Managed Payments - No Company Number

[boston-it-recycling]

Hi All, 

Hoping someone can help. Am being forced to set up Managed Payments to carry on selling on eBay. We are a business it will be a business bank account in the company name (no personal name on the bank account) but because we are not registered on companies house nor charity they will not let me proceed with registration. All I get from them is without a company number you cannot register.

Has anyone found a way round this/got some helpful information? 

We aren't a partnership, we're not a sole trader or individual, we're not publically listed so I really don't know what to do other than close eBay which I'd rather not as we earn a few pennies on old equipment. 

Thanks,

[double_o_heaven]

I've just seen that you are - or appear to be -  a College.

Does that not give you charitable status?

[boston-it-recycling]

It does but like being treated as a "company" we are also not actually listed on the charities list. We sit in a very grey area, I had this argument with PayPal 3 years ago but they at least accepted it took some details including HMRC info and the VAT number and sorted our account out. eBay appear to just be a flat out no, no number no account. I can't find any alternatives either, to sell on Amazon I saw fees of £25 a month!