Comments on: If We Don’t Understand It, It’s Probably Illegal

By: Do You Have Your eBay License? : Minor Thoughts

Do You Have Your eBay License? : Minor Thoughts — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:27:56 +0000

[...] How’s this for economic freedom: [...]

By: ecommercejive » Do you live in Pennsylvania and do business on Ebay? Time to move.

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:52:08 +0000

[...] just such a law is being used in Pennsylvania to go after a very successful eBay seller (via the Agitator). The story in that case is even more ridiculous, since the woman in question only began selling [...]

By: El Mike’s Internet News Blog » Blog Archive » Pennsylvania Sues Woman For Selling Goods On eBay Without A License

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:00:31 +0000

By: Exador

Exador — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:29:25 +0000

Why, in the name Jeebus, would you require a license to be an auctioneer?

By: SayUncle » Auctioneer’s License for EBay

SayUncle » Auctioneer’s License for EBay — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:16:15 +0000

[...] In PA, authorities are trying to shut down an EBay business because, well, the authorities are idiots. [...]

By: TC

TC — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:25:15 +0000

She was actually running a consignment house. It’s not like she was buying stuff and selling it, she was playing intermediary for the goods between the actual owner and the buyer.

Not saying the state was right or wrong, but maybe she should have had some sort of business license.

BUT she was not the actual auctioneer, e-bay is the provider of those services.

By: Nando

Nando — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:13:19 +0000

Which, in reality, gambling doesn’t affect state lotteries. Just look at NJ before and after Atlantic City was built up.

By: ZappaCrappa

ZappaCrappa — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:50:38 +0000

Kind of like states that ban gambling so it doesn’t infringe upon their own lotteries???

By: Tom G

Tom G — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:41:22 +0000

I am sure Mike is right, that the PAA is behind this action by the state.

In a free (freer ?) society, the best way to “protect consumers” would be with NON-REQUIRED certification. That way, the information would be available to consumers who cared about what standards the business operated by, without restricting at all the right of other companies to go into business in a field without bothering to jump through hoops.

By: Mike Leatherwood

Mike Leatherwood — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:09:04 +0000

Dollar to doughnuts that this was brought to the state’s attention by the PAA (Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association). Got to keep auctions in their control. Lovely side-effect of “state licensing” is that it creates little empires to keep out competition….

http://www.paauctioneers.org/

Going once…..going twice…..sold upriver by government nannyism

By: Dave Krueger

Dave Krueger — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:23:37 +0000

Also, it seems to me a case can be made that ebay is the actual auctioneer and not this woman. For example, if Sotheby’s has an art auction in PA, does everyone who sells art at that auction have to have an auction license?

By: Nando

Nando — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:02:28 +0000

If the auctioning is being done in another state (eBay is ran out of San Jose, CA), how can it violate PA laws? She’s not the one doing the auction, eBay is.

By: Bill Mill

Bill Mill — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:39:53 +0000

Your blog name is apt, you give me my morning shot of anger pretty much every day.

By: nhmind

nhmind — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:39:49 +0000

One more example of why less government is better.

By: Dave Krueger

Dave Krueger — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:11:27 +0000

Thankfully, the only reason state officials have the free time to pursue petty cases like this because they have completely solved all other matters of greater consequence.