How To Change Your eBay ID and Why You Should

Every buyer sees your seller eBay ID.

Does your eBay ID make sense?

Does it add value to your listing and store? If not you might want to consider changing it.

So… if you change your eBay ID what happens? Let’s discuss.

Will my feedbacks and transaction history logs will remain? YES.

Can I escape suspension due to past issues from my old eBay ID? Usually, No.

Do I lose the ability to revert back to my old eBay ID? No.

Changing your eBay ID won’t nullify past transactions and feedback. eBay’s database keeps a history of all eBay sellers, so there are zero chances of evading suspension by changing your eBay ID. Also, reverting back to your old eBay ID is only possible if no one has taken it yet.

Here are more facts about your eBay ID that you should understand before you change it.

What can I do with my eBay ID?

Your eBay ID is a your brand name. If your ID looks something like this “usr2401” you are probably losing sales to another catchy competitor brand. On eBay, there will be thousands of sellers with horrible names. Changing your eBay name to something that makes more sense will help you stand out. So if you’re thinking of changing, you must make one that’s catchy and memorable like SallysSewingSupply.

Your new eBay ID must also abide by eBay’s rules:

• When choosing an eBay ID, it must be at least four characters long. eBay allows users to add letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), and some symbols (periods, underscores, asterisks, and dashes).
• In the past, eBay allowed its members to create IDs with their email addresses. But today, it’s not possible to do so. Users with this kind of IDs shouldn’t be avoided. It only means that their IDs were created when it was possible to create them.
• Another eBay ID restriction is creating one with a business advertising detail. These details include a phone number and a website address. Leave these out.

What’s an effective way to keep track of a buyer or competitor?

eBay allows every member to bookmark eBay IDs of their favorite buyer or competitor. This is possible through eBay’s watch list feature which helps buyers compare auctions simultaneously. Sellers take advantage of this by peeking through their competitor’s listings. The only downside of this feature is that the more your competitor’s listings get watched, the higher its place becomes on the search pages. To avoid adding to your competitor’s popularity, bookmark the listing page on your browser rather than using the watch feature. You can also spy on your competitors using RivalRipper’s PriceRipper tool which you can read more about here.

What other ways can my eBay ID contribute to marketing my business?

Your eBay ID can act as a sort of landmark for buyers who are curious about your back story as a seller. Beside your eBay ID is the “me” button. The “me” button links to the seller’s About Me page where they can discuss their lives as an eBay seller. Some buyers look into a seller’s About Me page before making a purchase, so make it a point to make one.

What if I suddenly change my mind and would like my old eBay ID back?

You can only change your eBay ID once every 30 days, so think your decision over before making the change. Again, you might not get your eBay ID back if someone else takes it before you have a chance to retrieve it again in 30 days.

Would having multiple eBay IDs get me into trouble?

You’ll only get into trouble if you break eBay’s rules and regulations like selling the same products across multiple accounts. Having multiple eBay IDs is not against the rules. The presence of multiple seller IDs keeps the eBay market competitive and the choices, plenty. Some members have multiple eBay IDs because they use some for selling and some for buying. It also makes sense to have multiple IDs if you sell in different niches or categories. But again, just follow the eBay rules.

Will my loyal customers know it’s still me if I change my eBay ID?

It depends. If your customer has bookmarked you or added you to their watch list, there’s a good chance they’ll know it’s you. eBay provides a solution to this by showing a small icon beside your new eBay ID which indicates the change. This icon notifies other members for 14 days that you’ve recently changed your ID.

What can I NOT do with my eBay ID?

There are plenty of restrictions on creating and using an eBay ID.  These restrictions are set by eBay’s management to help maintain order in the community. Scams are also prevented by these restrictions especially for patented brands and company names. You may read more about this matter by visiting eBay’s User ID page.

eBay has listed a series of elements that eBay IDs should not contain:

• Tabs or spaces (Hyphens can replace spaces)
• Consecutive underscores
• Any number/s after the letter E
• Using a period, underscore, or hyphen before or after the eBay ID (ex: antiqueseller-)
• The word eBay (eBay employees are the only ones allowed to have this on their IDs)
• An eBay ID similar to another eBay shop or eBay seller
• Profane or obscene words that break  eBay’s rules on profanity
• A third party’s brand or trademark (ex: DisneyStore)

eBay Shop names are different from eBay IDs. Aside from their purpose, they differ in restrictions. eBay Shops  are allowed to have spaces and special symbols such as an ampersand (&) or the @ sign.

Now that you’ve gained more knowledge about your eBay ID, here’s how you can change it:

How to change your eBay ID

If you’ve decided to change your eBay ID, here is the step-by-step procedure for doing it:

1. Go to the eBay website, log in, and click on “My eBay” at the upper right corner of the page.
2. On the left side of the page, scroll down until you reach the “My Account” section.
3. Under the “My Account” section, click on “Personal Information”.
4. You’ll reach the Personal Information landing page. Click on the “Edit” button beside your current eBay ID. This will open the Change User ID page.
5. Enter your desired new ID on the text box. Click on the “Change User ID” button after checking your new ID for typos. Again, you only get to change your User ID every 30 days, so be wary of making typos. If your new ID is too common, it may take you some time to change it as eBay has millions of members.

Summary

You are online and it is competitive. Create a catchy name. Build a brand. Maybe one day you can sell your store for the big bucks!

Have any eBay ID tips you want to share? Feel free to share it in a comment below.