eBay wants to switch my account to a business account.
Summary: mastergizmo reports that eBay wants to switch his account to business after he sold his extensive LEGO collection at the end of last year. Although sales have since dropped sharply, eBay still sees the account as business. perfect-sally and roter_rauch discuss the challenges that come with selling collections and suggest contacting customer service. miriam@ebay from the eBay team recommends contacting customer service with detailed proof to have the account switched back to private. It is also noted that relevant tax regulations should be taken into account.
Hello everyone,
I sold my LEGO collection from the end of last year to the beginning of this year. It was over 200 auctions. Back then, eBay already wanted to switch me to business selling because it looked like a LEGO dealer.
Dear miriam@ebay from the Community Team was able to initiate a review back then and stop the process because it could be seen that it really was a collection. I was relieved.
In the meantime, that one-off action is over and I have only 3 mixed auctions and have only sold a few items in the last few months.
But now eBay wants to upgrade me again. I've been on since 1999 and have always sold privately, and now I only have many auctions running for a short time. The collection has now been completely dissolved.
Who can I contact to get another review started? I've been banging my head against the wall with normal support. They just keep explaining to me where I can set myself to "business" and where I can store the tax IDs.
Best regards, Philipp
miriam@ebay
Hello @mastergizmo - please first contact our customer service again about your issue and explain there in writing why, from your point of view, your account should continue to be run privately. It would be helpful if you could substantiate your information accordingly - ideally also with a written assessment from your tax advisor.
Once you have submitted that, we can take another look at the request and have it checked. If you can’t make any progress with customer service or if there are other problems, feel free to get back in touch here.
Thanks for your support so far here, @roter_rauch and @perfect-sally 🤗.
Kind regards
Miriam
mastergizmo
OP1 week agoThanks a lot for your reply. After a few tries, I managed to get someone on the phone. It’s being checked whether a conversion of the account is required here. The important thing is that I am not reselling collections. Best regards, Philipp
perfect-sally
·3 weeks agoI can understand eBay because it almost looks like it's starting up again. You mainly sell new goods, and this time another review could turn out negatively for you.
Check back again tomorrow morning; then there will be another eBay employee present who can forward it to the relevant department.
mastergizmo
OP3 weeks agoYes, maybe. That would be a shame, I’ve been around for 27 years and I’m definitely not going to register a business just to be able to sell 5 things a year.
When I was liquidating my collection, I had 100 active auctions at the peak. It was understandable then that it looked commercial. That has been completely different for months now.
There was just one new LEGO set, which was damaged and came back from the collection liquidation. Otherwise, lately I’ve only listed used items and sold the last Lego set months ago.
Now I’m selling a used ice cream maker and a 30-year-old computer game, and I don’t see any commercial trading there.
roter_rauch
·3 weeks ago · Edited@mastergizmo Lots of things, especially new ones, are always a bit tricky. Especially since hardly any real people with reading or comprehension skills are left checking the listings anymore.
Then they’d know that collectors, especially with Lego sets, don’t actually touch them, they just hunt them down, only hoard them. Otherwise they’d be “players” (and the boxes would be used). ;-)
When I had to sell off a super extensive Lego collection a few years ago (sniff), I think I listed the items under Collectibles & Rarities for that reason, without any obligation to specify new/used. Things bought years or decades ago can’t really be “new” anymore anyway. That was my logic.
If collections are still within a “household” size and already years old, at least you probably don’t need to expect any trouble from the tax office.
But Ebay may handle it differently.
I’d try to get someone on the phone personally. Maybe it’ll work, see above.
PS: sorry, I missed this: If Ebay requests your tax ID, there are only two options: 1. provide it, listings continue, or 2. don’t provide it, end all listings, and maybe relist from 2027 onward.
There’s no room in between, and the obligation to provide it explicitly applies to private sellers too (without making them commercial sellers).
mastergizmo
OP2 weeks agoYes, let’s see. I use ebay now for buying and selling like before, when I maybe sold 1-3 small things over the whole year.
The liquidation of the collection was a one-time thing. I also clarified that with my tax office. What was important to them was that it happened over a short period of time and not stretched out over many months or years with new auctions coming up again and again.
@roter_rauch:
Sure, they have the regular tax ID, but as commercial sellers you need a legal notice and VAT ID if you don’t use the small business regulation.
perfect-sally
·2 weeks agoEven as a small business owner, a VAT ID is mandatory on eBay, as well as of course all other legally required business details.