States Require Ebayers to be Licensed?

By Deb Weidenhamer

The state of North Dakota is considering requirements which would force Ebayers to be licensed auctioneers. Anyone selling for others on eBay would have to pay a $35 fee, get a $5,000 bond and attend auction school to learn how to chant. Minnesota is the home of the nearest auction school and will cost several hundred dollars to attend. Tennessee has a requirement for consignment sellers to be licensed but doesn’t require the attendance of an auction school.

At first it seems like a great idea that with all the corruption in the online auction industry to provide the consumer some sort of regulation. But the idea of sending people to auction school who actually believe eBay is an auction is fraught with peril. eBay is on online listing of products and services for sale which can typically be bought for a set price at anytime. There is no urgency, no salesmanship required and certainly none of the finesse offered by a seasoned auctioneer.

Do we really want to introduce or auction industry to novices who will go to school and learn a craft that they can claim as being an auctioneer which takes more then two weeks in school? Requiring online sellers to attend auction school will release hacks into our profession. Frankly, lumping online sellers into the category of auctioneers is not only unfair but an insult to our industry. It’s akin to asking vitamin salesmen to get a medical license. It is the absurdity of government licensing agents who only want to increase the size of their coffers and not set up a separate standard for online sellers.

Every real auctioneer in every state should contact the North Dakota Public Service Commission; Kevin Cramer, Commissioner at 600 E. Boulevard, Dept.408 Bismarck, ND 58505-0480 and let him know that he is about to commit a travesty on the auctioneering profession, a trade with a long and rich history. That to require online sellers to become auctioneers will cheapen our industry and introduce an unwanted element into the auction profession that is known for its fair and ethical business dealings.

eBay was never a threat to the auction industry. To the contrary, it has made “auction” a household word and has introduced a new generation to the benefits of buying and selling at auctions. But the same can not be said of this newly considered legislation. Introducing online sellers to the true auction industry will have immeasurable repercussions. We must all stand together now and call for a stop to this ridiculous and unnecessary regulation. After all there is now way all 50 states will require online sellers to be licensed as there are still several states that don’t require traditional auctioneers to be licensed. It will just affect those states with license laws and create an unequal field full of competition that thinks a good auction ends its bidding on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m.