Ebay art gallery transfer of ownership

[snowmass2006]

Hi!  Can you provide a how-to guide on taking over an eBay store after the passing of the owner?  The owner's kids would like to take over the eBay store, which had quite a lot of good reviews over decades, but don't know where to begin or who to call.   Ideally, the owner's sons might like to keep the store going in the same name with all the many good reviews over the years, which as you know is quite valuable on eBay, especially for this kind of business (an art gallery, where reputation matters).  Also, in the last few years, as the owner's health failed, there were a few reviews that were negative (due to the owner being unable to ship things reliably due to his health) - is there any way that ebay can assist in removing the negative feedback?  Please advise can how the sons can contact ebay and what documentation is needed to ensure a smooth transfer of ownership to resuscitate the store (death certificate, etc.).  Thank you!

[powell-memorabilia]

Can’t be done, unless this eBay account was set up as a business entity.  

[hartungcards]

Tell the kids to begin by creating an entirely new account and reading up on eBay's fees before they do anything.  "Taking over" someone else's account is just asking for trouble, headaches, tax implications and oh by the way, good luck getting paid.

[chapeau-noir]

eBay won't remove the negative feedback - the site doesn't adjudicate.

The account can't be transferred. About all the sons can do is start over but reference the previous account experience in some way, but that's basically branding. This is really a shame because it would be nice to carry on the family tradition.

[snowmass2006]

Devon, can you please reply to my post on how to transfer an ebay store to the heirs of someone who passed away?  I believe it was set up as a business account because it was an art gallery:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Ebay-art-gallery-transfer-of-ownership/m-p/34418505#M2387406

[lacemaker3]

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@snowmass2006 wrote:

Hi!  Can you provide a how-to guide on taking over an eBay store after the passing of the owner?  The owner's kids would like to take over the eBay store, which had quite a lot of good reviews over decades, but don't know where to begin or who to call.   Ideally, the owner's sons might like to keep the store going in the same name with all the many good reviews over the years, which as you know is quite valuable on eBay, especially for this kind of business (an art gallery, where reputation matters).  ...

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@snowmass2006,

What you are asking for is against eBay policy. You can't transfer an account from one person to another person. Feedback was earned by the person who owned the account. Transferring that feedback to someone else (who didn't earn it) (even the original owner's heirs) would be fraudulent and dishonest.

eBay does not ... "allow accounts to be transferred or sold."

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/selling/selling-ebay-account?id=4134

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@snowmass2006 wrote:

...

Also, in the last few years, as the owner's health failed, there were a few reviews that were negative (due to the owner being unable to ship things reliably due to his health) - is there any way that ebay can assist in removing the negative feedback?  ...

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No.  Think what you are asking ... especially in context of what you asked for immediately before.

eBay cannot and will not remove negative feedbacks that were honestly earned by the seller, when he did not provide good customer service. That would be fraudulent and dishonest.

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@snowmass2006 wrote:

... Please advise can how the sons can contact ebay and what documentation is needed to ensure a smooth transfer of ownership to resuscitate the store (death certificate, etc.).  Thank you!

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They need to provide the death certificate so that eBay can close down the seller's account. The store, and the seller's account, can not be "resuscitated". It will be/needs to be closed down.

[isaiah53-57]

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@snowmass2006 wrote:

Hi!  Can you provide a how-to guide on taking over an eBay store after the passing of the owner?  The owner's kids would like to take over the eBay store, which had quite a lot of good reviews over decades, but don't know where to begin or who to call.   Ideally, the owner's sons might like to keep the store going in the same name with all the many good reviews over the years, which as you know is quite valuable on eBay, especially for this kind of business (an art gallery, where reputation matters).  Also, in the last few years, as the owner's health failed, there were a few reviews that were negative (due to the owner being unable to ship things reliably due to his health) - is there any way that ebay can assist in removing the negative feedback?  Please advise can how the sons can contact ebay and what documentation is needed to ensure a smooth transfer of ownership to resuscitate the store (death certificate, etc.).  Thank you!

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@snowmass2006

I personally would be very careful with what venue(s) you decide to spend time on - The cost of selling online is skyrocketing - ebay charges around 13.5% of the ENTIRE TRANSACTION (which includes the cost of shipping and sales tax) and they "Recommend" you Promote your listing at likely another 10% to 18% of(once again) the entire transaction, bringing your fees to upwards of 25% to 30% of the entire transaction, which could equate to 40% to 50% of the items sale price if the shipping cost is high(which it likely would be for framed art). Plus they have a 100% money back guarantee here where you would be on the hook for shipping both ways if the buyer decided they didnt want it and craftily used "not as described" as a reason for a return.

