How do ebay decide you need to register as a business?

Tara100

Hi

I realise if you are selling clothes in multiple sizes for instance then ebay would eventually ask for an account to change from private to personal, but I'm trying to find out if there's a financial trigger on personally owned items?

I have started ebaying (I used to sell odds and ends in the past) but have now sold 62 items with a sales total of £1,500 worth in 5 weeks. None of the items were new and were all mine.

I have a large house that I plan to sell later this year, and I'm downsizing to a 2 bedroomed house. I've hoarded for over 10 years, and I'm slowly getting through being rid of my junk!

I'm concerned that I'll be asked to upgrade to a business account, when I don't want to, and in my circumstances, it wouldn't be fair. I've never bought to sell, I am just changing my lifestyle. If I am made a business seller, then I lose the free listings etc, and as I am genuinely selling my own personal goods, I don't want to lose this and other offers.

I've sold my best bits and the rest is low value antique furniture, and ceramics (erm 6 rooms full!)
Does anyone know if I keep selling at a rate of say £150 a week, if this will trigger ebay's enforcement of business registration?

Thanks!

soolin

It is completely hit and miss, I have one competitor who sells with a business name, shows a business shop address and lists more than me who has been a private seller for years.

Clothes seem to be the trigger, for some reason eBay seem to pay more attention to people selling quantities of clothes, so just spread them out a bit.

in_my_wellies

I am in a similar position to you OP. My husband passed away and I began selling his vast collections of all sorts of stuff. I suppose I was selling about £500 a month.
After about 18 months I received an email from Ebay. I can't remember the exact wording but I understood it was asking me if I was a business. Probably alerted because many of the items were similar.
They asked me to confirm that the items were private items from my household and I just told them that they were, where they came from and why I was selling. I completed a form. I didn't hear anything else.

RFW

It's not relevant to me but it may be worth pointing out the differences between a business and private account.

As far as I can recall you lose on some things but gain on others, it isn't such a big problem to be registered as a business on Ebay, you still won't be registered as one with HMRC.

If you're shifting volume, even briefly, it may be an advantage to be a business account and then you can downgrade later.

I'm a little out of the loop on personal charges so I may very well be wrong!

Tara100

Thank you both.

I'm intrigued by your post 'In your Wellies' 😊
I thought that ebay made contact to say you have to change selling status with no other option if you want to sell. I didn't realise they will actually give you a chance to put your side forward.
I did think of taking photos of all my clutter (I mean treasures, ha ha) but then thought that it wouldn't prove they were unwanted personal goods - I could have done a house clearance and strategally placed a zillion things in the house. Far-fetched I know, but pics wouldnt prove anything really.

I find the listing / wrapping / posting stressful enough as it is, so fingers crossed they'll not be bothered with me

Thanks again!

Tara100

RFW wrote: »

It's not relevant to me but it may be worth pointing out the differences between a business and private account.

As far as I can recall you lose on some things but gain on others, it isn't such a big problem to be registered as a business on Ebay, you still won't be registered as one with HMRC.

If you're shifting volume, even briefly, it may be an advantage to be a business account and then you can downgrade later.

I'm a little out of the loop on personal charges so I may very well be wrong!

Hi there

I did some googling and went on the eBay forums earlier. Once you are registered as a business seller, you can never go back - crazy!
You could have a private account alongside it I believe, but then I'd have to start with no feedback again, and as a buyer (well no more of course!) I think it matters.

soolin

in_my_wellies wrote: »

I am in a similar position to you OP. My husband passed away and I began selling his vast collections of all sorts of stuff. I suppose I was selling about £500 a month.
After about 18 months I received an email from Ebay. I can't remember the exact wording but I understood it was asking me if I was a business. Probably alerted because many of the items were similar.
They asked me to confirm that the items were private items from my household and I just told them that they were, where they came from and why I was selling. I completed a form. I didn't hear anything else.

Tara100 wrote: »

Thank you both.

I'm intrigued by your post 'In your Wellies' 😊
I thought that ebay made contact to say you have to change selling status with no other option if you want to sell. I didn't realise they will actually give you a chance to put your side forward.
I did think of taking photos of all my clutter (I mean treasures, ha ha) but then thought that it wouldn't prove they were unwanted personal goods - I could have done a house clearance and strategally placed a zillion things in the house. Far-fetched I know, but pics wouldnt prove anything really.

I find the listing / wrapping / posting stressful enough as it is, so fingers crossed they'll not be bothered with me

Thanks again!

I was surprised as well, I have never heard of eBay asking someone if they were a business. All the ones I have ever come across had no choice, upgrade or don't list again.

in_my_wellies

It was a while ago so I can't remember the exact wording but when I read it I do remember thinking they thought I was a business and panicking a bit because I'm not and didn't want to feel I had to list all the time to keep a shop up to date. Maybe I was just responding to a general enquiry and I was mistaken
On the form I completed I did refer to the fact that my listings state the items were from a large collection and also referred them to my late husbands Ebay closed account where they could see he had purchased many of the items. I'm not sure how much they would check?
I have looked for the messages but can't find them, it was about 2012.
One thing I do know is I definitely don't buy in stuff to sell. I still have enough 'junk' of my own to keep me busy enough. Good luck OP

Tara100

Thanks Wellies

pleasedelete

I have sold over £100,000 on ebay but over 14 years and never been asked if I am a business (I am not)