Few sales platforms offer the same exposure as eBay. As at Q3 2023, there are around 135 million active users worldwide. The number of live accounts is significantly higher, although eBay does not disclose the exact figure.
The reasons for the disparity are twofold. First, someone might create a live profile to buy or sell a specific item, then never use the platform again. Secondly, eBay allows users to have multiple accounts. It is the second aspect that we will examine here.
Why would you need multiple eBay accounts?
If you buy or sell the occasional item on eBay, opening more than one account might seem pointless. But some users prefer to maintain different accounts for buying and selling. Others sell different product lines and have independent accounts for each. Or maybe you want to segregate home and business purchases.
In. fact, eBay itself states the following: “Users may have multiple accounts on eBay. We understand that there are various reasons why someone would choose to have more than one account.”
Having said that, eBay is also wise to the fact that not all of these reasons are above board. The guidelines point out, for example, that you cannot run up unpaid fees on an account and just open a new one to avoid paying them. The same applies to opening a new account to dodge the consequences of some other policy infringement.
There are a few rules and conditions you need to note:
- Unique Email Addresses – you need a separate email address for each eBay account.
- Unique Username – eBay will auto issue a new username to each new account.
- Following eBay’s Rules – eBay closely monitors account activity. If you break a rule and face a suspension, this can be applied to all your accounts, unless you have been very careful in setting them up. We will look at this more closely in a moment.
- No Malicious Intent – this means you may not use multiple accounts to circumvent eBay’s rules or restrictions, or to exceed limits imposed on your account or to manipulate auctions, for example by shill bidding to inflate your item’s selling price.
Managing multiple eBay accounts from your browser
So if you are branching out into a new sales area, or you want to segregate different eBay activities in some other way, eBay has nothing against you doing so. However, you need to keep in mind that each account will have its own limits, and will face its own fees and billing cycle. At the same time, if eBay links your accounts, any issue with one can also affect others.
That’s not an issue with two or three eBay accounts, but if you go beyond that, it can get complicated and worse, one slip up can suspend all your trading.
That’s when it makes sense to manage your eBay accounts using bespoke browser software. The new Apex Browser is a useful tool for this, as it has been created to better manage multiple accounts. It is especially useful if you want to avoid the account linking mentioned earlier. Incidentally, Apex can also be used to manage multiple accounts in other setting such as social media, Google and Amazon.
Multiple eBay accounts – potential issues to keep in mind
We have established that eBay has no objections to users having multiple accounts as long as they do so for the right reasons. Everyone has his or her own circumstances. Before you dive in and set up a new email account for your fresh and unused eBay account, think about the following points:
- Multiple accounts can mean multiple hassle and administration. It’s not too hard to hanle with just two or three, but beyond that, consider using software to manage your accounts.
- eBay’s bots are smart and will link your separate accounts back to you unless you use software like Apex, which can bring a higher level of security.
- Even if the accounts are linked to you, eBay will not consolidate fees and payments, Each account will have its own separate details.
- Your feedback will be diluted. eBayers put a lot of faith into feedback scores. Obviously, if you sell 20 items across five accounts, you will at best earn four feedback stars to each account. From a community perspective, you would look better as a buyer or a seller if you had the one account with 20 positive feedback.
eBay has transformed from a pioneering online trading site to a sales and marketing monster that processes almost $75 million in gross merchandising volume each year. To get the most out of it can take time and effort, and it is worth investing in specialist support and software if eBay is a significant part of your business.
