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Managed store service vs a done-for-you store for sale: how to tell them apart
A managed store service runs a business you own: the seller accounts, brand, inventory and supplier relationships are in your name, you approve what is bought and sold, and the provider is paid for its work without promising what the store will earn. A store for sale, often marketed as a done-for-you or automated store, sells you a ready-made store or a stake in one, usually with talk of monthly income. The FTC has shut down several programs of the second kind since 2022. This page shows how to tell the two apart before you pay anyone, including us.
Quick answer
Ask three questions. Whose name is on the seller account, the brand and the supplier contracts? Does the provider promise or hint at income? Who chooses and pays for the products? A managed store service answers "yours", "no" and "you approve and pay directly". Programs the FTC has acted against typically sold stores to people without a business, promised monthly profits and kept control of the money.
This page is general information, not legal advice. If you are about to sign with any provider, ask your attorney to read the contract.
Managed store vs done-for-you store for sale: the side-by-side
The words overlap in ads, so compare the structure instead.
| Question | Managed store service | Store-for-sale program |
|---|---|---|
| What you are buying | Work: research, setup and daily operations on a business you own | A ready-made store, a share of one or access to a "system" |
| Whose name is on the seller accounts | Yours, from the first day | Often the provider's, a shared entity's, or yours but controlled by them |
| Who chooses products | The provider researches and recommends; you approve every product | The provider picks, often from a list it sells to many buyers |
| Who pays suppliers and holds inventory money | You pay suppliers and platforms directly | Often a lump sum to the provider for inventory it buys for you |
| What is promised | Process: what will be done, when and how it is reported | Income, profit, a payback date or a buyback |
| How the provider is paid | Published fees for work; some offer a commission option with the rate fixed in writing before work starts | Large upfront fees, often tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes plus a share of results |
| Proof offered | Terms, scope, named people, sample reports labeled as samples | Screenshots of earnings, testimonials, claimed brand partnerships |
| What happens when you leave | Accounts, brand, stock and data stay with you | Unclear, or the store stays with the program |
Our own managed store service, Full Relay, is built on the left-hand column. The rest of this page applies to us as much as to anyone else.
What the FTC Business Opportunity Rule requires
The FTC's Business Opportunity Rule (16 CFR Part 437) covers arrangements where a seller solicits a buyer to enter a new business, the buyer makes a required payment and the seller says it will provide locations, outlets, accounts or customers ("including, but not limited to, Internet outlets"), or will buy back what the buyer makes (16 CFR 437.1(c)). "Providing locations, outlets, accounts, or customers" means "furnishing the prospective purchaser with existing or potential locations, outlets, accounts, or customers" (16 CFR 437.1).
When the Rule applies, the seller must:
- Give the buyer a written disclosure document "at least seven calendar days before" the buyer signs a contract or pays (437.2).
- Make an earnings claim only with "a reasonable basis for its claim at the time the claim is made," backed by written substantiation and an earnings claim statement (437.4).
- Not misrepresent "the amount of sales, or gross or net income or profits a prospective purchaser may earn," and not misrepresent its refund or cancellation terms (437.6).
Texas has its own Business Opportunity Act (Business and Commerce Code, chapter 51), and other states have similar laws. Whether a particular offer is covered is a legal question for an attorney. What a buyer can do is simpler: if anyone quotes income figures, ask for the written substantiation and the earnings claim statement, and wait the seven days.
What the FTC has done about ecommerce automation programs
The FTC has brought a run of cases against programs that sold online stores with income promises. These are the ones we checked on ftc.gov on Oct 20, 2026. They are the FTC's allegations and the court orders that followed, listed as context, not as claims about any company not named.
