Last Updated - 6th July 2018
This is a little project that I have been wanting to put together for a few months to put all the most frequently asked questions that I see on the forum and that I get day to day as an account seller and long term member here.
This FAQ is relating to UK eBay & PayPal. There will be some overlap with eBay & PayPal US, but this is aimed towards people running accounts here in the UK
It ties in very well with this thread >
Acronym List
Most comment questions
1 -
I have just been limited on eBay and / or PayPal or I think I am about to be limited! What do I do?!?!
First take a deep breath and count to 10. That is the hard part! The next bit it really easy. Get yourself a copy of the stealth guide and read it. Then read it again! Now your ready to start getting back onto eBay stronger than ever before. You are not alone, we have all be there at one point and nearly everyone I have talked to over the years on the forum is now in a better stronger position than when they got limited.
2 -
How long can a stealth account last
Well that is down to how you run it! It can last many many years with the right care and attention
3 -
How do I add a bank account and will they see my name?
Banks dont share names with PayPal so you just add your bank account just like normal. You can use basic accounts, current accounts and savings accounts. You cannot use ISAs
4 -
What are EU limits?
They are limitations placed on a PayPal account. They are €2500 per year. Now as we are in the UK our exact limitation varies with the exchange rate. At £1650 you will be given a soft limitation which doesn't stop you doing anything and asked for further documents though. At approx £2200 you will be given a hard limitation and you will have to provide documents. If you PM anyone in in the moderation team (purple name) they can point you in the right direction for help
5 -
What is a VCC? Do I need one?
They are virtual cards. Do you need one? No not really, but you dont need an umbrella in rain but it sure as hell helps! We have lots of great sellers here on the
marketplace that can help with VCCs
6 -
I have heard of Entropay. Is it any good?
Its great to make a one off payment on eBay if you dont have enough money in your PayPal to cover your fees. It is no good for adding into PayPal anymore though. It causes account limitations. If you do open a Entropay account make sure to open it in your own real details
7 -
What do I use for an IP? How do I get a new one?
The best place for stealth is without a question
IP Burger. This is Aspkins own VPN service and it really is the Ferrari of the VPN world and who wants to drive a Skoda when they can drive a Ferrari! It has been designed and tailored for use with stealth accounts. There is nothing better available
8 -
Can I not just buy a limit proof account?
I have had this question so many times over the years. There is no such thing as a limit proof account. It just does not exist. You can make yourself limit proof though and run 5/6 accounts, that way if 1 account gets limited it no a big deal and you can just pick up the slack with your other accounts and then make / buy a new account to take the place of the limited account.
9 -
Can I get a VBA? What is a VBA?
VBA stands for virtual bank account. They just do not exist here in the UK
10 -
What about the 200 / $20,000 limit I see mentioned?
That is just for US PayPal. In the UK (or anywhere outside the US) you dont need to worry about that
11 -
What do I do about returns?
It really depends on the value of the item. Low value I just offer my buyers a partial refund and let them keep the item. If they dont accept that then I just issue a full refund and still let them keep the item. For higher value items I will still usually try with a partial refund of some sort, but if the buyer doesn't go for that option then I will arrange for the item to be collect and delivered to my home address. This way I avoid having to put my address into eBay and I still get my item back
12 -
Which banks should I use?
Personally I would stick to main high street banks. Halifax, HSBC, Nationwide, Natwest & RBS for me have all be great over the years. Lloyds is a bit hit and miss. TSB I have not personally tested.
13 -
Can I use a prepaid bank account?
You can do yes, guy like TrasnferWise, Uaccount, Revolut are great but, and its a bit but, they do have a reputation for closing down accounts that get too much money. They also have issues with mismatching names sometimes
14 -
Do I have to track my IP address?
If you use an IP service like
IP Burger then no you don't need to worry about IPs at all! If you use a dongle or home internet though then you do need to make sure you track your IP address carefully to prevent overlap. This thread can help you with that >
Easy Way to Track IP Addresses
15 -
Can I buy things from my stealth seller account?
Yes you can, but that doesnt mean you should. The issue will be how do you get it delivered? Now if you have easy access to an address that you can get mail at that has not been used with eBay or PayPal before then its fine. If you dont though then the best thing to do is use a dedicated buyers account. eBay rarely limits buyers account and these days you dont need a PayPal to have a buyer account. You can make a new eBay even at a banned address so long as its just used for buying. You just need to follow the normal stealth methods and then use a slight name variation. You may then fun any purchases with your own credit or debit card on eBay directly. No need to get PayPal involved.
16 -
Can I sell the same items I used to sell?
On eBay the good news is yes you can! You cannot just copy your old listings though. You need new pictures, new descriptions and new layouts. Make sure to use an EXIF cleaner on your pictures and you can list things you used to list. eBay really doesnt seem to link user accounts by items listed in the same way Amazon does. They use very very different tracking methods.
17 -
How much an I sell?
This is really hard to answer. You can sell as much as you can sell until you get limited really. Sooner or later 99% of accounts will get hit with some sort of limitation. Thankfully they can most the time be overturned. As a rule of thumb I stick to no more than £7,000 per account per month. Now that doesn't sound like a lot, but if you have 10 accounts its suddenly a huge amount and you have 10 times the ability to capture the same buyer. Its so easy to run several accounts there there really is no reason why you dont
18 -
How can I get 10 bank accounts?
Easily! I stick to no more than 4 or 5 accounts with any one bank. If you have say 3 with Natwest, 2 with HSBC, 4 with Halifax then you are already at 10. Its really that easy! Just make sure to not go crazy right away. If you apply for a current account they will effect your credit score. Savings account will not but you still want to pace yourself with it. 1 current account and 2 savings account within the first week is fine with the same bank. The second week you cant then open 2 more savings accounts with another bank. You are then well on your way already!
19 -
Can I withdraw to a card or VCC?
No you cannot in the UK. In the UK you can only withdraw to a UK or a US based bank account.
I am going to keep this upto date as I find more questions that are asked frequently. Its a constant work in progress!
Anyone can ask questions in this thread even if you think its a daft question. Believe me you wont have been the first to ask it and it certainly wont be the daftest question I have ever had! When starting out on your stealth adventure you want to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible and that is exactly what this thread is here to help with and I will make sure to check this thread daily.
