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HF-6 · Never for sale

Reputation isn't for sale.

Some things a business builds stay with the business that earned them, or can't legally be sold at all. We say so up front, so nobody wastes time or takes on risk.

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[ ] SELL NOW[~] CONDITIONAL[X] NEVER FOR SALE
YOU KEEP RUNNING THE BUSINESS

[X] Never for sale

  • [X]Online reviews and Google Business Profiles

    The FTC's rule on reviews (16 CFR Part 465) and the platforms' own rules. A closing business marks its profile permanently closed.

  • [X]Instagram accounts and handles; personal social profiles

    Instagram's terms ban selling or transferring accounts, and Meta has sued handle sellers.

  • [X]Followers, views or engagement

    The FTC bans selling fake indicators of social media influence.

  • [X]Unsubscribed email addresses

    CAN-SPAM bans selling or transferring them.

  • [X]Toll-free numbers, for a fee

    FCC rules (47 CFR §52.107) ban brokering toll-free numbers.

[~] Conditional, not never

  • [~]Facebook and LinkedIn business pages, YouTube channels

    Only through the platform's own transfer process, with the history disclosed.

  • [~]Opted-in newsletters and subscriber lists

    Only if your privacy policy allows it, and the buyer tells subscribers and makes leaving easy.

  • [~]Local phone numbers of a closing business

    Only with the history disclosed, and a buyer who agrees in writing not to present itself as the former business.

Never bundled back together

A brand, its domain, its phone number and its lists sold together to one buyer serving the same customers amounts to selling the business. We sell conditional assets separately, or not at all.

How it works

01Sort

Every asset goes in a bin: sell now, conditional, or never for sale.

02Shop

Only the first two bins go to buyers. Conditional items go only when every condition is met.

03Sign

Written commitments from buyers where the conditions call for them.

Questions

Can you sell Google reviews?
No. Reviews stay with the business that earned them. The FTC's rule on consumer reviews and the platforms' policies treat moving or buying reviews as deceptive.
Can a Google Business Profile be sold?
Not on its own. The profile and its reviews belong to the business that earned them. When a business closes, the profile is marked permanently closed rather than handed to a buyer.
Can you sell an Instagram account?
No. Instagram's terms ban selling or transferring accounts and handles.
Can you sell a toll-free number?
No. FCC rules ban brokering toll-free numbers for a fee.
Can a Facebook page or YouTube channel be transferred?
Sometimes. Business pages and channels can move only through the platform's own transfer process, with their history disclosed, and never bundled with the brand to one buyer.

Also on the desk

FORM HF-0 · INVENTORY REQUEST

Ready when you are.

A 20-minute call with the Howfold Desk. We'll reply by email with a time.

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