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Legal Issues

by Mike Masnick

Mon, Oct 10th 2005 4:55pm





States Still Looking At Laws Requiring eBay Users To Talk Fast

from the explains-skype? dept

Perhaps we've found the real reason eBay overpaid for Skype: eBay users need some practice talking really fast. Earlier this year, we wrote about a series of obsolete state laws on auctions that failed to anticipate the internet and would technically require many eBay-based businesses to get an auctioneer's license including lots of training and classes in how to speak fast. Apparently, nothing has changed. Many states are still exploring what their laws mean for eBay sellers -- mainly for those in the consignment business, rather than the person next door selling their old stereo or whatever. Still, it's interesting that these states seem to be focusing on deciding whether or not existing state laws apply to eBay sellers, rather than whether or not it makes any sense at all -- and if, it doesn't, about changing the laws to actually apply to today's world.

5 Comments | Leave a Comment

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  1.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Oct 10th, 2005 @ 8:36pm

    All information is useful!

    All review should be kept. But Amazon could add a not saying Amazon thinks this is illegal. or ..thinks this is the author.
    I will reply unnamed if I have a professional reason to to wish keep my id secret.
    I look for and read both good and bad reviews - somethings the bad review tell me that I like the product because of the faults ( a feature to me!)
    Recently I looked for info on a printer - some reviews were negative - but the +ve told me that the -ve were from less skilles users. I bought
    the HP printer and was very pleased.

    With more information one can make a better decision!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    JOHN MACKRUGGER, Oct 10th, 2005 @ 11:58pm

    At Laws Requiring eBay Users To Talk Fast

    thats dumb why should a store owneror user need a licence or " get an auctioneer's license including lots of training and classes in how to speak fast" when in reality the auction is handled by software not by the actual user if sombody should require a license it should be ebay the software not the owner cause thats what makes the auction go as an ebay user i can afirm that when i auction somthing i just register it describe it choose a starting price a reserve price and a a price to sale if some one wants to buy it now from there we jus sit back relax and waight and see how much did they offer for it why would i need a license for goofing off ? that would be like requiring a license for sleeping or eating and whit the over weight problem the us has thats not a bad idea

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    Fyre, Oct 11th, 2005 @ 6:04am

    Re: At Laws Requiring eBay Users To Talk Fast

    weeeird ass laws.

    I contacted the State of Texas who said that, yes, I do indeed need an auctioneer's license in order to list on eBay, if I do so as a business. Needless to say, I didn't give my name when I called. I'm sure I'll eventually get the license, but I don't have the time or money for 80 hours of classes, right now.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    jdw242, Oct 11th, 2005 @ 7:24am

    kinda obvious here

    isn't it kind of obvious that eBay is the auctioneer, and the person selling the item has paid eBay a consignment fee for their services? I pay ebay to host and auction my items, I don't sit there monitoring the item minute by minute pulling bids from people; the website does that for me.

    Jesus, go to an consignment auction sometime people, it's all about you paying to have your items sold by someone else.

    Am I the only person that sees that?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    eBay Consignment, Sep 20th, 2006 @ 12:10pm

    Are you serious?

    This is ridiculous. eBay, you lose.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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