Setting Up Multiple eBay Accounts

In my book The Auction Revolution and elsewhere on this site, I recommend using different eBay accounts for your eBay buying and selling activities. Having multiple accounts helps you hide eBay arbitrage, and allows you to respond to sellers who rip you off without the fear of damaging your selling accounts feedback. For other reasons see: Multiple eBay Accounts.

I get many emails from people trying to set up a second eBay account. They tell me eBay is saying they already have an eBay account and not letting them set up a new one.

This page has instructions for setting up an eBay account even if you already have an existing account.

Of course if you don't already have an account you can also use these instructions, just skip the section on deleting cookies. Either way, you'll be able to register and setup your eBay account today.

Before you start, you must have a unique email address for each eBay account you set up. Your ISP will probably allow you to have more than one email account, so check with them. If not, use an email account tied to a domain if you have your own website, or as a third option use a free email account from Yahoo or Hotmail. If you use a free email account , you'll have to prove who you are with a checking account or credit card. This can be the same credit card used on your existing eBay account.

Also it will save time if you find an eBay ID you like before starting to set up a new eBay account. While you can change the name of your eBay account after you have created it, spending a few minutes selecting an available account name first will make the process faster.

Try a few different names at Search eBay Names until you find a name you like with no exact matches. Then write it down.

First, make sure you have only this window open on your computer. After you've found a name you like, sign out of eBay using the link that says sign out in the upper right corner of the search names page above.

Once you have signed out of eBay, add this page to your bookmarks or favorites and then close your browser.

Restart your browser and come back to this page using the link in your favorites folder.

If you don't already have an eBay account scroll down to the Registering an eBay account and follow the directions. If you already have an eBay account, you'll need to remove the eBay cookies.

Removing eBay cookies from your computer. eBay puts cookies on your computer to remember your login status and track your use. These may cause problems when you try to create a new eBay account so we will delete them.

Do not worry about whether you need the eBay cookies. The eBay system will replace any cookies you need automatically when it finds them missing.

The fastest way to delete the cookies is to use the search function built into Windows. Click on the Start button then select Search > for Files or Folders.

The search box will open. Click on the search for Documents. One the next screen, check "Don't Remember" and paste owner@ebay into the search box. Then click search.

Your computer will locate all the eBay cookies on your machine. Once your computer has located all the cookies, delete them.

Repeat this process for the following searches:

owner@listings.ebay	owner@pagesebay
owner@listings.aol.ebay	owner@forums.ebay
owner@answercenter.ebay

You may not have all these cookies on your computer, or there may be multiple versions of each specific named cookie. Delete them all.

After you have deleted all the cookies, click on the link below in order to start registering your new eBay account. The link will open in a new window so you can still follow these instructions.

Fill out the set up new eBay account screen that opened with your information. Remember, the email address must not already have an eBay account associated with it, but the other information can match your existing eBay account. Check the box saying you've read the user agreement, then click enter.

On the second page of the registration screen, you will select a user name, password, and a secret question. If you haven't already selected a user name use this link to open a new window so you can find an available name.

Fill in all the information, and hit continue. If you have selected an unused eBay id, and not used a free email account you will get a message telling you to check your email account.

The email from eBay tells you to click on a button to activate your new account.

Congratulations, you have set up a new eBay account.

Protecting Your New eBay Account

You should now bid or buy something so your new account does not get purged by eBay. While eBay's rules do not say inactive accounts will be purged, I had heard from readers who set up eBay accounts and never used them, that they were unable to later access them. Just go out an bid on something with the new account. Find something worth 500 dollars and bid 10 dollars or some insanely low amount. That's enough to protect the account from being purged.

If you use a free email account at Yahoo or Hotmail, you will be asked for credit card information on the screen after you selected a user name. You can use the same credit card on multiple eBay accounts. Note- if you are already using the credit card, eBay will send a warning to the existing account's email address saying the card has been used to create a new eBay account. If you have already been suspended, or are having problems with eBay, you should use a different credit card.

Fill in the credit card information. Make sure the address the card statement is sent to must be the same address you entered on the first page. You can however specify a second address later. Then hit enter and you will be sent a confirmation email.

IMPORTANT: Click on the confirmation email and then bid on something. You don't have to win the item, just bid so the account becomes active. If you don't bid or list something within 30 days of opening your new account, eBay may delete it.

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