Is it possible to sell your entire ebay store as a running concern?

[clarry100]

Just a thought at this stage.....

We wondered if when we are done with selling on ebay (some day in the future) we might want to sell the entire business lock, stock & barrell rather than simply close it down.

The new owner would take over our built-up good-will, FB scores etc including all our stock holdings.

They would just have to link in their own PayPal and bank accounts etc and off they go with a running store.

Anyone know if/not this is possible or even a good idea?

[kopenhagen5]

ebay accounts are non transferable. So all you can sell is the stock, not the account.

You can only have it transferred from one staff member of the business to another staff member of the business.

[*crikey*mate*]

Apparently it doesn't happen very often.

I've heard of it happening in one instance where a member died and eBay gave permission for the son to take over the account.

It talks about it in the User Agreement

at #3 (Note they say "while using the eBay service", so I guess if you pass away, they can be pretty sure that you will no longer be using eBay)

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;

[*crikey*mate*]

oops - *type faster*

and what Kopes said ^^^

Spoiler

- hey Kopes, somebody stole your heart!

[digital*ghost]

I don't think it's possible - the transfer of an account into someone else's name can only be done with eBay's permission, and I think the circumstances in which they'll allow it are limited.

Edit: there weren't any answers here a minute ago. 

[thecatspjs]

It is a simple straightforward process. You change the name, as you would your address and submit it electronically.  if the new name successfully appears in the account details and account is still operational, eBay have accepted the name change through the process they have provided to the same.  Done it twice, no drama.

[digital*ghost]

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@thecatspjs wrote:

It is a simple straightforward process. You change the name, as you would your address and submit it electronically.  if the new name successfully appears in the account details and account is still operational, eBay have accepted the name change through the process they have provided to the same.  Done it twice, no drama.

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It wouldn't be that simple and straightforward if you were selling the business, though - eg what would happen if the buyer's name was rejected, or you tried to test all the interested parties names before they made a committment?

[thecatspjs]

Business change hands all the time, including many here on ebay that still retain ids from when business first established on ebay.

Businesses and other entities (charities etc) also change staff members that may be responsible for their ebay accounts.

If the "identify" of an id is a business account then can't see that it is all that difficult to make a phone call to ebay to confirm the correct procedure.

Changing name, changing bank account and changing paypal all at the one time electronically would trigger alarms and potential supsension I imagine, but if the account is still trading under the same business trading name, has same address and email contact details maybe not so much. Shrugs.

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

I have seen some eBay IDs listed over the years.  Do a search for eBay store sale and you will see 4 listings.  The one for 5,000,000 has been listed since last year and 17 offers have been declined.  I would think that if it was not allowed then the listing would not be able to be relisted so many times.

[digital*ghost]

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@k1ooo-slr-sales wrote:

  I would think that if it was not allowed then the listing would not be able to be relisted so many times.

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Like all the other listings that breach policies that go unchecked, like mine apparently did for well over a year?

Think about the ramefications - especially that one referred to with a huge FB count. Someone who has never even bought on eBay before let alone sold could suddenly start trading under someone else's established ID with massive, very trustworthy feedback.... 

I really don't think doing it properly is as simple as changing the name on an account, and the implications of allowing it are too great for it to be that simple, even if somehow it doesn't get picked up by the system.