Has anyone ever sold their eBay business before?

[marks.market]

Im considering selling. Im just losing motivation to continually list stock, compete with people who undercut my prices, and posting sales. Has been 8 years. I just dont know what to sell the business for so looking for some honest opinions.

Heres the run down:

Included would be roughly $45,000 cost price in stock which has roughly $110,000 sale value, $4000 in furniture and shelving, a computer, $1000 in postal and office supplies, business accounts with Australia's 2 biggest DVD distributors, 1140 active eBay listings and stock for a further 200 or so listings, an eBay account with over 25,000 sales and over 15,200 positive feedback points at 99.9% positive rate, business name and logo. Currently earning about $15,000 - $20,000 profit a year and is easily capable of earning $30,000+ with current stock levels (just dont have the time while also working full time). This can be earned from around 2 hours work a day.

Any thoughts appreciated

[thecatspjs]

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@thecatspjs wrote:

Whilst eBays public statements are interesting, if an ID is a business a contact person may be changed in any case, and the process is changing the contact person name electronically, as you would do a change of address.

Given the poor verification ID process in the first place, how the heck would eBay know if a business has changed hands. 

There are inmultiple mega retail entities that have changed hands over time that have an eBay presence = so despites eBay limited public statements and draconean, anti-competitive policy, it occurs regularly with or without eBays express consent.  

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Please forgive my numerous typos 

[thecatspjs]

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@chameleon54 wrote:

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Exactly the same thing happens with B&M stores. In the "real world" you dont have feedback but you do have goodwill which is very similar. A new owner can take a good business and run it into the ground in a very short time. A new owner can also take a struggling business with potential and build it up into a thriving business. If we accept that ebay has moved away from the original principles of a community orientated model to a highly commercial focus, other principles of business ( such as owners selling established businesses ) have merit and deserve to be considered and discussed in a responsible way..Personaly I think the time has come for ebay to re-consider its stance on this subject.

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Very much agree with these sentiments chameleon.

[chameleon54]

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@thecatspjs wrote:

Whilst eBays public statements are interesting, if an ID is a business a contact person may be changed in any case, and the process is changing the contact person name electronically, as you would do a change of address.

Given the poor verification ID process in the first place, how the heck would eBay know if a business has changed hands. 

There are inmultiple mega retail entities that have changed hands over time that have an eBay presence = so despites eBay limited public statements and draconean, anti-competitive policy, it occurs regularly with or without eBays express consent.  

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Agree with everything you say Catspjs.. I do think it would be much better if the business sales where officialy sancioned. It would legitamise the process. This would allow owners to publicly advertise thier businesses for sale and recieve full value for them. No doubt ebay would set up a section for owners to sell, collecting a commision on the sale. If businesses could be publicly advertised and sold through the normal business broking houses, it would further legitimise what we do. At the moment I feel there is still a bit of a public stigma attached to being a full time ebayer. I know I get some srange looks when I tell people what I do for a living. 

[thecatspjs]

OMG we posted at the same time ...

... OMG and agreed

[chameleon54]

Cats, check the timing on those last two messages ( posted exactly the same time down to the second )  Looks like great minds think alike.

[chameleon54]

Its just that you can type quicker than me !!!

[trulyspecialgoodies]

Type "eBay business for sale" in the Search bar - there are some interesting results in a variety of price ranges from $3000 to $5 million

[gec2002]

While the user agreement says that ebay owns your ID and feedback and you are not able to transfer it. however if your ebay ID is registered as a business (with ebay) then in that case wouldn't it be transferable with the business.  The ID etc is not changing hands the business is?

[*crikey*mate*]

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@gec2002 wrote:

While the user agreement says that ebay owns your ID and feedback and you are not able to transfer it. however if your ebay ID is registered as a business (with ebay) then in that case wouldn't it be transferable with the business.  The ID etc is not changing hands the business is?

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In the User Agreement, which you have signed to open this account, at section 3, it says,

Using eBay

While using the eBay services, you will not:

transfer your eBay account (including feedback) and User ID to another party without our consent;