Pennsylvania Law Forces eBay Auctioneers to Get a License

by Terrence O'Brien on November 20, 2007 at 05:01 PM

You know those people -- maybe even you -- who sell other people's stuff on eBay? Well, apparently you or they will need to get an auctioneer's license from now on, at least in Pennsyslvania. The law has actually been on the books for a while, but is garnering attention because it is only now being enforced. Two people who run online auctions for others are under investigation by the state government and face up to $1,000 in fines.

But some eBay auctioneers are speaking out. Pennsylvania-based Auction Inn, a small online eBay auction company, is speaking out against the law, though it is not one of the two cited by law enforcement. Auction Inn believes the law is unfair since eBay auctioneers don't perform the same function or duty as traditional auctioneers. Presumably, this means they don't have gavels or talk in sped-up-auction-selling-speak, since all they do is write nice descriptions, take pretty photos, and make sure the stuff gets to the buyer on time.

Getting an auctioneer's license can take six to eight months which would shut Auction Inn down for the better part of a year, essentially forcing the business to shutter.

State lawmakers are proposing bills to deal with the issue, one of which makes eBay sellers exempt from the auctioneer's law, but still requires them to register with the government.

You can already feel the garages, basements, and attics of Pennsylvania start to fill up with all the crap the won't get sold until this hubbub is sorted out.

What do you think? Is this law too much or do you think eBay auctioneers should have a license?

From WGAL News

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Tags: auction, ebay, license, pennsylvania

Comments

142

Kyle WebbDec 4th 2007 7:13PM

Neutral

Currently I'm one of the 1500 small business owners in PA that could loose his business due to this.
Ironically I got into Ebay sales after leaving a career in political activism for the Democratic Party. I worked all over the country as a Democrat and only stopped after moving to PA. Why? Because the Pennsylvania Democratic Party is by far the most crocked band of thieves I've ever had the distinct displeasure of meeting in my life.
Worst amoungst them is Representative Mike Sturla. He is the current Chairman of the House Professional and Licensure committee. Who, as it turns out, is also the person spearheading the effort to close Ebay sales in PA. He does this while in the same breath running on a platform of being supportive of small businesses in the Lancaster PA area. What a hypocrite!
If you honestly want to help save the 1500 Ebay businesses in PA and help insure this type of rediculous beaurocracy doesn't spread to your state, I would recommend calling or writing Representative Sturla and inform him that you intend to make a donation to anyone who runs against him if he doesn't drop this nonsence.
You can contact him in the following manners:
333 Main Capitol Bldg.
PO Box 202096
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2096
Phone: (717) 787-3555
Fax: (717) 705-1923
Web: http://www.pahouse.com/Sturla/contact.asp

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reverse auctionDec 23rd 2007 11:15PM

Neutral

Not only is it more revenue where none is due, it makes more difficult a basic way of life for Americans of all walks of life to do commerce. They try to get a part of the pie wherever they can.

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