# quick ebay question



## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

For those that have experience selling on eBay:

Would you recommend using an existing eBay ID that has 100% positive feedback (over 100) with an id that is totally unrelated to the products being sold, or a new eBay ID that relates closely to the product being sold and the website you can buy them from, but only has 1 positive feedback?

Does it matter that much that the eBay id doesn't relate to the products being sold?

I'm thinking that the eBay ID with the highest feedback is the best choice overall?


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## monkeylantern (Oct 16, 2005)

If you plan to use that id exclusively for the new product, I'd use the old account, and change the eBay id to a new name (as it's always best to have your website and eBay id the same....one of the few ways of advertising off-eBay sales).

Unless you're jumping from selling $5 craft kits to $4000 plasma tvs, the differing product on your feedback should present no real problems. If you're leaping price brackets, people will presume the account hijacked.

It will take far less time to push those old products to page 2 of your feedback than to establish confidence in a fresh id.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

Thanks, Nick!

I was wondering if I should change my eBay id to a new name. I'm not sure if I'm going to do eBay long term for my shirts, but I figure it couldn't hurt during the holidays to take them up on their 30 day free trial for an eBay store.

my current eBay ID is pretty useless, but I wondered if that "id has changed" icon would turn off some buyers.


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## Shuffy (Sep 3, 2005)

Rodney, 

if the user ID has well established feedback (100+) plus the length of time as an ebay member in good standings -- changing the ID doesn't make much matter, ... many many established bidders don't really care about the name -- personal experience has shown, especially in this pass year . . that bidders are checking the feedback % and feedback comments... Newbies are just that ... new... to the system . . they are worried about cc use over the net and making sure they click the right buttons and making sure that they won what they really really wanted . . 

changing the user ID at point in time . . especially for the holidays . . well . . it will take 30 days for that little icon dude to proof off the face of your listing information . .

I have 4 ebay ID's ... I use 3 for selling and one for bidding/buying ...
What I have done in the pass .. set up a buyers ID, just to gain the feedback and then open up that ID to selling after enough time and feedback has been established

though, my 1st and main sellers account is the one I baby, that account is almost 8 years old . . 

Diane


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## monkeylantern (Oct 16, 2005)

I have 3 eBay accounts. Sadly, my two very established ones are my buying id (I have no wish for people to know how much I just bought the thing they're buying was!), and a selling id that is in a very diffeent market, and is the same name as my other website.

When I restart on eBay with my store, it's with a fresh monkeylantern id....but I haven't much choice...

PS. if you're planning on using your store as much for getting traffic to your website as selling, I'd recommend looking at my post here: 

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/showthread.php?t=1232

I outline pretty much the best way to abuse your store to steal eBay traffic legally.


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## monkeylantern (Oct 16, 2005)

Also, I'd highly recommend using eBay as a side advertising off-shoot long term....in my test runs 6 months ago, I sold an outrageous number of shirts. There's gold in them eBay hills!


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## jdr8271 (Jun 16, 2005)

use the old account deffinitely. People dont care about what you bought or sold in the past. There just looking to see if you are a reliable trading partner. If your name has 100% feedback, it wouldnt be a concern. That is much better than having 0 feedback to start, in which case alot of people would refrain from buying from you in the beginning.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

monkeylantern said:


> PS. if you're planning on using your store as much for getting traffic to your website as selling, I'd recommend looking at my post here:
> 
> http://www.t-shirtforums.com/showthread.php?t=1232
> 
> I outline pretty much the best way to abuse your store to steal eBay traffic legally.


Yep, that post is what renewed my interest in having a go at selling shirts on eBay.

I think I'm just getting hung up on the ebayid part. I forgot that my main eBay id is one that I use for buying stuff, although I'm not too concerned with people seeing what I bought.

Your number six tip had me wondering just how many people will back track the ebay id and put a dotcom after it to find the website, or if this is more of a minor tip. Seems like an advanced web thing to do?



> Your website must be .com and the name the same as your eBay handle. people will find you that way


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## monkeylantern (Oct 16, 2005)

Rodney said:


> Your number six tip had me wondering just how many people will back track the ebay id and put a dotcom after it to find the website, or if this is more of a minor tip. Seems like an advanced web thing to do?



60% of eBayers are very net savy! (of course I pulled that statistic out of nowhere, but it's somewhere in that region). It's a very standard practise amongst eBayers.

Check www.sidstore.com for a company that does just that. Then check their sales eBay....they're listed as sidstore.

As I understand it, they make more sales on their off-eBay store, and get very healthy traffic from it.

Or check www.borderdogs.com . Very healthy sales, and I understand more sales though fed traffic than anything else. Their handle varies however (listed as borderdogstshirts), which in my opinion is not a healthy move, but everything else has many of my follow through tips.

(neither of these are recommendations to buy....never tried Borderdogs, and sidstore is....well...aggh. Jerzee Ts and some sort of very sweaty flex...one of the only shirts I have bought on-line and never worn....and reading his feedback replies, an odd grumpy person who knows nothing about customer relations)



One of the other great things from eBay.....SALES DATA! It's a gold mine for that!


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Basically I agree 100% with what people have said about using the established account.

Regarding the name change... if anything it's a good thing. It means if people DO check the old items and don't see anything relevant, they can see that you've changed your name and realise that you are moving into a new area.


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