How do I switch from business to personal?

[ukdealers]

When heading to account settings, it seems eBay does not allow me to switch between account types.

I used to be a sole trader and now just don't do it any longer and would like to convert to personal.

I've read online that I should make a new account, but I've had this account for 7 years and all my feedback and experience is on this one - I've tried reaching out to eBay but seems as if they do not want to offer live support and I'm stuck talking to a badly coded bot that repeats the same incorrect and inaccurate info.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[**peaseblossom**]

eBay won't switch accounts from business to personal.   I'm afraid the only alternative is to start another ID.   Log out of this one, or use a different browser, and register details again using a different email address.

[ukdealers]

Ah, I unfortunately feared that.

I will try to request a callback (if that service is still available) later this week - as a sole trader, it's a shame to lose an almost decade-old account as this contains all my buying/selling history.

Thank you very much for your swift response however!

[tressygirl]

Here's the Call Back option for you to try Customer Services,  but be aware they will tell you the same, it's just not possible to change a business account to a Private one.

The easiest and quickest way to contact Customer Services is through this link, for a Call Back .

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/eua?id=5275&mkevt=1&mkpid

On weekdays lines open between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Weekends lines open between 9 a.m. to 6p.m.

@ukdealers 

[ukdealers]

Hi, thank you for the link, that's super helpful 🙂

Yes, I believe you both and I can understand why they wouldn't, but I just thought I'd try my luck with it being a small sole trader account rather than a humongous Ltd company.

[tressygirl]

Well they do say, .... 'don't ask don't get'.

Good luck,  Happy Selling  !  😊

@ukdealers 

[customerfirst2530]

…I’ve lost 20 years account, feedback etc. Very sad 

[shamglobal]

Exactly. This is an oversight by eBay. One may not want to be a "business owner" anymore and just sell like they used to, but they have to lose feedback and account history. 

[isafecreator]

This venue will never cease to amaze us with its lead brained policies. Nothing changes here.

[realbeing]

eBay is a complete *bleep*show. It's why I moved to other services like vinted and gumtree.

[ebdk1960]

Ditch them 

[pegr-834437]

Its probably down to when being a business had benefits like higher seller limits (monetary and numerically), it was much easier to have these lifted if you were a business and in good standing. They (eBay) 100% can change you from a business to a private account but there is no way they will do it just because you want to use the feedback gained by trading to then be on a private account (not saying you will trade on a private account btw). 

Plus now when its massively beneficial to be a private account if you could just change I'd hazard a guess 50% would to get the free listings but keep everything they already have and just trade illegally. 

[shamglobal]

My eBay account started out as private. The feedback I have is 100% private. Years later, I had a UK company with a business partner and switched my eBay account to business, so we could possibly use it as a vehicle to sell some stuff. However, my business partner didn't want to continue, so we ended up selling no items on my eBay business account.  So I wanted to switch my account back to private - and eBay don't allow that.

So whilst I understand your view, my case would be the furthest thing from "gaming the system" for any kind of benefits eBay may have for private sellers.

It should be on a case by case basis. 

[pegr-834437]

But your situation is an outlier, eBay is too big to deal with individual cases they just have blanket rules.  In your situation theres no real advantage to keeping an account thats only got 42 feedback so you might as well just open a new private account.

[shamglobal]

Every conglomerate has blanket rules. But they are also able to custom some people based on support queries. I've done this with others, like PayPal etc. Ebay are just different and difficult. 

And yeh, I know my options ☺️. It's not just about feedback either. My account is from 2004. You can't get that with a new account. Anyway, at this point I don't care. I'm just having a banter here.