How to Create an eBay Stealth Account in 2024
Looking to buy something off the internet? However unique, rare, or downright weird it is, we can guarantee it's on eBay. The platform has more than 1.7 billion listings and 850 million monthly visits, making it one of the most popular eCommerce websites on the planet.
If you're looking to sell on eBay, you need to know the rules because eBay enforces its policies strictly, and even a slight violation could lead to an immediate block, sometimes without explanation. For instance, if the platform detects a violation of its policy on multiple accounts, it may block your IP address along with all associated eBay seller accounts.
Fortunately, an eBay block is not the end of the road for your business. eBay stealth accounts can help you evade these limitations and their effect on sales.
So join us below and learn how to create an eBay stealth account in 2024. Discover why using multiple accounts is ideal and how you can set them up using different IP addresses.
What Is an eBay Stealth Account?
The term 'stealth' may give you an idea of what a stealth account entails. Think of it as an eBay account in constant incognito mode because the details used to create it—such as the name, email address, phone number, and even the IP address—are completely unique.
So, is it legal? Not really. The platform only allows for the creation of multiple accounts through its multi-account policy, a strategy that is ideal if you are looking to separate product lines and enter new niches. However, it comes with its fair share of caveats you should know about.
They are listed below:
- Even though these accounts require different emails, your personal details, bank information, and Wi-Fi network will still link them. And what happens to one happens to all.
- Thinking of using a second account to overcome sales limits? Think again. A separate seller account cannot facilitate this convenience because it is still linked to your identity and primary account.
- If one of your accounts is implicated in an IP ban, you won't be able to create subsequent accounts afterward. There's no way around it.
What Are the Advantages of Using eBay Stealth Accounts
eBay is known for its arbitrary rules and random blocks, and as you've seen, creating a separate seller account to evade these penalties will most likely not work. For that, you'll need multiple stealth accounts— anonymous eBay accounts that can help circumvent the eCommerce site's many rules and restrictions.
Here's how you can use multiple eBay stealth accounts to boost your business:
Continue Selling After Suspension
Account suspensions on eBay are quite common. Most of the time, the recipients are unaware of the rules they violated, which explains why the eBay community and social media platforms like Reddit are replete with complaints from users whose accounts were randomly suspended.
If you find yourself a victim, consider using eBay stealth accounts to maintain your listings across multiple accounts. This strategy can keep your business operational after eBay suspends or blocks one of your accounts.
Avoid Selling Limits
If you're just starting out, eBay may limit your seller account to a maximum of 10 orders a month or $500 in sales, whichever comes first.
The best way to mitigate the impact of these restrictions is to distribute your listings across several eBay stealth accounts. This strategy allows you to meet the $500 and 10 order threshold on multiple accounts, effectively managing the limits eBay imposes.
Diversifying Risk
With all that you know about eBay's restrictions and blocks, it's wise to diversify your listings across several eBay stealth accounts. This way, if one account gets hit, your listings can remain active on other channels.
While the risk of an eBay ban always lurks, having multiple listing options increases your chances of staying active even after a ban.
Test New Listings
Introducing new products is a sure way to expand your presence on the eBay marketplace. At the same time, there's always a risk of reputational damage in case the product fails to meet customer demands.
That's why you are better off testing new products via separate eBay stealth accounts. Because they are unrelated to your primary account, you can experiment with new sales strategies with minimal risk.
Recovering From Negative Feedback
Reputation and brand awareness are the pillars of eCommerce; there's no doubt about that. It's the reason why it can be difficult to recover after your eBay account receives negative feedback.
eBay stealth accounts give you a second chance, allowing you to maintain product listings unaffiliated with the critical responses, as you focus on recovery.
Now that you understand the advantages of using eBay stealth accounts, you may be looking to create them yourself. Let's see how it's done.
How to Create a Stealth Account on eBay
As we mentioned earlier, eBay stealth accounts are created under pseudonyms. You can try to make up non-existent identities, but this strategy has a low chance of succeeding.
