▁Mer ch ants ▁can ▁particip ate ▁to ▁receive ▁certain ▁features ▁for ▁free , ▁and ▁can ▁sub scribe ▁for ▁additional ▁features . ▁ ▁History ▁Res eller R at ings ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁as ▁a ▁sub section ▁of ▁S ys Opt . com ▁( s y so pt . com / res ell err at ings , ▁at ▁that ▁time ). ▁ ▁Its ▁founder , ▁Scott ▁W ain ner , ▁sold ▁S ys Opt . com ▁and ▁Res eller R at ings . com ▁to ▁Earth Web ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁for ▁several ▁million ▁dollars . ▁ ▁Earth Web ▁sold ▁Res eller R at ings ▁to ▁Internet . com ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁Internet . com ▁shut ▁Res eller R at ings . com ▁down , ▁and ▁W ain ner ▁bought ▁the ▁site ▁back ▁for ▁$ 3 2 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Initial ly ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁Res eller R at ings ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁h ob by ▁to ▁help ▁consum ers , ▁but ▁over ▁time ▁it ▁was ▁developed ▁into ▁a ▁Sa a S ▁platform ▁with ▁large ▁ret ail ▁customers ▁including ▁Z app os , ▁Home Dep ot , ▁New eg g , ▁and ▁others . ▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Res eller R at ings ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁An swers . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Res eller R at ings ▁changed