Selling Limits: Documents
Whether you’re selling in the US, UK, AU, Canada or any other marketplace, eBay can limit your account pending verification at any time and when that happens you’ll want to be ready. You may be asked for supplier invoices, personal identification, address verification, finical statements or any number of documents.
Nope: It is your responsibility to prepare your accounts in a way that enable you to overcome any verification requirements requested by eBay and or PayPal.
Supplying requested documents is EASY to do if you have permission from a 3rd party (friend or family member) to create an account in their name which provides you with any documents eBay or PayPal may request. Otherwise a business account is the way to go as documents can easily be had for verification.
Typical documents requested…
Supplier Invoices:
Sometimes eBay will want to see proof that you have merchandise in stock, on your premises. If this is the case, then all you have to do is call your supplier and obtain an invoice (if you do not already have one) and supply it to eBay. If your supplier cannot generate an invoice for some reason, you can always create a “Pro Forma” invoice showing the item names, description and quantity of each item. “Pro Forma” just means something that is provided as a courtesy to meet minimum requirements and these are usually acceptable to eBay. But it is best if your supplier can give you a normal invoice.
Note: If you are selling items that are heavily counterfeited, eBay will want your invoices not only to make sure that you have the actual merchandise, but that your supplier is an authorized dealer for whatever it is you are selling. First, call your supplier to see if they can provide an invoice. Then ask them if they are authorized by the brand in question. If not, you might have a problem, because eBay may not want you to sell those particular items if you cannot prove that your merchandise is authentic and from an authorized supplier. You can explain this to your supplier as they may have a solution for you.
Proof of Address:
Usually they will ask for a utility bill. This must match your with your account name and address to be accepted.
Proof of Identity:
This depends on how you created your account. As previously mentioned usage of a family or friend’s personal information (with permission) for account creation enables you to easily pass this request. Otherwise what eBay and PayPal is looking for is SOMETHING that matches your account details.
Business Documents:
Ebay and PayPal do not usually request these, however you might be asked for copies of some business documents. It could be the “Articles of Incorporation” for a corporate entity or an “Operating Agreement” for an LLC. Or, they could ask you for a “Certificate of Good Standing” from the Secretary of State where your corporation or LLC is located. The “Certificate of Good Standing” is just a letter from their office that states your records are up to date. It does not contain any individual information, so this should not be an issue. Many times, you can order one online, either for free or for a nominal fee. The “Articles of Incorporation” or “Operating Agreement” are just records that show how your business is organized, what the basic rules and procedures are for running the business and, in the case of an LLC, how the money is to be divided. These are not official documents and are normally “boilerplate” so you can make any necessary changes. These are documents that should be in your possession from when your business was formed. If you do not have them readily available, you can ask the person or the company who set the business up for you if they have a copy in their records. Generic versions can be downloaded online. These are very easy documents to provide.
Does eBay or PayPal match up documents to your account? Yep, PayPal and eBay will take your documents and make sure what you send them matches your account. In most cases if documents match up that’s all it takes to remove verification requirements.
Next we’ll discuss Calling IN to eBay and PayPal.