| Case | FTC action | Outcome | What the FTC described |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTC v. DK Automation LLC et al. (S.D. Fla.) | Complaint filed Nov 16, 2022, with a proposed stipulated order | Order required $2.6 million for refunds and an end to the deceptive earnings claims; the FTC announced $2.8 million in refunds in March 2024 | Amazon business programs costing $5,000 to $100,000, sold as businesses that would make money with little work from the buyer; at least $52 million taken from 2017 to 2021 |
| Automators AI (Automators, S.D. Cal.) | Complaint and temporary restraining order, Aug 22, 2023 | Stipulated order Feb 27, 2024, with lifetime bans for the businesses and two owners | Claims such as "$4k-$6k consistently monthly net profit"; consumers lured to spend $22 million on online stores |
| FTC v. FBA Machine (D.N.J.) | Complaint Jun 3, 2024 | Stipulated order filed Jul 30, 2025: permanent ban; $15.7 million judgment, partly suspended | Online storefronts run with AI-powered software, sold with what the FTC calls false promises that buyers would make money; over $15 million taken |
| Ascend Ecom (C.D. Cal.) | Complaint Sep 25, 2024, part of Operation AI Comply | Proposed stipulated order filed Jun 23, 2025, banning the operators from selling business opportunities | Tens of thousands of dollars to start stores, plus more for inventory, with promises of five-figure monthly income; at least $25 million |
| Ecommerce Empire Builders (FTC v. Empire Holdings Group LLC, E.D. Pa.) | Complaint Sep 25, 2024 | Order entered May 8, 2025: business opportunity ban; $9,786,124 judgment, partly suspended | "Done for you" storefronts costing as much as $35,000; claims of $10,000 a month that the FTC says never materialized |
| Ecom Genie / Profitable Automation | Complaint Oct 28, 2024 | Permanent orders Mar 24, 2025 and Jul 17, 2025 | Tens of thousands of dollars to start Amazon and Walmart businesses on claims of large profits; more than $12 million taken |
| Click Profit, LLC (S.D. Fla.) | Restraining order Mar 5, 2025; announced Mar 18, 2025 | Stipulated orders Aug 25, 2025, banning defendants from the industry | Management fees of at least $45,000 plus inventory; ads calling it safe, secure and "proven to generate wealth"; claimed affiliations with Nike and Disney that the FTC says were false; at least $14 million |
Sources: FTC case pages, press releases and the DK Automation complaint, linked in this page's sources, checked Oct 20, 2026.
A related case shows the same pattern outside store programs. In August 2025 the FTC sued Air AI, which sold AI tools, coaching and resale licenses to small businesses. The FTC alleges buyers were told they would quickly earn back what they paid and were promised a full refund if they missed an earnings target, typically two or three times their payment, and that refunds were rarely paid. A proposed order announced Mar 24, 2026 bans Air AI and its owners from selling business opportunities.
The pattern across these cases is consistent: stores sold to people who had no business yet, income figures presented as certain, AI or automation presented as the thing that makes money, upfront fees in the tens of thousands, and proof that turned out to be invented. Several orders also deal with contract terms that stopped buyers from posting honest reviews.
Warning signs before you pay anyone
Any one of these is a reason to stop and ask questions. Two or more is a reason to walk away.
- 01Income figures, ranges or "typical" results,
in ads, calls, webinars or screenshots, without a written earnings claim statement.
- 02A date by which you will earn back what you pay,
or a refund promise tied to profit.
- 03The store is not in your name,
or you are buying into a shared account, a pooled store or a bundle of stores.
- 04You do not approve the products or the suppliers,
or the product list is the same one sold to other buyers.
- 05You pay the provider for inventory
instead of paying the supplier directly.
- 06A buyback offer or talk of selling the store at a multiple
as part of the pitch.
- 07Pressure to decide fast:
places that run out, prices that expire tonight, a discount for signing on the call.
- 08Claimed partnerships with big brands or marketplaces
that you cannot verify on the brand's or marketplace's own site.
- 09Reviews you cannot check,
or a contract that limits what you may say about the provider. The FTC's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials (16 CFR Part 465, published Aug 22, 2024) bans fake reviews and review suppression.
- 10No written list of the costs you will carry
on top of the provider's fee: inventory, freight, platform fees, apps and ad spend.
- 11Requests for your marketplace password
instead of named user access.