Some sites are more suitable for art than others - Some specialize in art and handmade items and you would likely keep more money for yourself on some sites than others with less risk. 

Online sales is not what it used to be thats for sure - We sold here for close to 20 years and now we sell locally and are all the better for it - Weigh your options wisely so you dont get vested in a bad situation...

[broto_64]

Running a business is not for the faint of heart, unless the owner's sons actually ran the business with him for many years before his passing they would likely be going into this without any experience. And unfortunately much as Hollywood would like us to believe otherwise, simply "taking over" someone else's business is anything but "simple."

His sons would have to be trained, and unfortunately the one and only trainer is deceased.

Nobody on this planet knows how that man ran his gallery, but I can assure you every business owner runs their business in ways so unique that only they can run it. So unique in fact even customers can sense when someone else is at the helm, without even setting foot in the proverbial store.

There do exist businesses where employees and family members make up the crew, those types of businesses can at times survive without the owner's presence, merely because everyone knows their job(s) and so long everyone keeps doing what they're supposed to do... On the other hand once the cat is away... Someone still needs to guide the business, man the rudder so to speak, and without an owner who can do so proficiently it usually doesn't take forever for even this example of a take over to ultimately either fail or just slowly but surely grind to a halt.

I am sorry, but what the other sellers are saying is true, I was simply more eloquent about it but ultimately the only way for anyone to "take over" this man's business would be to start with the inventory and set up shop with that.

[chapeau-noir]

@snowmass2006  Getting back to the original question, I did a little poking around. Apparently, if the eBay account is considered an asset of a business and the business is sold, it may be possible to also transfer the account, as an asset, to the new business owner. The account would apparently have to documented as one of many assets, though (I aggregated this so no specific link). 

I think this would be very difficult to prove and you would need to talk to a contract law attorney.

To my mind, simply setting up a new account and doing some skilful branding would be easier, but you may want to pursue at least some legal advice.

[toysaver]

Feedback is personally earned and nobody else can ever use it.   Just like a prison sentence, it can't be transferred.   The sons can certainly take ownership of the inventory if it was willed to them and start earning their own reputation.   

[bennotbill]

There was a long post about this subject on the UK forum. The reps answer was a blunt no with no explanation. Which made no sense as it was about selling a company where the eBay shop was an asset of that company.

As the eBay shop etc was all in the name of the company nothing would be really changing as far as eBay goes, and anyway no one would know if the change was made or not.

[ten_o_nine]

Here's a step-by-step guide to help them take over the eBay store:

1. Gather necessary documents:
- Death certificate
- Proof of relationship (birth certificate, will, or probate documents)
- Power of Attorney (if applicable)
- ID and proof of address for the sons
2. Contact eBay Customer Service:
- Call eBay's customer service.
- Explain the situation and ask to speak with a representative who handles estate transfers
- Be prepared to provide the necessary documents and information
3. Verify the account:
- eBay will guide the sons through the verification process to ensure they are the rightful heirs
- They may need to provide additional documentation or information to confirm their identity and relationship to the deceased owner
4. Transfer ownership:
- Once verified, eBay will assist in transferring ownership of the store to the sons
- They will need to create a new eBay account or use an existing one to take over the store
5. Address negative feedback:
- eBay may consider removing negative feedback left during the owner's health issues, as it's not a reflection of the sons' performance
- The sons can contact eBay's customer service and explain the situation, providing context and supporting documentation (e.g., medical records or proof of the owner's health issues)
6. Update store information:
- The sons should update the store's profile, contact information, and shipping details to reflect the new ownership
7. Communicate with buyers:
- Consider sending a message to buyers and subscribers explaining the situation and the transition to new ownership
- This can help manage expectations and maintain trust in the store

Documentation required:

- Death certificate
- Proof of relationship (birth certificate, will, or probate documents)
- Power of Attorney (if applicable)
- ID and proof of address for the sons
- eBay account information (new or existing)

eBay's Customer Service and Trust & Safety teams will guide the sons through the process and assist with any necessary steps to transfer ownership and address negative feedback. By following these steps, the sons can successfully take over the eBay store, maintain its reputation, and continue the legacy of their father's business.

[snowmass2006]

OMG thank you so very much!  I am thrilled to see this and I have forwarded it onto my friend.    Surely his dad is smiling down on us all.  Thank you for your kindess!