verify my paypal account?

Thanks again!

[marksters]

One more question about real physical address- are you saying that using street addressing for po box is still problematic?

The address for the po box uses a unit number.

123 xyz road unit #xyz
anytown USA zipcode

It would probably be pretty easy for ebay and paypal to keep track of all post office street addresses if they wanted. Is that what's happening?

Thanks!

[yankee]

Add the EIN when paypal asks for it for tax reason around 170 items sold or 17K.

Millions of empty houses in the USA. Impossible to run out of unused physical addresses. Ebay requires certain things to be verified to get selling limits. One of those is a real physical address. Not saying your USPS office is not a real address but Commercial addresses often pull 0-0 selling limits, meaning, you can sell anything unless you call in and pass data base questions and you cant do that without having YOUR real name.

Paypal verifies accounts by bank/vba and credit card. EIN is for tax reporting reasons.

[manoverde]

Originally Posted by marksters

I think I have everything set up for my first stealth account:
1) new name- Made up a name associated with EIN business name
2) new mailing address- used street address from a PO Box
3) new phone number- used a new tracfone ($9.99 to buy, $6.67 a month... nice!)
4) new credit card- using prepaid credit card from TD Bank. Registered the card to the stealth name and mailing address.
5) new bank account- using business account associated with EIN at TD Bank. Used my real name on the bank account (hoping any name mismatches don't matter, will likely use bank of America next)
6) new ip address- using new mobile hotspot device
7) new computer- found it easiest to just start brand spanking new with a brand new computer to avoid any possible cookie issues

Questions:
1) Are any of the steps I've taken so far a problem?
2) Does it matter what account I set up first: paypal or ebay?
3) When I go to set up paypal, do I set it up as a personal account and then upgrade to business account, or, set up initially as a business account?

Thanks!

You still need to apply more steps to avoid any problems
example
- Different images
- Delete exif data
- Different descriptions
- Different titles
- Different IP

This is if you had a account before, Just make sure you apply all this important things before you continue

[marksters]

Understood. I didn't realize commercial addresses would be so problematic.

What do you do for ebay returns? Ebay has an automatic return process that requires return to physical address. If I use empty house address, that's quite problematic.

Some buyers will insist on return to the address on file for full buyer protection.

It seems like the physical address is the hardest part of this entire process.

[yankee]

I get so few returns. Less than 1 in 1000 sales. But you can and should opt out of automatic returns. You can add a new address every time if you so choose for a return. PO boxes and other box service are perfect for this.

For cheap items, most members just refund and let them keep the item.

Address is as simple as a copy and paste off of Realtor.com or zillow etc...

[marksters]

I set up my first 2 ebay/paypal accounts using stealth methods and the advice on this thread. I used 2 different common names, 2 different addresses from Zillow, 2 user accounts, 2 Fresh IP addresses, 2 new phone numbers, and 2 new gift cards.

On account 1, I added a bank account on paypal. The paypal account is now verified with bank, credit card, and phone number. I used a personal bank account from bank of America (saving my ein business accounts for when more advanced in this process)

On account 2, I did not add any banking information. Credit card and phone number are verified.

When I look at my ebay accounts, I can't see any selling limits. I look at all the places the forum suggest, and they aren't there yet.

Questions:
1) How long until I see selling limits on the accounts? Do I have $0/$0 accounts and that's why I can't see the limits?
2) When should I link the paypal and ebay accounts? Do I wait until I try to sell an item? Should I try to link them immediately?
3) When should I attempt to list an item for sale. How long should I wait?
4) Is it helpful to make a purchase first on these new ebay accounts?


Special Question for Yankee
1) You recommend not adding banking information until making a withdrawal. I've read elsewhere to not try to make a sale until paypal account is verified. I've also read that you can't verify paypal without a bank account anymore. Should I try making a sale without paypal being verified on my 2nd account?


Thanks again for all the help!

