eBay business details...

[WaterBottle]

So my question is i want to register myself as a sole trader on the stealth guide it says you can use DBA also known as "Trading As" in the UK.

But on all business sellers accounts on eBay they got abit at the bottom where it shows contact details, obviously i can't use my old name - so do i use my trading as name or business name instead? and same goes for paypal name?

Have i just answered my own question here?

[Thankful]

Good question, seems as if you've answered it yourself.

[GrannyT]

You've answered your own question

[JomJarr]

If you don't mind me asking... Do you need to do anything 'official' to register a Trading As name in the UK as a sole trader for using with Eb/PP? i.e. do they check? (I'll be googling it in a second - Update: seems not).

I'd imagine that an official record would reveal my real details... so I'm guessing not, hence their possible request at a later date for docs?

I'm already sefl-employed by the way - so I guess the Trading As would only be something that gets entered on my self assessment? My main aim is to trade on eB as a real business using several @@@@ accounts as the usual back-ups.

[sokol3k]

hmm i was thinking to open business acc too... but rumors says, if you open business acc then ebay is looking at you closer etc.. this is what someone mentioned on this forum. I might be wrong too. I have no exp in business stealth ...

[JomJarr]

Others say that in the UK, business accs receive less scrutiny.

Sounds like it is country dependent.

I would think that if you want to actually run a business and you're only running stealth because of previous problems then you should actually run as a legitimate business, just with the stupid need for stealth because of the eb/pp idiots that run the thing..

[NoneOther]

Running a legitimate business using stealth is entirely feasible, no problem at all.

Most accounts that are run well or professionally in the case of business accounts receive less scrutiny. It's all about staying under the radar.

If anyone is preoccupied by e/b or p/p looking at their accounts too closely then I would guess that they are sailing pretty close to the wind regarding what is known to draw their attention.

[GrannyT]

There is only one reason to run a business account - and that is because you are a business

Ebay will not like you selling lots of the same things on a personal account will they?

If you are a business you should act like a business in all of your dealings with EB and PP. They will expect to see large numbers of the same item being sold, they like to see you promoting your business - n other words acting in a businesslike manner

In the final analysis they earn their money by you doing well and sticking to the rules - simples!!

[JomJarr]

Maybe there is an obvious answer to this next question then (please don't let me have to read between the lines with an answer - I'm not good at that and end up nonethewiser) but does that mean they would expect you to have a business bank account too?

Will they even be able to tell or notice?

Might go and do that tomorrow, open one that is but surely it's then harder to have multiple business bank accounts for multiple stealth?

In my mind you end up running a stealth eB business acc as a one off so becomes more of a blow if it's limited . Is this a bit of a self-limiting mind set?

I would expect a business seller to begin selling multiple items straight away but of course this runs contrary to normal stealth teachings.

[NoneOther]

They cannot tell whether it is a business or private bank account, all they know is the sort code and account number.

As GT says above the only reason to run a business account is because you are a business, stealth or real is not really an issue.

What e/b and p/p would expect is for you to be seen as running a professional business and al that it entails.

What you list, how often and how much again is dependant on your product/s or range, not all businesses list hundreds of item per month.