Question
December 2005
***Now Available: Register as a Business***
December 15, 2005 | 10:40AM PST/PT
If you buy or sell on eBay for your business, now you can make your eBay account type a Business account. With a Business account, you can associate your business name with your account. You will also be notified when we offer business-specific services and events, such as our Seller OnRamp program, or future networking opportunities with other ecommerce businesses.
To change an existing account, go to the My Account section within My eBay. From there, go to Personal Information and add your business name by editing your Account Type.
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Beh
Answer
Gosh,
Is one side of the playing field getting lower than the other, or is it an optical illusion????
Kevin
Answer
Couldn't change mine for whatever reason. It says some carp about not the right site or something, I think it has to do with eBay.com and eBay.ca, but whatever it is it's ticking me off.
Answer
Isn't it funny that NOW they have business registration after all the brouhaha insisting that since it was individuals selling for charities, not the charity themselves (except through stupid missionfish), that the auctions had to have a letter saying the individual could sell for the charity. What happens now if I register as a business which is what I always wanted. It will look sort of stupid having that letter in our auctions. But they haven't deleted that rule. Geesh, if we could only buy ebay a brain. No wait that's the wizard of oz.
And of course not trusting ebay any farther than I can trust them what will be the difference eventually with a business account in terms of fees?
Maryanne (Cat Rescue of Maryland)
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Don't think I'll jump at this fabulous opportunity (considering there is sure to be an ulterior motive) until such time as I can see an actual benefit.
What's the big deal? You can call yourself whatever you want as it is. Unless the name is already in use of course.
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How much you want to bet that everyone registering as a business will automatically get their name turned in to the IRS.
I know I've seen where E is getting heat from the IRS to give them info on their top sellers. If E give them something it will keep the IRS quite for a while. THAT'S the ulterior motive, keep the IRS off our (E's) back.
Carol
Answer
How much you want to bet that everyone registering as a business will automatically get their name turned in to the IRS.
I know I've seen where E is getting heat from the IRS to give them info on their top sellers. If E give them something it will keep the IRS quite for a while. THAT'S the ulterior motive, keep the IRS off our (E's) back.
Ahhhhh... You may be on to something!
Cheers
Answer
Ebay has maintained for quite some time that they will give any information requested to any governmental organization that asks for it including the IRS. So information on ebays top sellers is already readily available to the IRS for the asking. The only difference this new feature might make in that regard is that it possibly makes users that opt into it unquestionably selling as a business (as opposed to hobby/part time sellers). There may be some other "streamlining" aspects to fascilitate other business/tax paying/state tax collecting/paypal issues.
There may not be fee increases for such sellers in the works, perhaps even the opposite (special business rates) to encourage sellers to opt into it.
I'm really not sure of that stuff though, I'm just a little ol' hobby seller
Whatever it is, I agree, they're certainly up to something. They may well be attempting to segregate the user base into different classes with limitations on the amount of transactions permitted for each class before they would have to upgrade to a higher (business/taxable) class, kinda like what paypal did only this might have more to do with the IRS than ebay's vision. This would make it much easier for the IRS to set up manageable, monitorable database of taxable ebay sellers. The IRS simply can't ignore the enormous amount of money that changes hands in the ebay marketplace, there's no doubt in my mind that ebay and the IRS have been having discussions on this for many years.
Of course, this is just conjecture on my part, this feature may have nothing to do with anything I've said. My imagination tends to get a little wild regarding ebays motives.
Answer
Ebay has maintained for quite some time that they will give any information requested to any governmental organization that asks for it
Except, of course, the IP address of the person who attempted to hack into my account 308 times in 3 days.
I don't trust eBay as far as I could through Meg and Bill bound together in a big bear hug.
I am a business.
I pay my taxes.
But if eBay wants me to make any *account* changes they're going to have to come up with SOME sort of explanation as to what they mean.
Answer
I found a very interesting thread on the eBay UK Business Selling Board that I think everyone should read regarding Business versus Private seller accounts. The eBay Business Account was introduced to the UK site this past September.
http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa...100849&start=0
Business Identification Workshop 28/09/05
A few excerpts:
What is Business Identification?
• Business sellers will display “Registered as a business seller” in the box containing their eBay Member Profile.
• From My eBay business sellers can add their full contact information, returns policy, terms & conditions and VAT status (if applicable) which will be fully displayed on every listing at the base of the item description on the View Item Page.
• Buyers can also easily find the business seller’s full contact information, terms & conditions and returns policy.
• Buyers can easily distinguish between private and business sellers when using the site.
How will this affect me as a seller?
If you have completed business registration or given eBay your VAT details, your Member Profile will automatically display “registered as a business seller” from October 2005.
Buyers will be able to search listings by seller type.
You can now add your full contact information, returns policy, terms & conditions and VAT status (if applicable) and display it at the base of the item description on the View Item Page. You need to go to My eBay/My Account/Personal Information.
For all other sellers (who have not registered via business registration nor given VAT details) nothing will change. However if you consider yourself a business seller, you will able to identify yourself this way on eBay. See further details below.
Why is this being introduced?
• To help Business sellers comply with UK Consumer Protection laws and the EU e-Commerce Directive
• There will be increased transparency for buyers and sellers
• Buyers can make more informed choices when buying
Blanche