[yankee]

VBA is what most of us use to verify Paypal for assurance not to burn a bank account it the account does not last.

[marksters]

Yankee, what VBA do you recommend?

In ebay Stealth Book, says ally bank or use the forum, and ally bank is now done from what I read.

Do you use prepaid cards that act like bank accounts like amex bluebird?

Please let me know if this information can't be posted to the forum.

Thanks again for all your help.

[road2fame16]

Originally Posted by marksters

Yankee, what VBA do you recommend?

In ebay Stealth Book, says ally bank or use the forum, and ally bank is now done from what I read.

Do you use prepaid cards that act like bank accounts like amex bluebird?

Please let me know if this information can't be posted to the forum.

Thanks again for all your help.

I just registered for a bluebird account and am curious about if it will work as the bank account also. Could it possibly double as a bank account and credit card?

[rsot]

Welcome to the forums OP. Steps look good - I prefer setting up and using PP before working on eB.

@road2fame16 I don't think the bluebird also works as credit card

[marksters]

UPDATE- 1st account

I posted an item for sale on my verified account. Unfortunately, got 5/$500.

Not a good start.....

I asked a few places on the forum about when you can see selling limits. From what I can tell, you can't see selling limits until you actually post your first item for sale.

Any tricks for getting higher starting limits?

I have a few ideas:
1) waiting at least 30 days before posting 1st item to sell
2) making a few purchases on ebay prior to 1st item to sell
3) using common name/address that match on white pages (saw this posted in the forum elsewhere)
4) choosing 1st item from lower risk categories (I chose a consumer electronics category)


Questions:
1) could using TD gift card to verify paypal be a problem? If so, would that be true about all gift cards? I prefer to use gift cards because I can get them without any fees.

[yankee]

5-500 accounts are the norm. Everything else is the exception.

Nothing wrong with 5-500 accounts. List and then sell to your limits, ship instantly and they grow really fast compared to any other new accounts.

[marksters]

Good to know about 5/$500 accounts.

I started process to verify my 2nd stealth account with a personal bank account. I asked paypal to verify by deposit.

I see on my bank account:
directdebit paypal 0.17
directdeposit paypal .07
directdeposit paypal 0.10


Since paypal made a directdebit, did they see the name on the account? If so, it's a mismatch and I'll consider the account dead and move on to the next.

[yankee]

Originally Posted by marksters

Since paypal made a directdebit, did they see the name on the account? If so, it's a mismatch and I'll consider the account dead and move on to the next.

They CAN see the name.
It is NOT a problem in any way as of today. Maybe in the future but highly unlikely.

[marksters]

on my first account, I did verification by logging into my bank account. No directdebit or deposit was made.
Is that a better way for stealth purposes?

[yankee]

Originally Posted by marksters

on my first account, I did verification by logging into my bank account. No directdebit or deposit was made.
Is that a better way for stealth purposes?

Some people think so. I use very small banks and credit unions so it rarely is an option for me.

[marksters]

My main concern is that I don't want to mess up my non-stealth paypal account. I'm concerned that if they see my name, then, it could ultimately lead to a closure of my main paypal account.

While I could probably work around a closure of my non-stealth paypal account, that would be undesireable.

Has anyone ever had paypal accounts linked in this fashion that you know of?

[yankee]

Not once.

Also, paypal/ebay can not link by name alone.

I have 17 pretty robust accounts in my unique name when started. I have a not so common last name, a not that common female first name(being male) that not another person on earth as far as I am aware has being male and I have all those accounts in only 5 zip codes.

My point is that name alone is no link at all. Most people can search facebook for there name and can find hundreds. I can find exactly 5 with four others being female.

[Chadisencoat]

Originally Posted by yankee

They CAN see the name.
It is NOT a problem in any way as of today. Maybe in the future but highly unlikely.

Can PP see the name of your bank account?.

I have always been said and read on these forums that PP cant.