Where Full Relay sits, and how to judge it
Full Relay is our managed store service. We built it to sit on the managed-service side of every line above, and you should test it against them like any other provider.
- Ownership.
You own every seller account, the brand, all inventory and every supplier relationship. Accounts are opened in your name.
- Approvals.
We research products and find and vet suppliers; you approve every product, supplier, price and purchase. You pay suppliers directly.
- Costs you carry.
Inventory, freight, platform fees, apps and ad spend are paid by you, directly to the supplier or platform.
- Two ways to pay.
A retainer: $1,499 onboarding, then $999, $1,999 or $3,999 a month depending on channels and scope. Or a performance model: a $2,499 one-time service fee, then a commission on the store's results at a rate set in the written agreement before work starts. When your store sells, we earn. When it does not, you owe no commission. We do not publish the commission rate.
- No income promise.
We do not sell stores and we never promise income. Most new stores take months to find steady sales, and some never do. Inventory, platform fees, freight and ad spend are paid by you.
- Terms.
On the retainer, the first term is 3 months, then month to month with 30 days' notice.
A fair point about the performance model: a commission tied to results is a structure that some store-for-sale programs also use. What separates a legitimate version is everything around it: you own the store, the rate and the base it is calculated on are in the written agreement before you pay, nothing in the sale implies what you will earn and the provider is still accountable for its work if sales are slow. If those are not all true, walk away, whoever the provider is. Our guide to choosing a managed store service lists the questions to ask about any commission.
What about price?
Judge the structure before the price. A legitimate offer shows the provider's fees and, separately, what you will pay others. A launch-only service costs less: our Store Launch starts at $999 for one channel and Store Care runs a small store from $399 a month, though neither includes product research or sourcing. The FTC cases above describe storefronts at up to $35,000 and management fees of at least $45,000 before inventory. A high price is not proof of a scheme; a large payment in exchange for a promise about what you will earn is the warning sign. Every Ecom Relays price is on our pricing page.
Who should not buy either
- Anyone looking for income without running a business. A managed store is still your business, with your money at risk.
- Anyone without the budget for inventory, freight, platform fees and ads on top of the provider's fees.
- Anyone who wants to buy a ready-made store. We do not sell stores.
- Anyone who will not spend a few hours a week reviewing and approving. Owner-light is possible; owner-free is not.
Ask us anything, including whether to work with us
Book a free 30-minute session with an ops lead. Bring any provider's contract or pitch (ours included) and we will go through it line by line against the warning signs above. No pitch deck. Starting from scratch? Get a free Launch Readiness Check: a written plan within 3 business days, no sales call required.
A real person replies within one business hour, 9am to 6pm US Central, Monday to Friday. +1 (469) 331-3129 · contact@ecomrelays.com
Ecomrelays LLC is a Texas company. Part of our team works outside the US, as one managed team with a named US-facing lead.
Are done-for-you Amazon stores legit?
Some services that build and run a store you own are legitimate. Programs that sell stores with income promises have repeatedly been shut down by the FTC, including Automators AI, FBA Machine, Ascend Ecom, Ecommerce Empire Builders, Ecom Genie and Click Profit. Judge the structure: your name on the accounts, no income claims, published fees and products you approve. Our 12 checks for vetting a done-for-you store provider go further.
What is the difference between a managed store and a store for sale?
A managed store service is paid to do work on a business you own: research, setup and daily running, with you approving purchases and paying suppliers directly. A store-for-sale program sells you a ready-made store or a share of one, usually with a picture of the income it will produce. Ownership and income promises are the two clearest dividing lines.
What does the FTC Business Opportunity Rule require?
Where it applies, the seller must give a written disclosure document at least seven calendar days before you sign or pay, may make earnings claims only with a reasonable basis and an earnings claim statement, and must not misrepresent income or refund terms. Whether an offer is covered is a legal question; ask your attorney.
Is a commission-based managed store a scam?
