The Arkansas News Bureau reports that the Arkansas Auctioneer's Licensing Board is scheduled to meet Tuesday to consider drafting regulations on eBay commission sales. The issue came up when the state board told eBay drop-off Store Snappy Auctions that it needed an auctioneer's license to do business.

Around the country, regulators and lawmakers have been examining the issue of whether eBay drop-off stores should be required to obtain an auctioneer's license, comply with second-hand dealer laws, or be left unregulated. Some states are looking at all eBay consignment sellers, whether or not they have a retail drop-off location, and a few have considered requiring licenses of all eBay sellers, even if they are selling their own goods from their own homes.

In at least two cases, one in Florida and one in Michigan, eBay drop-off store owners were arrested for failing to comply with second-hand dealer laws requiring that they finger-print their customers.

Lawrence Coffin, a Trading Assistant located in Boston, has been compiling a list of state regulations he believes apply to eBay Trading Assistants (http://www.beantowntradingpost.com/ebay_regulation/states.php).

eBay's government relations team has created a site called eBay Main Street where it has information about state, federal and global initiatives. It states, "eBay opposes attempts to extend state auction licensing requirements to either eBay sellers or eBay itself" and has further background on the issue of regulation (http://www.ebaymainstreet.com/state/?id=000011).

http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2006/01/05/News/332473.html