Leaving eBay: Not as Easy as It Sounds
posted on: March 25, 2008 | about stocks: EBAY Font Size: PrintEmail Sellers, who boycotted eBay (EBAY) last month, may be back in May for round two. The driving force behind "everything" eBay are eBay sellers who have simply had enough.
Ebay Power Seller since 2001
Alex Lech Bajan
CEO
RAQport Inc.
2004 North Monroe Street
Arlington Virginia 22207
Washington DC Area
USA
TEL: 703-528-0114
TEL2: 703-652-0993
FAX: 703-940-8300
sms: 703-485-6619
EMAIL: office@raqport.com
WEB SITE: http://raqport.com
There was a time when eBay sellers were too afraid to speak out publicly against the auction giant. Those days appear to be over. The fear factor has been replaced by anger and sellers are devoting their time to speaking out against their venue partner. While those selling on eBay have also begun to search other venues in which to sell their wares, there is (no doubt) a bit of trepidation of leaving eBay completely.
Over the years, eBay has continued to grow at a staggering pace. Those seeking a venue to sell their wares came to eBay and now consider eBay their "home". It's a place for sellers to communicate through message boards (and forums) on topics ranging from how to sell on eBay, to politics, to announcing births and deaths.
The thought of leaving eBay may be likened to that of experiencing a loss. If we lose our job/career and/or experience a financial loss, we eventually bounce-back. In essence, we are a resilient bunch and once we accept a loss, we may simply go back to being angry but channel that anger in ways that make us super men and women.
No doubt, the fear of leaving eBay is deep rooted in the simple fact that once you leave, you can't take much with you. You may have spent years building your eBay business and even the thought of closing down your eBay store can send a shiver of fear down your spine. This is the "fear factor" that plays into the success of the auction giant.
While another boycott appears to be on the horizon and message boards expound on real and/or perceived injustices (wielded like a sword toward eBay sellers), sellers keep coming back for more.
Powersellers may be the most vulnerable of all eBay sellers. They have spent years building their eBay business and reputation. They have changed the color of their stars over a period months and/or years and eventually get that shooting star, which basically lets everyone know they're an eBay success story.
However, when it comes to picking up stakes and taking your tent elsewhere on the net, you have to leave behind your feedback, your store and your traffic.
Your most valuable asset is your eBay username. If you're a high-volume eBay seller, you more than likely have established hundreds and/or thousands of links into your eBay store, however, once your username ceases to exist, so do your links.
One other slight problem that many may encounter is that if you were to sell your eBay business tomorrow, you must have the consent of eBay to transfer your username to the new party. What if eBay informs you that you may not transfer your username to a new entity? There is very little information available within eBay's Help pages, which addresses the all-important question of how to sell your eBay business.
If you spent years building an eBay business (and do not have a brick and mortar presence), your initial goal in opening your eBay business may have been based upon the premise of selling your eBay business as part of your exit strategy. If you have eBay store with high-volume sales, you've got a business worth money.
Who owns your eBay username?
When registering on eBay, one has to select a username. In fact, eBay offers some good advice within its Help pages on how select your username. This Help section expounds on how valuable your username can be to you and how to distinguish your "brand" from that of other eBay sellers. Ebay uses words like "you and yours" when offering good advice on how to select your username. In other words, selecting an eBay username is a valuable asset - not to be taken lightly.
If you leave eBay, your username can possibly be released by eBay to a new seller after a period of time. It's possible to contact eBay and request that the username be placed back into circulation. If you're lucky enough to have an eBay Account Manager, you may even receive an email reminder letting you know that a specific username was placed back into circulation and will soon become available.
There do not seem to be any clear-cut rules and/or answers on eBay's site concerning the sale of an established eBay business. While an eBay search for domain names yielded 160+ results, there do not appear to be any eBay usernames up for grabs.
For all of the publications available on how to "sell on eBay" or "how to make a million on eBay" there are none, which tell you how to sell your eBay business once you have made that first millionJ
Are there any eBay sellers who have successfully sold their eBay business? If so, please tell your story below in the comments section.
Disclosure: None