Not by itself. The question is what surrounds it. You should own the store, see the rate and the base it is calculated on in writing before you pay anything, and hear no claims about what you will earn. Our Full Relay performance model sets the rate in the written agreement before work starts, and we never publish or promise income.
Does Ecom Relays sell stores?
No. We do not sell stores and we never promise income. Full Relay, our managed store service, builds and runs a store that is yours from the first day: accounts in your name, products and suppliers you approve and inventory you pay for directly. Store Launch and Store Care do not include product sourcing.
What should I ask before paying any provider?
Whose name is on every account and contract, who approves products and pays suppliers, what every fee is and what costs you carry separately, whether they make any income claim and can back it in writing, how they access your accounts and how you leave. Our guide to choosing a managed store service lists twelve questions in full.
How can I check whether a provider has an FTC history?
Search the provider's name, its owners' names and any earlier brand names in the FTC's Legal Library of cases and proceedings at ftc.gov, and in your state attorney general's consumer actions. Several programs in the FTC's cases traded under more than one name. Then search the court docket if a case appears. No result is not a clean bill of health; it only means no public case was found.
What should I do if I already paid a program that looks like these?
Keep every contract, receipt, message and screenshot. Ask the provider in writing for your account access and your money's whereabouts. You can report a business opportunity scheme to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and an attorney can advise on recovering funds. Card payments may also be disputable with your bank.
Sources18 sourcesLast checked Oct 20, 2026
- 01ecfr.gov16 CFR Part 437, FTC Business Opportunity Rule: definitions 437.1(c) and (m); disclosure at least seven calendar days before signing or paying, 437.2; earnings claims need a reasonable basis and an earnings claim statement, 437.4; prohibited misrepresentations of income and refund terms, 437.6; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 02ftc.govFTC, Business Opportunity Rule page; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 03ftc.govFTC v. DK Automation LLC et al., No. 1:22-cv-23760, S.D. Fla., complaint filed Nov 16, 2022: programs from $5,000 to $100,000; at least $52 million taken from 2017 to 2021; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 04ftc.govFTC, DK Automation case summary: announced Nov 16, 2022; proposed stipulated order requiring $2.6 million for refunds; $2.8 million in refunds announced Mar 2024; page updated Mar 28, 2024; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 05ftc.govFTC, Automators: complaint and TRO Aug 22, 2023; stipulated order Feb 27, 2024; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 06ftc.govFTC press release, Aug 22, 2023: Automators AI; $22 million; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 07ftc.govFTC v. FBA Machine: complaint Jun 3, 2024; stipulated order Jul 30, 2025; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 08ftc.govFTC press release, Jul 30, 2025: FBA Machine; $15.7 million judgment, partly suspended; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 09ftc.govFTC, Operation AI Comply, Sep 25, 2024; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 10ftc.govFTC, Ascend Ecom: complaint Sep 25, 2024; order Jun 23, 2025; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 11ftc.govFTC v. Empire Holdings Group LLC, d/b/a Ecommerce Empire Builders: complaint Sep 25, 2024; stipulated order May 2025; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 12ftc.govFTC press release, May 9, 2025: order entered May 8, 2025; storefronts up to $35,000; $9,786,124 judgment, partly suspended; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 13ftc.govFTC, Ecom Genie: complaint Oct 28, 2024; final orders Mar 24 and Jul 17, 2025; more than $12 million; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 14ftc.govFTC press release, Mar 18, 2025: Click Profit; restraining order Mar 5, 2025; management fee of at least $45,000; claimed Nike and Disney affiliations; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 15search.ftc.govFTC press release, Aug 25, 2025: Air AI, D. Ariz.; earnings claims and refund promises tied to earnings targets; losses up to $250,000; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 16ftc.govFTC press release, Mar 24, 2026: proposed stipulated order banning Air AI and its owners from business opportunities; $18 million judgment, largely suspended; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 17ftc.govFTC, Click Profit, LLC: stipulated orders Aug 25, 2025; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
- 18ecfr.gov16 CFR Part 465, Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, 89 FR 68077, Aug 22, 2024; checked Oct 20, 2026Primary
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