New ID for selling?

I think that is bad advise. Your feedback that you have now will be helpful in selling also. It is hard to sell with a 0 feedback. Although your feedback is for buying, at least it is showing an honest pattern. If you deal fairly with people, you won't have a problem. If you receive a neg from someone that sends it unjustified, peole can see that.

rsmiller40

I considered doing exactly that, but when you think it through there's no point. As a seller there is a greater risk of something going wrong outside of your control whichever name you use. As RSMILLER40 suggests, with an established name and feedback at least people can see that you've been in the game and are no tyro.

I use my second identity to bid where my first name is already well-known to put those who may be "following" me off the scent.

You need a second email address to start a new identity.

GG

Garden, do you mean you bid on your own auction?
No, I don't think that is what you said!
rsmiller40

I say definitely keep your current ID. You've already built up a strong Ebay reputation, and regardless of whether its from buying or selling, people are more willing to trust that. If you start a whole new ID, you will not be getting good prices b/c ppl are less likely to bid on items by low feedback sellers.

Also, if you're worried about running into negative feedback, you basically have nothing to lose in this case. If you get a negative and brings you down to a rating of 77, it's still better than getting brought down to -1 from 0. People are way more willing to trust a 77(98%) over a -1(0%) feedback person.

I had also debated the idea of having two separate IDs, but for my buying! lol I'm a picky buyer, and will not hesitate to write a seller if what I ordered is not as described. I have even drafted a paragraph I send sellers before I bid, inquiring about the condition (these are mostly books I'm buying) which states I'm a collector and a reseller and very particular about the conditon of the books I buy. This way I TRY to weed out the real "mint conditions" from the "I don't think so!" conditions before I bid. Unfortunately, I still get "trash" now and then and have to request refunds.

My concern is that my excellent seller feedback rating would be sullied by unhappy sellers to whom I've complained and returned an item. So far, I've been lucky... only one negative - that from a seller who sold me a box of books which appeared to have been dug out of the garbage! Fortunately, he DID refund my money, but left me a retaliatory feedback comment right before eBay finally booted him. (He'd gotten at least 5 other similar negative feedbacks at the same time I was dealing with him.)

Because I'm a very conscientious (read "anal") seller and go way out of my way to acurrately describe everything I list, package very well, ship fast, and send follow-up emails, I have much less concern that I'll receive a negative feedback from my buyers.

But as others have advised here, I still do both my buying and selling with my one ID so I will continue to build my feedback rating. The risks of getting a negative are far outweighed by the benefit of more quickly increasing my positive feedback count.

So my vote is, use one ID!

diva (aka Dag)

rsmiller40;

No, I don't bid on my own auctions. I suppose it's possible, but apart from being immoral I imagine it'd be pretty risky. If eBay found out I'd lose both identities.

Over the months I've gotten to know some of the people who regularly bid in my area of interest and I found myself passing up items because I didn't want to outbid them, especially by sniping. A bidding war would do none of us any good either, apart from the seller of course.

Therefore I created a second entity who steps in on these occasions so that I get what I want and don't ruffle any feathers. I'll never use it to sell and I won't reply to queries. A bit cynical, sneaky and expedient perhaps, but then, that's me.

As far as the feedback angle is concerned, it's never been a high priority. If I get it, well and good, but I really don't watch it all that closely. I'm a straight dealer and have a 100% record.

In the highly unlikely event that I should blot my copybook in some way and lose my main ID, I also have an established fall-back position.

Does anyone think this wrong? I'd like to hear.

GG

Gardengnome, at first glance I thought that was what you were saying, but when I read it again, I understood. I just wanted you to clarify the statement so it would be clear to anyone! Do I think it is wrong. No, not at all. It is nobody's business what you bid on or pay or anything. If it is easier, more power to you.And especially if it saves a few ruffled feathers!

rsmiller40