N.D. May Require Web Auctioneer License (to sell on EBay)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-internet-auctioneers,1,5899888.story?coll=chi-business-hed

To sell things over eBay, Mark Nichols may be required to take instruction in rapid-fire speaking, breathing control and reading hand gestures, even though the transactions are done by computer keyboard and mouse.

North Dakota's Public Service Commission is exploring whether people like Nichols, who runs a small consignment store in Crosby, must obtain auctioneer licenses before they can legally use eBay to sell merchandise for others.

To get a North Dakota auctioneer's license, applicants must pay a $35 fee, obtain a $5,000 surety bond and undergo training at one of eight approved auction schools, where the curriculum includes talking really fast.

"I don't think it offers any additional protection for the consumer," Nichols said. "It just creates a lot of red tape for the business, as well as having to put out a lot of money."

In North Dakota and other states, the growing popularity of online auctions is prompting closer scrutiny from regulators.