New Account Rules (the Basics)

Rules? Why are there rules? Well.. this is stealth, not the Wild-West

Now that you’re organized, let’s talk about your listing strategy: So you have a new eBay and PayPal account and you’re feeling pretty good right? The worst thing you can do right now is to list a bunch of high-risk items from the start and expect to do okay. It doesn’t work that way. Instead you must start slowly as not to raise suspicion. You are in essence a new eBayer who doesn’t know what he or she is doing. You’ll want to do some searching on site, browse the help section, type in some random searches, watch other people’s auctions, ask some questions, do what a new eBayer would do.

1. Avoid Selling Counterfeit or High-Risk (Expensive) Items: You want to think and act like a new user.. that means staying away from high-end electronics or other high-risk items in begining (it’s a red flag for new accounts). Start off by listing 1-2 low risk items such as used clothing, books or toys. As your account ages you can list more items (more on listing in a moment).

2. Avoid Shoddy Merchandise: Don’t list shoddy or low quality items. You want low risk items, not low quality.

3. Avoid Slow Shipping: Get those items sold and shipped off quickly. That means you don’t want to be drop-shipping items if at all possible.

4. Provide Top Notch Customer Service: Keep your customers HAPPY! Don’t argue with customers or become unprofessional. Always go above and beyond to keep your account in the green.

5. Create SOLID Accounts: The better you follow the guidelines within eBay Stealth the STRONGER your account will be. If you cheap out on low quality services (shared IP addresses, abused phone numbers, etc.) the more you put your account at risk. We recommend [these guys] for solid stealth accounts.

6. Avoid Stock Images: NEVER use stock photos for your items. Use original photos from your camera or phone, and wipe the EXIF data (discussed later).

7. NEVER Duplicate Listings Between Accounts: Every account must have unique titles, descriptions, AND pictures. One of the easiest ways for eBay to link an account is by duplicate listings (discussed later).. don’t do it!

8. NEVER buy Feedback: Never buy cheap items (ebooks or recipes) for quick feedback. This is THE quickest way to kill an account. If you try to circumvent eBay’s feedback system, to buy feedback, you’ll get hit with the ban hammer quickly. We’ll talk about account feedback later.

In a nutshell you want to provide top notch customer service, ship items out quickly, write descriptive product listings with high quality UNIQUE images and maximize your selling limits while being mindful of avoiding high risk items and or listing too quickly. The first 2-3 months are an especially trying period for new accounts. Any little thing you do could potentially put your account at risk for suspension. Follow these rules as closely as possible for the best results.

You’ll want to start out by listing low-risk items (1-2 items max) the first week. What is low risk? Something cheap and used – sporting goods, clothing, books, and toys work very well. Take a loss if necessary, just get it sold and shipped out quickly. After the first sale you can increase your listings weekly. Stick to low-risk, auction style listings for as long as possible. You can gradually mix in higher-risk items and work your way up to full-paced selling over the course of 2-3 months. The goal is to survive the first 90 days. Afterwards your account is proven and you can list higher risk items with fewer restrictions.

Note: You’ll want your PayPal account CONFIRMED and VERIFIED before you start listing items on eBay. That means your bank account is verified via the micro deposits. If you rush past this then you risk your account.

What Sort Of Items Should I List? The type of listings you want to start off with are items you might find at a garage sale or maybe the Dollar Store. TGMT, in the support forums wrote up a great thread on the best garage sale items to pickup (that gives the most profit). Avoid anything even remotely risky or high-value the first 2-4 weeks.

Do I Need To Bid Or Watch Items? No, the purpose of doing that is to establish device trust with eBay and PayPal. Since you created the account yourself, your browser cookies and Flash objects are already in place and trusted. You’re ready to start listing low-risk items.

Does Account Age Matter? The age of your account does not matter. An account no matter it’s age is held to the same standards as any other account. It’s more about established trust (feedback, account status and seller history).

As you follow these rules, your selling limits will naturally increase, PayPal holds will drop off and your ability to list normal (higher-risk) items will increase. I understand that you may want to jump right back into selling without restrictions but eBay will shut you down in a heart-beat if they feel you’re a risk. Take it slow. Spread out your sales. And you will be successful.

Next we’ll discuss alternative payment options!