posted on August 21, 2002 07:25:24 AM
I've been selling on e-bay for over 3 years. My feedback is over 1000 with 2 negs from 2 years ago. One of the negs was a
mistake and the buyer responded to his statement that it was a mistake. The other was from a person who bought something, tried to alter it and failed, and gave a neg when I was a bit late refunding her money. (99% of my feedback is from buyers.)
My problem is this. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I'll only be able to do e-bay full time for a couple more weeks. After that, I'll be effectively out of business. I might manage an occasional sale, but that's it.
I know it's against e-bay rules to auction an ebay ID, but is it illegal? I worked very hard building this ID, and it really seems a shame to just throw it away. Kinda like throwing away the equity on my house.
Buying a trusted brand name is common in big business. It happens all the time and no one cares. Why is ebay different?
With all the time, sweat and determination I've put into my user name, don't I deserve to profit just a little?
I haven't decided whether or not I would actually sell my ID. It's just something I've been thinking about.
posted on August 21, 2002 07:57:33 AM
Somewhere in Ebay's User Policy they say you can't sell, or auction your userid. My suggestion is to give it to a friend who could continue using it to sell. You might be able to work out some sort of compensation between you and your friend.
I don't see why Ebay would have a problem as long as you didn't auction it off.
posted on August 21, 2002 08:14:15 AM
I've worked fairly hard to Brand my name (dejapooh.com will take you to my ebay page, I post in newsgroups about my field, so on). I've built a fairly large customer base who look for my auctions, and who rely on me to deal with them fairly. I would not sell that because it is now associated with my name to a fair number of people.
posted on August 21, 2002 08:16:58 AMI haven't decided whether or not I would actually sell my ID. It's just something I've been thinking about.
The ID's reputation is something you've build and created a value in. That is the product of your work and should be worth something.
BUT
If a lowlife is able to purchase an established and reputable eBay ID they can do a lot of damage to buyers. That would hurt existing legitimate sellers.
posted on August 21, 2002 09:12:24 AM
selling a userid is a very bad idea in my eyes. reputation is established and built not bought. someone out there who wants to scam people could buy your name and use the good reputation to hurt buyers.
if someone wants the good reputation you have established they need to start the same way everyone else did.
posted on August 21, 2002 09:32:31 AM
I believe that selling or transferring your ID/feedback is allowed by eBay. Sorry but I don't have time to search out the link. Personally I think it's a little misleading.
posted on August 21, 2002 10:00:30 AM
If you sold it as part of a business there isn't much Ebay can say just as if one of the larger company was bought out their Ebay name would be part of the sale.
As long as you don't auction it on Ebay legally I think it is possible
Joe B
posted on August 21, 2002 10:47:36 AMAs long as you don't auction it on Ebay legally I think it is possible
I don't know if it's legal or not, but it is a violation of the eBAy user agreement to transfer or sell your eBay user ID.
Membership Eligibility. Our services are available only to individuals who can form legally binding contracts under applicable law. Without limiting the foregoing, our services are not available to minors or to temporarily or indefinitely suspended eBay members. If you are a minor, you can use this service only in conjunction with your parents or guardians. If you do not qualify, please do not use our services. Further, your eBay account (including feedback) and User Id may not be transferred or sold to another party. If you are registering as a business entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind the entity to this Agreement.
posted on August 21, 2002 10:58:13 AM
The big different here is that a business is perceived as a business.
ebay accounts are perceived as a person. A 1:1 ratio. Whether this is 100% the truth is obviously irrelevant.
I don't see where accounts, even if named as such, are set up for a business. They still tie to a single person.
So if Clara opens up an account for ClownCookies, the account is still Clara's, not the business. Even if Clara's sister Gertie handles all the online stuff after Clara set up the account, it is still Clara's account. Even if it reads ClownCookies on ebay. There is still the perception, rightly so, that that account corresponds to a real live human. (Hence why we get so many buyers forgetting we are trying to run a business and trying to alter shipping and terms after the sale).
If Nabisco swoops in and bought ClownCookies and Clara retired to the Bahamas, it would be completedly improper for Nabisco to continue to use the ClownCookies ebay account. Why? Because it was always Clara's account and never the property of ClownCookies. The account was setup by Clara, for her use. She chose to use it to sell her wares, but you see the difference.
If ebay wanted to setup business accounts, where they are marked as such and perceived as being BUSINESSES, regardless of the personal entity behind the account, THEN the account should stay with the business no matter who owned it.
In short, it would be unethical of you to sell the account first and foremost because you agreed to those terms as part of setting up the account. So no matter how you want to spin it or justify it, you agreed, end of story.
Secondly, it would be a misrepresentation to the buying community who peceived your ID as being you, the person. Allowing a person to take over that role and thus your personal reputation is a fraud pure and simple. It would be a con-artists dream to take over your account, because you just aided him in deceiving the public that he was trustworthy.
posted on August 22, 2002 12:40:24 AM
Ethics aside,
Assuming that you can't change or alter the member’s details,
Are you willing to accept all and any future claim$ or charges for auction fees which ebay may make to you, as a result of the new ID owner's activities??
posted on August 22, 2002 03:43:53 AM
I think twinsoft is correct because the same thing has been discussed several times here at AW through the years.
Here's an old thread on the subject
posted on August 22, 2002 01:58:31 PM
Sell it, it is part of your business and represents the GoodWill you have built in it.
Ebay wont know anyways, easy to change the account info. And as for scammers..they dont need to buy an id..I bet if I started a new id and put 10 laptops up at a good price I would sell them all.