The better option is to use your friends' and family members' details. Of course, it's best to ask for consent before using their info to create an account.
At the same time, this information must be factual because you will be asked for verification in the future. For example, if you plan to use credit or debit cards for payment, you must verify them on your PayPal account.
That being said, here is a list of the details that you will need to create an eBay stealth account:
- The account name.
- Email address: It's better to opt for Gmail because eBay trusts the platform.
- Phone number: Instead of getting a new sim card, opt for a virtual one; it's cheaper and easier to acquire.
- Address: You are perfectly fine using your real address since eBay does not link accounts based on these details.
- Employee ID number: For corporate accounts and business verification.
- PayPal accounts: Things get a bit complicated when it comes to setting up PayPal for your eBay stealth account. For one, you shouldn't use the same PayPal account for different eBay stealth accounts, as this information will link them. The best idea here is to set up different payment methods or set up PayPal stealth accounts.
- IP addresses: You don’t want anything linking these stealth accounts together, including the IP addresses of your devices and network. Pair each stealth account with a separate residential IP address to keep it undetected.
With all this information, you can now start creating your eBay stealth account following the steps outlined below:
Step #1: Adding the New Personal Information
Start by setting up the email address you will exclusively use to register the eBay stealth account. Make sure this email account has never been used on the platform before, as this could compromise the stealth account's anonymity.
Next, you'll need to establish a new identity for this account. This involves using personal details that have not been associated with the platform before, such as a new name, phone number, and mailing address.
Step #2: Changing your IP Address
eBay identifies users by their IPs, so you'll want to log into your stealth account using an IP that has never been used with another eBay account.
Our advice is to opt for residential proxies because they offer IPs sourced from real users and internet service providers, reducing the chance of detection.
Step #3: Set Up a New Payment Method
Next up, you'll need to set up the payment methods that will be used to open that account. Note that you cannot use previously used credit cards, debit cards, or PayPal accounts.
Step #4: Set up the Receiving Bank Account
You'll also need to set up a bank account to receive sales from your eBay listings. Again, it should be totally new to the eBay platform.
Step #5: eBay Account Creation
With all the prerequisites set up, it's time to log into eBay via the new residential IP address to create your eBay stealth account. Visit ebay.com and enter the name, email, and password in the required fields.
Step #6: Create an eBay Seller Account
Once the eBay account is all set up, you will need to provide additional information to become a seller on the platform. The required details include your product listings and the payment method you wish to use to receive payments.
How to Avoid Getting Detected on eBay
Up to this point, you understand the importance of eBay stealth accounts and can create one yourself. With the right tools, this process is quite straightforward. However, the real challenge lies in maintaining your stealth accounts. Here is what you can do to avoid triggering eBay's detection mechanisms:
Use Proxies
We can't stress the importance of residential proxies enough. Be careful never to log into your stealth account using your regular IP address. With residential proxies, you can choose IPs in the exact market you are targeting.
However, you must be consistent with the IP address you assign to each stealth account because eBay tracks IPs.
Don’t Create Identical Listings
When diversifying your listings across your stealth accounts, be careful never to repeat the same listings on different eBay accounts, as doing so can raise eyebrows. The same goes for product images, descriptions, and titles; they should be unrelated across all your stealth accounts.
Follow eBay’s Guidelines
You definitely don't want to give eBay a reason to suspect your account. This means following all the platform's terms of sale, including ensuring your listings comply with regulations, offering good customer service, and meeting your accounts' performance targets.
Conclusion
You now have all the information you need to create an eBay stealth account and diversify your listings without getting caught. Remember, the devil is in the details, so ensure that none of the details of your stealth account are connected to your identity or original eBay account.
Work with our residential proxies for a steady supply of IPs to create eBay stealth accounts. However, it's important to assign each account with a designated IP address, as using different ones can trigger eBay's detection mechanisms.
By following these guidelines, you can evade the often restrictive regulations, such as the $500 sales cap on new accounts. At the same time, you will diversify the risk of a ban so that when one account gets implicated, business still flows through your remaining stealth accounts.
