Multiple Seller Accounts?

[anicept]

Hello!  I'd like some advice on having multiple accounts for selling separate types of items.  I'd like to separate certain items from my current account and start another account for them.  I understand that I would need a separate email, bank account, and that violations on one account (I've never had any) might jeapordize the second account.  Pitfalls?  Any experience you can share would be greatly appreciated!  Thank you!

JE

[stainlessenginecovers]

Why bother? 

99% of buyers could care less who they buy from.

99% of buyers even know a seller has a store.

The 'other' 1% have NO clue how to find that store, since ebay has done such a masterful job of hiding stores. 

Simply NOT worth all the trouble. 

If you have a store, just do 'different categories'. 

If you don't, list away, as again, buyers don't care. 

[stephenmorgan]

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@anicept wrote:

Hello!  I'd like some advice on having multiple accounts for selling separate types of items.  I'd like to separate certain items from my current account and start another account for them.  I understand that I would need a separate email, bank account, and that violations on one account (I've never had any) might jeapordize the second account.  Pitfalls?  Any experience you can share would be greatly appreciated!  Thank you!

JE

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I am not sure you will need a separate bank account but it may make it easer for you to keep track of sales.

I have two accounts.  Starting a new account you will most likely get restrictions for the new account and have money holds for a while.  I think eBay may give consideration on how you had administered your primary account as to determining the restrictions they will place on you new account.  

My first account had no listing limits or money holds.  My new account from three years ago I had listing restrictions and money holds for a year.  The money holds have since been lifted but I still have listing restrictions.  I am ok with the listing restrictions because it is such a generous amount that I have only used about 50%.

[rockflyrs_digital]

All you need is a separate email account. All other things can be the same. You just cannot use it to circumvent allotted monthly listings or to shill bid your other account.

Some people also have 2 accounts so they can keep their buying and selling separate. But using multiple accounts is actually pretty smart if you want to organize different product lines. For example: if all the items in one are nearly the same with understandable variables. Say you choose to only sell records. Every record in that store is similar in weight and size. The only real variable is the musical artist.  So you now have a record storefront that is simple for universal flat rate shipping and easily allows combining orders (This saves the buyer money. They love it, eBay not so much).

I find that if you are not a junk drawer style seller, having a store directed at a specific target audience is very helpful in leading to multiple buys and return buyer sales. In addition, it is easy to update a shipping rate increases in one fell swoop. I just did this yesterday when USPS raised ground advantage prices another 8% (with the same less than stellar service).

Give it a try and if it is not to your liking or becomes too cumbersome to manage, you just take it down.

Good Luck.

[caldreamer]

Why would you want a second account?   You already have many followers and good feedback on your first account.   Why would you want to start all over to establish your reputation?

[tarotfindsandmore]

I currently have two accounts, but one is strictly for buying at this point.  I originally set up the second account with the intention of using it to sell lower ticket, pre-owned items but found it incredibly annoying.  It takes time to build up enough business for it to be worth it and it just didn't make sense to pay for/maintain two stores.  

There's also the matter of your reputation as a seller, which will be back to square one.  Having had five accounts now since 1997--a buying account and a selling account from 1997 until 2009 in the U.S., a buying/selling account in the U.K. from 2009 until 2011, and my two current accounts which I set up in 2012 and 2017 back here in the U.S.--I can tell you that this is a much bigger nuisance than it would seem.  Every time you start over, you have to take all the same licks you did as a new seller the first time around.   Buyers and sellers will not know you're you, so you will have both groups playing all the games that people do with noobs.  To this day, I get guff even from folks on this board for being new to ebay.

While it may seem that keeping separate product lines/types will make things easier, it just doesn't.  Unless you're selling thousands of items every month, there doesn't seem to be any real advantage to it.  If you really want to separate product lines, you can do so with your store.  Use your Featured Categories to separate your "departments" and arrange your inventory storage accordingly.

[funfactorychannel]

As long as you keep inventory control it should be fine.

I do two stores.

1 for normal price collectibles items

1 for low cost yard sale

[angelno_12]

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@anicept wrote:

I understand that I would need a separate email, bank account, and that violations on one account (I've never had any) might jeapordize the second account.  Pitfalls?  Any experience you can share would be greatly appreciated!  Thank you!

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I have multiple selling accounts and they are all linked to the same bank account. But that was 5 years ago, so I have no idea if that is still possible. 

[jonathanbrightlight]

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@angelno_12 wrote:

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@anicept wrote:

I understand that I would need a separate email, bank account, and that violations on one account (I've never had any) might jeapordize the second account.  Pitfalls?  Any experience you can share would be greatly appreciated!  Thank you!

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I have multiple selling accounts and they are all linked to the same bank account. But that was 5 years ago, so I have no idea if that is still possible. 

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It is. The only thing that must be unique about each account is the email address. All your personal and banking information can be the same across 5 accounts if you want (I have seen at least one person on these boards day that they sold on 5 or more accounts).